Pageants

Do you prefer a book or television?

A book, because it's easier to think about it objectively. For example, watching the news on TV gives people the impression they were actually there, even though they only saw what the camera chose to show. With a book, it's easier to step back and say, "Such-and-such isn't true, because of X, Y, and Z."

If you could be any kind of flower, what would you be and why?

A rose. While they're pretty, they've also got thorns to protect against getting eaten. And the flowers can be used in skincare and the hips can be used to make tea.

What do you see when you look in the mirror?

A strong, confident young woman who is helping educate the world about illiteracy and how to become literate.

What will you never do?

Abuse or neglect anyone, or keep silent about what needs to be said. I know some children whose mother doesn't love them, and every time I see them it makes my heart cry out. If I could say or do anything to change that situation, I would.

What would you look forward to most about being National American Miss?

All the wonderful experiences and opportunities. Queens in any system get to meet so many wonderful people, both during and after their reign.

What do you stand to lose by winning this title?

Anonymity. Queens, both current and past, are constantly in the news, and hardly go one day without having something they do discussed by the public.

If you could change any quality that is found in young adults your age, what would it be? Why?

Apathy. A lack of caring about anything that doesn't pertain to oneself is just terrible, because they don't get the blessings that come from helping others. I don't mean that people are depressed. It's just that they honestly don't care about anyone or anything else, and they miss out on a lot of opportunities as well.

What extracurricular activities did you participate in? Why did you pick those?

Archery, drama, and dual-enrollment. Archery was because my younger brother started doing it and I decided that if he could do it, I could do it too. Drama was because I had been acting in Christmas plays since I was a small child, and when my homeschool group offered the class, I jumped at the chance. Dual-enrollment was preparatory for college. Although it's not usually considered an extracurricular activity, it certainly was one of my activities outside of high school.

What's your favorite book and why?

Asking me to pick a favorite book is like asking a mother to pick her favorite child! My top five are Pride and Prejudice, Watership Down, The 13 ½ Lives of Captain Bluebear, Going Postal, and The High King.

Which is your favorite Broadway musical?

Beauty and the Beast, hands down. I love the story of Beauty and the Beast because it shows that appearances aren't everything.

If ignorance is bliss, then why do you seek knowledge?

Because if you have knowledge, you have the choice to revert to ignorance or stay knowledgeable. Plus, having knowledge is bliss in a different form. If I hadn't found out about pageants, I would never have been able to have the wonderful experiences I've had so far.

Aside from dance/sing/instrument, what other talent do you wish you had?

Being able to play the flute. The music a flute makes is so beautiful and haunting.

What makes you nervous?

Being late. I will do almost anything to avoid being late. For example, one time I dreamed that I woke up too late to take a shower before going to class. So I sprayed myself head to toe with perfume and went to class anyway.

What's your favorite color and why?

Blue. When I was a kid, I was considered the odd one out because I was about the only girl whose favorite color was blue.

How do you know if you are respected by your peers?

By how they talk about you behind your back. People know what other people are saying about them. If they respect you, it'll show. To be respected, you need to be the kind of person that demands respect.

How do you measure success?

By picking the right goal and achieving it. For example, don't pick "I want to be famous." How do you measure the amount of fame? Pick, "I want to appear on TV three times" or something that's measurable.

What have you learned from competing in pageants?

Confidence and poise. I used to be a very shy person, and it was hard for me to do anything if I knew someone was watching.

If you were writing an autobiography, what would the title be?

Confidence is Made, not Born. I used to be very shy, and pageants have taught me how to get past the shell.

If you could be any kind of fruit, what would you be and why?

Cupuaçu (pronounced cuckooasue). It's found in the Amazon basin, and it's frequently used for desserts, has a lot of nutrients, and can even be used in lotion. It's got a variety of good qualities!

Who is your favorite pageant titleholder - present or former?

