Pageants.

A lot of people think that pageants are just about hair, makeup, dresses, swimsuits, heels and looking pretty on stage. Some even go as far to say that girls who compete in pageants are air heads or bimbos who don't have a thought in their head.

I have one word for people who think that way: wrong.

Pageants are so much more than looking pretty and walking around on a stage. There are so many stages and steps that go along with them and they really take time and dedication. Pageants really aren't just a glamorous event for girls to flaunt themselves; they are a chance for each girl competing to see what they're made of. They are a chance to develop skills and find out things about yourself that you might not know otherwise. Personally, pageants have really helped me as a person and there are specific things that I have gained from them that I will always carry with me:

Confidence

Confidence is something that a lot of girls lack at some point in their life. I have my days where I do too. But pageants have helped me overcome that. There's nothing like having your hair and makeup done, legs completely shaved, and walking around in a swimsuit or beautiful dress to make you feel like you are on top of the world. You have to hold your head high the entire time and walk the stage like you own it. Didn't have a great interview? Who cares. Keep walking and never let the audience or judges second guess you. You can't get down on yourself. I once was told a story about a girl who competed in my county's pageant in the past. She thought she had an awful interview and told people she didn't even want to go to the onstage portion. She wanted to just quit right then and there. She decided to go compete after all and guess who was crowned queen? She was. I carry this story with me as a daily reminder of not to give up. Never let your confidence start to slip because you never know what the outcome will be. Not only in pageants does this apply, but also in life. Don't give up on something and let your confidence get drained from you because the outcome could be life changing. Confidence is key.

Public Speaking Ability

I have always been a shy, reserved person. When I first started pageants, I for sure thought I was going to mess up the speech portion. I knew how nerve wracking talking to the three judges was for me, so what made me think I could talk to a whole crowd of people? I was so wrong. I learned very quickly just how great of a public speaker I was. Big crowds couldn't phase me and still don't phase me when competing in pageants. I actually love talking in front of large crowds. After my first pageant, my junior year of high school, I had a lot of people tell me that they were shocked, but also very impressed with my public speaking. I took home the "Orator" award not only that year, but the year after that as well. Pageants helped me discover this strength of mine. I now am pursuing an Applied Communication Studies major with a Public Relations track. Honestly, without knowing this strength I might not have picked the career path that I did. I would have never known what I can do if it hadn't been for pageants and it helped me realize that I actually like communicating with others in that way. Not only do pageants show you what you can improve on, but they also show you the strengths that you have had the entire time.

Interview Skills

I will tell you, I have never had a more difficult interview than the ones at pageants. If you can make it through that, then you can make it through anything. That's just my opinion, though. Anyways, in pageant interviews, you have to learn to answer things about yourself in a positive way. I have often been told to pretend that it's a job interview, but instead of getting a job, you get to be crowned queen for a year. I have been told to not brag about myself necessarily, but definitely let them know about the qualities and experiences that make me, ME. I might not have won the title of queen in the past, but I have learned valuable interview skills that I probably still wouldn't know if I hadn't competed. Don't cross your legs, but instead cross your ankles. Put your hands folded in your lap and don't fidget nervously. Sit up straight; shoulders back and head held confidently high. Look your judges (or potential employer) in the eye. Enter the room with a big smile and greet them. As I once was told by a very important person, "They're not there to trip you up, only to get to know you". Same goes for job interviews. Your potential boss/employer doesn't want to see you fail at your interview, they just want to know what makes you unique among the other applicants. Without pageant interviews, I probably wouldn't realize how true that is.

Not Just Beauty, But Brains

I say that brains should always be more important than beauty. The onstage question and interview questions really make you think on your feet and in order to answer those questions to the best of your ability, you have to be: informed, educated, and logical. If you aren't any of these things, then people will look at you funny when you give answers. Again, I have never been awarded the title of queen in the past, but I apply this to my everyday life. In life, I'm challenged with different situations and some of those include thinking on my feet and making sure I give the most relevant and intelligent answer that I can. A beautiful person is nothing without beautiful thoughts and ideas as well. Also, it's so important to keep yourself updated with current events. Not only in pageants, but in everyday life. You never know when a teacher will ask you about something that happened recently or will want to have discussions about current events. I can't count how many times my freshman year of college that my English professor wanted to discuss topics like David Bowie or had us write responses to current event articles. Current events will come up in everyday life, so take the time to educate yourself. To me, having thoughts in your head is highly important and you should never make yourself come across as ditzy. People are less likely to listen to you if you're that way. Just always have beautiful thoughts and ideas in your head and you're set. If you have brains then you have already conquered the biggest part of beauty.

I hope that after reading this article, people realize that pageants aren't just about beauty. I hope they realize what pageants have taught me and what skills they gave me. I hope they realize that these things don't just ring true for me, but for other young women as well. I hope that one day the world will see the true beauty in pageants and how helpful they really can be.