We have all heard it before. That girl is a "pageant girl". What does that even mean? It means she puts on makeup, does her hair nice, wears beautiful clothes, and has a great body. It means she has confidence in herself that many other people see as being "stuck up" or "cocky". It means all she thinks about is how she looks and what others think about her. It means since she is gorgeous she is a slut.

But does that really mean you are a pageant girl?

In the summer of 2016, I decided I wanted to take a step out of my comfort zone. There were many ways I could do this, but I decided I wanted to try doing pageants with the Miss America Organization. Little did I know how much work was put into preparing for your first pageant.

Pageant girls have to be smart.

Before you even go to the actual pageant, you have to create a resume and a platform statement. The resume includes area such as education, scholastic honors and accomplishments, leadership roles, employment, and topics such as social issues that are important to the contestant. Then there is the platform statement. This portion of the competition is your "charity" focus. In this you talk about why you chose your platform and why it is important. It include facts and hours of research.

On pageant day there is interview (my personal favorite). This requires the contestants to go into a room before a panel of judges for ten minutes while they question you on a variety of topics that range from political, your platform, social issues, and your knowledge on current events. Pageant girls have to be smart and quick thinking and concise to get their point across in the most clear manner.

Pageant girls have to be caring.

One of my other favorite parts about the Miss America Organization particularly is their philanthropy. Instead of each contest profiting off contestant entry fees, contestants are required to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network. If a girl is lucky enough to go onto the state level contest, she and all the other contestants get to volunteer at the hospitals sponsored by the Children's Miracle Network.

Pageant girls have to serve.

Many times when girls win a pageant, they are encouraged to serve the community of wherever that pageant was hosted. They are also encouraged to serve the state they are competing in. This includes doing volunteer work involving the contestant's platform or what ever needs to be done within the community.

Pageant girls have to be selfless.

The contestants go to each pageant with the hopes and intentions to win, but it never fails that all the girls cheer for each other and help each other prepare backstage or in the dressing room. The girls support each other and encourage each other. The contestants care about each other outside of pageants and ask about each others' lives. When a girl wins a pageant she devotes herself to those within the community and within the pageant like her teen contestant and her stars and her state she is representing. She thinks about other before she thinks about herself.

Being a pageant girl does come with crowns, beautiful dresses, cute shoes, big hair, and lots of makeup, but it also produces women who are smart, caring, serving, selfless, and bold individuals who make a difference.