Danielle Purtell, National American Miss Teen Michigan 2012 and numerous other titles. She's been such an encouragement! She posts very helpful vlogs on YouTube about how she prepares for pageants, and she's doing pageants, working two or three jobs, and studying pre-med. If she can do it, I can do it too!

Who is your role model?

Danielle Purtell. She's doing pageants, working two or three jobs, and studying pre-med. If she can do it, I can do it too!

Which professional dancer/musician do you look up to?

David Downes. He does the music arrangement for the band Celtic Woman. I've never heard a song he arranged that I didn't like.

If you were confronted by an individual who had a negative view of pageants, how would you respond to that individual?

Discussing the situation with them isn't likely to make them change their mind, so I'd try to show them the truth through my example. I'd also try not to make an argument out of it, because that reflects negatively on pageantry. I actually have a story about this; my parents were nervous about me competing in pageants. I decided to try anyway, and it's been worth the nervousness I felt.

What advice would you give a child?

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Fear of mistakes can hold you back so much. Remember that you're not perfect and you don't have to be.

What advice would you give your 8 year old self?

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. It's not the end of the world. Instead, look at each mistake as an opportunity to learn something.

If you could have one secret power, what would it be?

Flying. I do already have a secret power though. When I go to the gas station, I can always get a receipt from the gas pump. I only haven't been able to get it once.

What do you like to watch and why?

I rarely watch TV. Occasionally I watch Disney movies or movies made from my favorite books, such as the BBC 1995 Pride and Prejudice.

What do you like to read and why?

I read quite a bit, generally kids' books like Watership Down and The Wind in the Willows. I also read comic sci-fi like Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, Robert Asprin's Myth series, and Jasper Fforde's Nursery Crime series.

What do you do to relieve stress?

I sit by myself in a quiet room and pray. I also discuss the situation with my mom and come up with a plan of action, which I put into practice as soon as possible.

How did you prepare for this pageant?

I spent a lot of time watching videos on YouTube on how to prepare and practicing for the competition, but the thing that helped the most was volunteering to learn about service. Volunteering is practicing, because that's most of what a queen will be doing throughout her reign.

What was the greatest academic challenge you faced during your collegiate career?

I took a class called Nonprofit Management and one of the assignments was a group project. Five people were supposed to write a paper. I was team leader, and it was incredibly hard to convince people to submit things on time that followed the rules for the paper. I had to keep reminding myself that the world didn't depend on the grade the group got on this paper.

If you were president for a day, what would you change?

I would cut taxes for businesses. Businesses of any size are vital to our economy, and helping them hire more workers would be awesome!

What would you do with an extra hour every day?

I would volunteer more. I would love to have more time to introduce people to the wonder of a book.

We have heard of titleholders that have been dethroned due to the surfacing of negative media from their past. What would you do if you knew one of your fellow contestants could potentially fall into this category?

I wouldn't discuss it with anyone. Everyone wants to leave something behind eventually. This person could have completely turned her life around since then. Also, it should be their choice to bring it up.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I'd add a lot more wisdom. I'd like to be able to know what to say and do when someone's hurting, instead of just hoping I said and did the right thing.

If you could be any kind of car, what would you be and why?

I'd be a Honda CRV (actually, I drive one). They're small on the outside, big on the inside, and are extremely sturdy cars. Mine's seventeen years old and has 265,000 miles on it and it's still running!

If you could be any kind of animal, what would you be and why?

I'd be an eagle. It would be so cool to be able to fly and see things from way above under my own steam! It would also be awesome to communicate with other birds. I'm not sure they'd have anything to say, but it would still be awesome.

If you were to not win the pageant, what would you do?

I'd do what I've been doing - continue working and volunteering. Just because I don't win doesn't mean I can't continue helping others and learn something from the pageant.

If you were crowned today, what would you change about your Facebook profile tonight?

I'd only add that I was now National American Miss and that I'm available for speeches and appearances. I try to have as good as possible a presence in social media, both in the amount of it and what I say and do on social media, so I wouldn't need to take anything off.

If you were crowned tonight and knew that you could only accomplish one thing during your reign, what would you choose?

