Hello! My name is Aliya and I am your Ms. West Coast Regency International 2020/2021. As pageant season gets into full swing, I thought I would provide a few tips for getting prepared.  This is going to be your best pageant season yet!

It is never too early to start preparing for your next pageant. You will find that as you prepare for the pageant, you will have the unique opportunity to gain more insight into yourself, particularly when selecting your platform and preparing for the interview as you think about how various experiences have shaped your life.  I will not be focusing on platform selection here which is a big topic itself and can be addressed separately.

Tips For a Winning Interview:

During the interview portion of the competition, each participant has the opportunity to meet with the judges individually or as a panel.  During the interview, each participant is able to talk about themselves as well as answer questions on a variety of topics. During this time the judges get to know the participant more personally.  For the Regency International Organization, the judges are looking for articulation, ease of conversation, and confidence.

I know that it can be quite nerve-wracking going into an interview just because you can never know exactly what to expect. But if you take time to prepare ahead of time, you can at least go into the interview feeling as prepared as possible. I like to prepare for the interview by running through practice questions and trying to feel comfortable answering a variety of questions. You want to have some key talking points in mind that will allow you to easily discuss aspects of your life, volunteerism, platform, hobbies, or accomplishments. Be careful, however, that your answers don’t come across as too scripted – you should be familiar with the information so that it should come off as natural and conversational. If you have submitted a biography or information sheet to the judges, then you should definitely review the information you have included in that submission and be able to easily discuss those topics.

During your actual interview, you should enter the room with confidence, stand or sit up straight and take a deep breath. You should make good eye contact with the judges. Then have a great interview! You are there to let the judges learn more about you and who knows you better than you? Show the judges the best and most authentic version of yourself possible and give them a sense of your personality.  Be yourself and be honest.  And try not to say “um” or “like” too much – instead, just take a brief pause and answer the question when you are ready.  

Preparing the Perfect Pageant Walk:

For the Regency International Organization, the on-stage portion of the competition includes Fashion Wear and Evening Gown. For the Fashion Wear competition, the participant gets to walk the runway in an outfit that reflects her own personal style and personality. The Evening Gown competition is last and gives the participant the opportunity to showcase her style, poise, elegance, and confidence in a beautiful gown of her choosing. When selecting your wardrobe for the onstage portion of the competition, be sure to select clothing that is appropriate for your age, fits your body well, fits your personality, and makes you feel like a queen.

When preparing for these portions of the competition, the best thing you can do is practice, practice, practice. I definitely had to practice walking in those very high pageant heels and I’m still working on feeling comfortable doing a twirl! If you don’t feel comfortable in a high heel, then pick a shoe with a lower or chunkier heel in which you can walk comfortably. Everyone is going to have a different walk but what is important is to make sure that you project that you feel comfortable and confident when you hit the stage. Be sure to make eye contact with the judges when you hit your poses at the front of the stage and acknowledge the audience from time to time as well.

General Advice

Be proud of yourself, no matter what. You have made it this far and that is something to be celebrated – not everyone can get up on stage in front of an audience and you are getting ready to do just that. Just remember that sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t and it’s not necessarily a reflection of something you did wrong or a mistake you made. You never know exactly what the judges are looking for at any given time. At the end of the day, all you can do is continue to strive to be the best version of yourself possible, live in the moment, have fun and leave everything on the stage.