Pageantry is more than just sparkling jewels, spotlights and poofy gowns. Competing year after year in the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Organization has made me who I am today, and it has taught me these five important life lessons.

1. Networking is everything

This is one of the most important lessons I have ever learned in my entire life. Meeting intelligent, ambitious and successful women from all across the country allowed me to learn the importance of making and keeping connections. This life skill translates over into the business world and it has opened doors for me that I would not have had if I hadn’t valued every connection I’ve made during my years of pageantry.

2. It’s OK to lose

Not only did I learn that losing doesn’t define who you are as a person, I also learned to lose gracefully. I won quite a few pageants in my day, but I lost even more. I learned that losing was not a reflection of any fault of mine, but instead it was because the judges had something else they were looking for. And that’s OK. My mom always used to say to me,”different day, different judges, different winner” and that is such a true statement. Failure is just a part of life, and I know I wouldn’t be who I am today had I not lost those pageants. It made me strive to become a better version of myself and I pushed even harder to make my dreams a reality.

3. No one accomplishment will ever define your life

I didn’t learn this lesson while I was competing, but rather after I passed my latest title on to my successor. Pageantry gives a young woman a sense of intense accomplishment by immediately making her a public figure and shining a constant spotlight on her every move. She has 365 days to make a lasting impression on her organization and the people involved, and that’s a heavy responsibility to carry. I’m not going to lie, it was hard to transition into life after a year of wearing a sparkly crown. However, now I know my importance and self-worth and I know that being a “pageant girl” doesn’t fully define what I have to offer to this world. This has helped me focus on setting bigger and better goals for myself because I am now able to see the big picture.

4. Social media is powerful, and dangerous

Becoming a pageant girl means becoming a public figure and everything you say and do is a reflection of you and your organization. Many people don’t understand that what they post on their social media accounts not only affects their connections, it also reflects the organizations that they are associated with. Posting about political affiliations, offensive content and responding negatively to others burns bridges and can cause an immense amount of trouble. This has become very apparent as more and more celebrities are being called out for thoughtless, offensive posts on their social media accounts. During my time competing I constantly told myself not to post anything I wouldn’t want my grandma to see because I knew I was representing more than just myself.

5. Giving back really does make a difference

Pageant girls are often criticized for striving for world peace, but working for a philanthropic organization has taught me that I have the power to do whatever I set my mind towards. I worked tirelessly to raise funds for various non-profit organizations and I was able to see the good that others have in their hearts. Not only was I exposed to the generosity of many, I was able to meet and become friends with those that I was working for. This changed my life in many ways that I can’t even explain, and the skill of putting others before myself has helped me to become a more well-rounded individual.