I'd teach someone how to read. If a person can read, they have almost infinite possibilities. If they can't read, they are severely limited.

What would you change about yourself or your life?

I'd think about everything more objectively. A year ago, I thought that I wanted to be a product developer (basically, a modern inventor). Now I know that job isn't for me, and I wouldn't want it anyway. But I wasted a bunch of time and effort on it before I realized that. If I had thought about it more objectively from the start, I could have saved all that time and effort.

Describe your current job.

I'm an assistant librarian at my local library. Most of my job involves checking out books and movies, checking them back in, and answering reference questions (this library is small enough that it doesn't have a separate reference position). I also do other small jobs, such as watering the plants, cleaning computer screens, shelf-reading, shelf-straightening, organizing just about anything that needs organizing, and answering questions about the college-related things the library does.

Tell me one unique thing about yourself.

I've read over 1000 books. That's all different types - kids' fiction, adult fiction (including general fiction, mysteries, sci-fi, graphic novels), and nonfiction. Even though I work in a library, I have a reputation for reading a lot.

If you had to perform a talent other than the one you have selected to perform, what would it be?

If I could pick any talent with any number of other people, it would be square dancing. If it had to be just me, I'd pick archery. If I couldn't do either of those, I'd do a dramatic reading.

Which phase of competition is your favorite?

Interview, because it teaches people how to listen. To be the best I can be, I have to listen to your questions as closely as possible and respond as thoughtfully as possible.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

It changed a lot! First I wanted to be a nurse, mostly inspired by stories about nurses from the 1950s and 1960s. Then I wanted to be an herbalist, then a naturopathic doctor, then an osteopathic doctor, then a product developer. Although I liked all of those, I didn't really love doing those things. Then I got a part-time job at my local library and discovered my passion.

What is your favorite song?

It depends on what day it is. It usually varies between You Raise Me Up, The World Falls Away, and Awakening. All three were performed by Celtic Woman.

What is your favorite type of music?

It varies a lot. I like just about any Disney song, plus just about anything from the band Celtic Woman. They play a mix of Celtic and pop songs.

If your business manager booked an appearance for you with a large sponsor of the organization that you did not feel comfortable partaking in, how would you handle the situation?

It would depend on why I feel uncomfortable. If it's just because it's something I haven't done before, I'd do it; I agreed to do appearances when I started competing in this pageant. If it's something that is morally questionable, I wouldn't do it. Doing something like that isn't the best way to represent the crown or myself.

If you could trade places with someone (dead or alive) for one day, who would you choose and why?

Johannes Gutenburg, inventor of the printing press in Europe. I'd love to see what other people's reactions to were to the idea of printing books, rather than handwriting each copy.

What motivates you to work toward your goals?

Knowing that someone, somewhere, will be encouraged by what I've done. Also, the people I've helped learn to read are incredibly thankful, which is a blessing every single day.

Who is your favorite artist?

Leonid Afremov, especially his Melody of the Night. He paints a lot of rain scenes, and even though none of his paintings include actual raindrops, he creates the slightly blurry and fractured effect of seeing something through the rain.

What topic are you an expert on?

Listening. I know when a person needs to have someone listen and how to encourage them to pour out their heart. Many times a person doesn't need advice - they just need someone to listen.

How do you cheer up a friend?

Listening. Many times, people don't need advice. They just need someone to sit there and listen to them pour out their heart. Once they're ready for advice, I remind them that better things will happen.

What quality do you desire most in a friend?

Love. I don't mean a sappy kind of love - I mean the kind of love that true friends show each other, whether they need someone to listen or a kind word or a kick in the pants.

If you were in our shoes, what would you be looking for in a titleholder?

Morality and confidence. Someone who has good morals will give the crown a good name. And someone who has confidence and poise will know or be able to learn how to handle any situation that happens during her reign.

What do you stand to gain by winning this title?

More awareness for my cause, more confidence for myself, and more opportunities for both.

What makes you a star?

