Pageants: Don’t Take Them at Face Value

What do you think when you hear the word “pageant?” Well, unless you have actually competed in one, I can guarantee you that it is nothing like what you think it is. Of course, it does involve pretty girls performing on stage, competing for the title of queen – or in this case, Miss Canada Teen Global; but it is also so much more! I never would have imagined the utterly torrential amount of work there has to be done leading up to the actual pageant week.

To start at the beginning of my story, I auditioned back in February on a whim, not even thinking that I would actually end up competing against other girls from all over Canada as Miss Teen Global Calgary West! The work has been grueling: meeting deadlines, raising money for charity, trying to get sponsorship to save on the cost of entering the pageant and not to mention keeping up in my usual schoolwork too. But besides all this, the experience has been outstandingly rewarding! I am trying something new that is totally different from anything I’ve ever done and it’s given me the chance to get out and support charity and speak in front of large crowds.

The prime objective of the Miss Canada Teen Global Pageant is not to base everything on looks alone – after all, the slogan is "Empowering Young Women Worldwide to Make a Difference," which sounds pretty spectacular to me. I mean, why not base a pageant off of beauty and brains and not just one or the other? Personally I like to think that I, being a part of this pageant, am making a difference in young ladies’ lives; I am hoping that I can show them that you can accomplish whatever you want if you just do your best and believe that you are beautiful no matter what. So even though the actual pageant night is still a week away, I feel extremely accomplished with what I have done so far through this pageant.