When you were in high school, you may remember your school’s “Miss _____ High School” beauty pageant. Some people may have been really excited about it, but maybe others thought “Oh great, another sexist competition.” But are they really sexist? Are beauty pageants really as bad as people have started making them out to be?

The last time I was home, I was watching a show on Disney Channel with my eight-year-old cousin. This particular episode of "Jesse" featured one of the main characters competing in a beauty pageant. There was another minor character competing against her, but this girl had a very stinky attitude. She was mean, rude, and snarky; she kept bragging about how she was totally going to win.

While I was watching, I couldn’t help but think about why these events are portrayed as such. From my personal experience, beauty pageants are an amazing thing, and they are portrayed as something so bad by the media. Yes, they are competitive. But if you look past that, they are something that should be treated better than they are.

So here are my reasons:

The girls are some of the best people

Most girls who are in these competitions are actually some of the nicest people you will meet, and some of the friendliest. They aren’t competing to be the best, and they aren’t competing to win. Most girls are competing for the chance to meet new people and to make new friends. I’ve met so many sweet people from competing that I would have never met if it hadn’t been for these competitions.

They're very smart

The media portrays most beauty pageant queens as ditzy, unintelligent women who rely on their looks to get what they want in life. This is absolutely NOT true! The women competing in these pageants are very intelligent, and have to know a lot about what is currently happening in the world. The answer isn’t always “World Peace!” when you’re being asked about information off of your own resume. In fact, most girls who compete go through some pretty extensive interview training. Current events are also important; at a pageant I recently attended, most of the girls were inquired about major events that have been happening recently.

Pageants are all about body positivity

Even in swimsuit competition, it’s not all about how physically fit a person is. If a person comes across absolutely confident about their body, that’s a good thing! Most women competing aren’t doing this for other people; they’re doing it for themselves because they like it. The swimsuit category is just one of several others. If you’re confident being you, then you’ve got it going on.

Girls don't dress up for anybody but themselves

As I said before, most women competing aren’t doing so for other people. They’re doing it for themselves. They do it because they love to be onstage and be dolled up in beautiful, sparkling gowns.

The Miss America organization is so much more than a crown

This one is my biggest reason.

Miss America is the big pageant held every year that is broadcast on ABC. It takes place in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and women from across the United States come together to compete. There is a representative from every state, plus representatives from Washington, D.C. and the US Territories. Each contestant picks a platform and works with it. When I was competing, mine dealt with JDRF. Through these platforms, contestants do a lot of community service work. I’ve seen projects that provide clothes and shelter for kids who have none and I’ve seen so much more organized by these young women. It’s truly remarkable! Our current Miss America, Betty Cantrell’s platform is “Healthy Children, Strong America.”

But that’s not all the organization is about. The same crown design has been used for Miss America since 1956, but there’s a symbolic reason to that. The crown has four points and they each stand for something different: Scholarship, Success, Style, and Service.

Yes, that’s right! Scholarship! No, women are not paid to compete in pageants, but it is very rewarding to those who do. The Miss America Organization is the number one advocate of women’s scholarships. These young ladies are encouraged to do their best and to be the best they can be, the way we as human beings should be.

Since 1921, Miss America has been encouraging young women to do great things, and to do it with great success and style. It’s not about the competition, and it’s not about being the best or being better than anybody else. It’s all about loving your body and loving who you are, and I am in 100 percent support of all of it.