My ability to listen to others. If someone just needs someone to listen to them, I'm there. I work in a library, and that's frequently how a librarian functions. Just listening to a patron talk about what they're going through can really help them.

Who are you most like, your mom or your dad?

My dad in personality, my mom in interests.

What's your favorite food and why?

Pizza. I could eat pizza for every meal for a week and be a happy camper. It comes in so many varieties that it's next to impossible to get bored with it.

Who is your favorite celebrity?

Probably Bill Gates. Instead of just sitting on a pile of money, he uses it to help other people around the world.

If you were to pursue a different career, other than the one you are currently working towards/in, what would it be?

Probably a small business owner, so I could eventually own a bookshop. Mine would be like those tucked-away ones found in larger cities, where there are the most awesome books to be found.

What three things do you hope to accomplish during your year of service?

Raising awareness for my cause (my cause is reading in public, so my goal is doubling the number of people who read in public in the last year), showing other people how awesome ____ pageant system is, and helping as many people as possible with whatever it is they need.

Which of your hobbies is a stress reliever for you?

Reading, knitting, quilting, and walking.

What makes you sad?

Seeing someone else in pain, especially if they're children. Sometimes this pain is just a lack and the person doesn't even know they're missing anything. Literacy is a good example. A person might be illiterate and live in an area where it's not common to know how to read, but imagine how their world would open up if they did learn.

Describe your best friend.

She's smart, funny, and knows both how to listen and how to say what I need to hear. We share a lot of interests - we both enjoy reading and sewing, and we both work in libraries.

If you could be any kind of candy bar, what would you be and why?

Snickers! They're a mix of several different ingredients - chocolate, caramel, and nuts, just like I have a lot of abilities in different areas. Plus, they have one of the best tastes on the planet.

Who is your favorite actress/actor?

Stephen Fry. He played Jeeves in the Jeeves & Wooster series, produced by Granada. The character calls for being extremely reserved and officious, and he plays that role extremely well.

Do you have a favorite author?

Terry Pratchett. He writes comic sci-fi, but his books are also thought-provoking. For example, clashes in our society are paralleled by the clashes between dwarfs and trolls in his books.

What would you give up to win this title?

The ability to blend in. Frequently it isn't valued until it's given up. If a girl's crowned, she's no longer anonymous and everything she says and does is a direct reflection both on this pageant and on pageantry in general. Even after she's crowned her successor, people remember that she's a queen.

What is right about America?

The amount of freedom citizens have. We don't have to be in a certain class to own a business. We don't have to be a certain gender for it to be socially acceptable to know how to read. We have a lot of freedom, and too often we take it for granted.

What is the most important part of pageantry?

The amount of good pageant contestants have been able to do around the world. Look at all the awareness for different causes contestants have raised around the world - and that's just what's done during the pageant itself! Then there's all the good done at appearances too. An uncountable number of people have been helped through pageantry.

What's your favorite childhood memory?

When I was a teenager, I was involved in a drama club. Eventually, I was the group leader and wrote many of the skits we performed. I learned a lot (especially how to work with other people) and had a lot of fun.

What do you wish for?

Wisdom. I'm not afraid to make mistakes anymore, but I'd like to be able to save time by seeing possible mistakes before they occur. I'd also like to know what form of help to give people in need.

What are you still learning/working on?

Wisdom. Some of this is experience, but a good portion of it is thinking things through objectively. I'm also working on learning library science - it's fun, and it's different from anything I've done before. This is one of the few jobs in the world where it's possible to change someone's life through a book.

Why do you want to win this pageant?

With this title, I could accomplish so much more than I am currently doing. I could appear at more events and bring more attention to the high level of illiteracy in our society. I could also show people that pageants aren't just sparkles and glitter - they're a way of rewarding hard-working women and bringing attention to their causes.

Are you beautiful?

Yes. God created me, and He doesn't make junk. Whether I am beautiful or not doesn't depend on whether other people think I'm pretty or not.

Is it ok for celebrities/athletes to use their fame to spread their faith?

