Women In Beauty Pageants: How to Be a Role Model for Young Girls
Exuding confidence and empowerment for girls and young women is what pageants are all about! Here’s how being a role model fits in with beauty pageants.
Women all over the world participate in beauty pageants to grow and expand their capabilities. There are so many benefits to competing in pageants that many people don’t even realize! One of the most rewarding parts of pageantry, however, is being a role model for young women in your community.
Pageantry goes far beyond beauty. Many women participate in pageants for networking opportunities, college scholarships, and personal development. The skills honed in pageantry—like eloquence, resiliency, and confidence—are crucial life skills parents would love to see in their daughters.
Pageant women aim to be stellar contributions to their communities, which includes serving as a role model for young ladies. If you’re looking to hone your skills and be someone that girls in your town look up to, a pageant might be the next step for you.
Here’s how you can apply your pageantry skills to become a pillar in your community.
Project Positivity and Empowerment
Maintaining an optimistic perspective is one area where pageant women excel. Training and competing for pageants takes diligence, even in the face of adversity. Staying committed and positive to your goal shows young girls that they can do anything they set their minds to.
When talking to young ladies in your community, share your pageant journey to show them how commitment can help them reach their goals. Keep your conversation upbeat and share what you learned about yourself on the way. Speaking about your academic successes, volunteering experiences, and hobbies will show girls that they can achieve their dreams.
Don’t forget to ask young women about what’s important to them! While sharing your story can be empowering, encouraging a girl’s dream can be something she holds on to for a lifetime. Use your strong listening skills to show girls that you truly hear what they’re saying and that you’re invested in their future.
For some girls, a few positive interactions could instill the hope they need to thrive. Being a considerate, curious, and engaged person in conversation will show everyone you talk to that their voice matters. That is especially true for young girls, who may need an extra push to come out of their shells.
Speak Highly of Others
Friendships are a cornerstone of pageantry. Anyone who’s been in a pageant knows that one of the most rewarding parts of competing is making new friends! While young girls may face teasing at school, they can find a community of like-minded friends at a pageant.
So much of our society focuses on women tearing other women down. One way you can be a great role model is by showing young ladies how you support your lifelong pageant friends. Openly celebrating all women—of any shape, size, race, religion, or any other factor—can help young girls grow into compassionate, accepting adults.
Share with young girls how you and your friends help each other. Demonstrating respect for the women you compete with can show young ladies how to handle life with grace. Plus, introducing girls to women networking opportunities early helps them see how we all raise each other up instead of competing.
Some girls may be hesitant to participate in a pageant because of self image issues. Reminding young girls that their inner beauty is what really matters can help alleviate their worries. Show the girls in your community that you can carry yourself with confidence and dignity no matter how you look.
By doing pageants and making new friends, girls can become more confident and self-assured. As a contestant, you can be a role model by showing how you and your friends’ unique contributions are what make you special and beautiful.
Be Inspiring
Chances are, you learned a lot along the way during your pageant journey. Preparing for interviews, taking photos, and walking the runway have likely helped you discover a lot about yourself. Those skills are just part of what makes you a spectacular role model for young ladies.
The best role models are inspiring. Sharing how you turned your struggles into successes can help girls put themselves in your shoes. Seeing your transformation is one of the easiest ways to help a young girl go, “Hey! I can do that, too!”
Being respectful and behaving well in public are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to inspiring young women. There are many other ways to subtly inspire young women in your community. Following through on your commitments, volunteering in your neighborhood, and speaking to everyone with kindness can help you become an excellent role model.
One of the best ways to inspire is by owning up to mistakes that you’ve made. Everyone makes mistakes, and handling these missteps well can set you apart as the role model you aspire to be. Tell the young women you know about times you made mistakes and how you handled them; your experience can help them navigate the world with more confidence and poise.
Being a Role Model Comes Naturally for Pageant Women
You may think your unique skill set makes you the perfect role model for young girls in your community. However, it takes dedicated attention and thought to be an effective role model in your community. These tips are a great place to start if you’re looking to inspire young ladies and help them grow into confident, strong women.
Participating in pageants can help you expand these skills and help you be an even better example for the young women in your life. Focus on these skills and you’ll be a spectacular role model in no time. If you’re interested in being a role model and you’re ready to take the next step, sign up for your next pageant today!