Before I start this article, I want you to know that not every pageant is the same. Some are wonderful and very inclusive to all body types, but, there are some that are not so inclusive. My first pageant was not exactly very pleasant. I had gotten a letter from a pageant organization and told me I was qualified to be in a pageant, and a me being the naïve teen who had recently been in modeling and left it, I thought I could give it a try. I had filled out the form, and got a call and an email within the next day or so, and was told to get the fee for being in the pageant ready so then when I went to the class they had, then I could give it to them then. The class was okay, but then when I went to the interview down in Tampa, I felt as if something shady was going down. They also misspelled my name, so, that irritated me a little. The interview went okay, and then came the day of the actual pageant, there were so many people in the auditorium in St. Petersburg. For the most part, I enjoyed the pageant a bit, but then some of the judges acted a bit unprofessional, and I overheard some of the other girls talking about what the judges did when they were up on stage. One girl said that one judge took out their phone and took a picture of the outfit that the girl was wearing. Another said that another judge was not really paying attention to her up on stage, and was on their phone and didn't seem to care to even look up from their phone. After we all were lined up on stage and they were picking the top twenty finalists, I realized that only the thinner girls were picked. Even though there were a few heavier set females, none of them were picked. I found that quite sad and felt like me and the other thicker females were cheated out of the opportunity to be a finalist. I remember getting off that stage for the last time and storming off by myself and feeling really aggitated by the results.

My second pageant was the complete opposite from the first. There was no interview, and I didn't have to travel far. Every person who was in the pageant got something. By default, I got second place, but, I am happy that this pageant was more enjoyable than the first. I actually had more fun in the second one, and the judges were actually judging, and weren't being unprofessional. The second pageant was based more on personality, rather than the physical body. In this pageant, I actually got a crown and trophy, and the whole experience was just overall better than the first pageant. I am glad I didn't give up on being in pageants afer the first one I was in. So, if you are thinking of being in pageants, go for it. Don't let a bad experience keep you from participating. They can actually be lots of fun.