Yes. Their faith is a part of who they are.

How would you describe your personal style?

Girly classic. I don't go for the most modern style - I'm much more apt to go for something that wouldn't have looked out of place fifty years ago. For example, my favorite everyday dress looks a lot like Belle's blue dress from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

Which social media website do you prefer?

Goodreads. I can keep track of which books I've read and which ones I want to read. I can also find more books like the ones I liked.

Where is your favorite place in Michigan?

Hartwick Pines State Park. It has a lot of equipment and pictures from the logging era. Plus, it's an old growth forest, and it's really cool to see what Michigan was like before logging.

How would you describe your personality?

Helpful. I'm always there when someone needs me. People I work with and volunteer with know they can count on me.

Who is National American Miss Michigan and what does she stand for?

Her platform and pageant girls across the globe. That's why this portion of the selection process is so important, because you get to see our characters and choose which of us is the best to represent the crown.

How are you different from the other contestants?

I am the only contestant who is giving her life to her cause. I'm going to become a librarian so I can encourage reading skills and help prevent illiteracy.

What is the funniest video you have seen on YouTube?

I found a compilation of cats doing funny things, like being startled when toast popped out of the toaster. It's less than five minutes long, and it's hilarious.

What is your greatest contribution to your community?

I have helped teach people how to read. Teaching people how to read is giving them access to all the information in the world.

What do you like to listen to and why?

My favorite music generally either comes from Disney movies or the band Celtic Woman. I also listen to audiobooks on Librivox. Currently I'm listening to Daniel Defoe's A Journal of the Plague Year.

If you win, whom will you thank?

My parents, for supporting me throughout; my sponsors, for providing the money to compete; and my God, for bringing this awesome opportunity into my life.

What area of competition do you feel is your strongest? Your weakest?

My strongest is evening gown. This is partially because it was the easiest to practice, because I could practice walking anywhere - work, home, running errands, you name it. My weakest is casual modeling. Sometimes I have trouble expressing myself, especially if the way I'm expressing myself isn't verbal or through writing.

Is National American Miss still relevant in today's society?

National American Miss will still be relevant as long as there are people to help and causes to draw awareness to.

Are you Facebook friends with your mom?

No, because she doesn't have a Facebook account.

Have you competed in pageants before this one?

No, this is my first. I was inspired to compete initially when I was a small girl and read a story about pageants, but I didn't pursue it until a friend of mine was first runner-up in a county fair pageant.

Okay. Give me an example of a pun.

One day, Daddy Tomato, Mama Tomato, and Tomato Junior went out for a walk. Tomato Junior kept falling behind, and Daddy Tomato kept telling him to walk faster. After this happened three or four times, Daddy Tomato went over to Tomato Junior, stepped on him, and said, "Now ketchup!"

When is the last time you failed? How did you handle it?

One of my college classes (Nonprofit Management) had a group project. I was in charge of the group project, and convincing the other group members to submit their work on time was almost impossible. We were docked points for incorrect work. Throughout the semester, I had to keep reminding myself that I couldn't control the other members. I could only encourage them (and myself) to do the best we could do.

Tell me about your favorite family vacation.

One year my parents and brother and I went to Colorado to visit an aunt. Instead of driving or flying, we took the train. I had never been that far west before, and the beautiful scenery and the train ride were both wonderful experiences.

Is history more important than science?

They're equally important. History teaches us the mistakes of the past, so we can keep from making them again. Science allows us to learn more about the world we live in; one of the major advantages of this is how many diseases modern medicine is able to treat.

What's your favorite movie and why?

This changes day to day. My favorites include the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and Frozen.

What is your mission in life?

To teach as many people as possible to read. Knowing how to read opens up so many doors in the workplace, in college, and in day-to-day life.

What is your favorite television show?

Volunteering and school take too much time for me to watch much TV, so I actually don't have a favorite.

Tell us about your family.

We love puns. Whenever there's a family dinner, you can be sure that puns will be flying fast and thick.