All Things Miss Teen Volunteer America Prep!

  In less than two weeks I’ll be heading to Jackson, Tennessee to compete for the job of Miss Teen Volunteer America. It’s hard to believe that my journey to the national stage started back in May of last year, but seeing the growth I’ve had is truly a blessing. Now, if you have no experience in pageants you’re probably wondering what goes into preparing for a state pageant let alone a national stage, so I want to share all of the behind the scenes details. 

Before I dissect how I have to prepare for each phase of competition, I need to explain our phases of competition. The Miss Volunteer America Organization is a national scholarship program that seeks service minded individuals who are ready to change the world. We are nationally partnered with The Salvation Army and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, so promoting the missions of these organizations is a priority for every titleholder. Now to obtain the national title each contestant competes in four phases of competition that are weighed 25% each. The even scoring system allows the judges to find the most well-rounded individual that can represent themselves, their state and even the nation. First, girls compete in a six-minute interview focused on who they are, their experience and how they can forward their personal service initiatives as well as the national partnerships. Following that, the first onstage portion is the Fitness & Wellness category that is focused on showing off how you live a healthy lifestyle. Contestants model in their favorite fitness outfit and the judges score on confidence and vitality rather than their body type. Next is one of my favorite phases, talent. Here each contestant has one minute and thirty seconds to share their passion and talent of choice with the judges. I love getting to see how people express themselves and the creativity used in this phase. The final phase of competition is the evening gown where contestants grace the stage with poise in a gown of their choosing. Here the scoring is not about how expensive the gown is but how each girl wears the gown and how it compliments her. 

Now that you understand both the phases of competition and the organization in general, here’s how I prepare for each phase of competition!

First up is the interview… 

Now you’re probably thinking that an interview should be simple. It’s just talking to people, but there’s so much more that goes into having a stellar interview. Each contestant only has six minutes to market herself to judges and allow them to know who she is, her values and what type of national titleholder she would be. With such a small window, contestants have to find a way to answer each question thoroughly while keeping them concise. It’s a tough balancing act of when you have time to share a personal story and when you need to just state your thoughts. One of the biggest ways I’ve been preparing and finding this balance is through weekly mock interviews. Every Sunday night I’ve sat with a different panel of judges of various backgrounds. They receive my paperwork in advance, so they can prepare questions. During the session we simulate three interviews as though they are happening in the competition. After each interview the judges offer feedback that I can apply in the next run. By getting a variety of opinions, I’m able to truly find what works for me in an interview. 

Next, we have Fitness & Wellness… 

Fitness & Wellness is the phase of competition where pageants tend to get a bad reputation. From an outside perspective, most people see this as a chance for the judges to compare women’s bodies. The title of this phase is Fitness & Wellness because it’s about living a healthy lifestyle not about having the “ideal” body type. In preparation for nationals I’ve focused on creating a consistent workout routine that fits my lifestyle. With my course schedule I’ve found that waking up at 6 in the morning gives me enough time to workout before my classes start. I come into the dance studio early and start with some yoga and basic movements to warm my body up. From there I do a mix of core, glute, bicep and tricep focused workouts. After that I do some cardio in the form of dance. Whether it’s working on skills for my classes or just doing some improv, I find it’s the perfect way to wake up my body. With irregular rehearsal schedules it’s so easy to fall out of routines, but I’ve found joy in completing this routine each day. 

Up next is Talent…

For talent, I am singing a selection of “Think of Me” from Phantom of the Opera. It might surprise you, but even as a musical theatre major I’m quite uncomfortable with my singing. As an avid perfectionist, I’m always looking at the errors in my performance. Instead of focusing on the flaws, I decided to instead review my performance of this song from 2022. While the cut is different and the key has been raised, hearing the growth in my voice technique has truly been a treat. For this phase my work started by discovering what this song means to me. I connect “Think of Me” with grief, longing and love, so with that in mind I’ve had to find how my acting drives the song forward. From there I had to work on the technical side of the song to ensure that all of the notes were placed correctly. In the song there’s an acapella section before the ending which has forced me to really work on nailing down the timing of the piece. After having completed work on the acting and vocal aspects the final piece is adding the blocking and outfit. At this point it’s just a matter of polishing the routine and making sure I can do it in my sleep before I compete. 

Last, but certainly not least is Evening Gown… 

Many people overlook this phase and think it’s just walking in a pretty dress. I find the evening gown phase to be an opportunity for each contestant to show her own style. Your dress should fit who you are and what you want to show the judges, all while making you feel incredible. While you’ll have to wait to see the evening gown reveal, I’m in love with my gown. The style makes me feel like a princess with a Cassandra twist. With some unique style choices and ornate details, I just knew this dress fit who I am today. More than anything else, I feel like the best version of myself when wearing it. In preparation for this phase I’ve worked on the walking pattern and finding the best pose that showcases me the best. From the timing of the walk to the position of your body, the details really matter in this phase. I truly can’t wait to grace the stage in my gown and soak in every moment. 

 Only 8 days until I leave for Miss Teen Volunteer America and I feel ready!