As Open Call season is in full swing, I'm getting asked a lot of questions about my preparations for NAM state competition. So I enlisted my sisters, and we're here to answer the most frequently asked questions that we get. Here we go!
Answering questions are Lilyana McCurdy (Junior Pre-Teen), Lyndsey Tillinghast (Pre-Teen), Taylor Longbrake (Jr. Teen), Jane Kennedy (Teen), and Marissa Monohan (Miss).
How long have you been competing in pageants?
Lily: I have been competing for 5 years in the National American Miss pageant system. It is the only pageant I have ever done and I LOVE it, I will compete until I age out!
Lyndsey: Three years!
Taylor: My mom put me in my first pageant when I was 18 months old! She was a pageant girl herself, a former Miss Garden Grove, so when she found out she was having a girl she couldn’t wait to put me in pageants. I competed in NAM for the first time when I was 10 years old as a Jr. Pre Teen, and I instantly fell in love with the organization!
Jane: I started competing in 2012- so 2 years!
Marissa: I've been competing in pageants for 9 years.
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| All of the NorCal sister queens! |
How did you prepare for NAM?
Lyndsey: I spent a lot of time with my sister practicing my walk and going over questions. We'd practice so much that wearing heels started feeling normal.
Taylor: Try not to over-prepare because NAM is all about having fun and being yourself! I start by saying my Personal Introduction as much as possible, by myself and with my family and friends. I also practice walking in my gown and heels to make sure that everything fits right and that the shoes are easy for me to walk in! I downloaded the Formal Wear music to my phone so I could really imagine myself walking on the NAM stage.
Jane: I started looking for my wardrobe early, because looking great can do wonders for self-confidence on pageant weekend. I spent hours on the internet looking for interview questions, and then practicing with my mom, my dad, and my friends. It took me hours to write my personal introduction, because I wanted to create something that showcased my personality while outlining my accomplishments. Finally, I practiced walking in my heels to perfect a smooth and elegant walk!
Marissa: I use my driveway as a stage and cones/trash cans as the judges. I practice formal wear for about an hour, than start thinking of the three things I will go into interview with and prepare myself for interview
Marissa: I use my driveway as a stage and cones/trash cans as the judges. I practice formal wear for about an hour, than start thinking of the three things I will go into interview with and prepare myself for interview
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| Taylor Longbrake's Crowning Moment |
Do you have a good luck charm for pageant weekend?
Lily: I do, I have two, I have a diamond bracelet, and for some reason it loses a diamond every year during pageant, and I have a gold ring that my Mom and Dad bought me on our vacation at Disneyland. It has my initial "L" on it in cursive. I pinned it to my dress under my contestant number so it wouldn't show and my parents and I would be the only ones who knew I had it. It worked because I won Jr. Pre-Teen Queen!
Lyndsey: My good luck charm has always been my family. No matter what I'm competing in, just having them there boosts my confidence.
Taylor: My dad always gives me a silver dollar before the competition, and I hide it in my shoe! It is a little uncomfortable, but it is a constant reminder of the support and love of my family.
Jane: I was so blessed because I had a bunch of my friends come out and support me at the state pageant. For all of them to drive so far to cheer me on made me even happier than winning! When I competed at Nationals I got tons of text messages and photos from my friends and family watching on the U-Stream back home, so that was a huge highlight of the experience. Support really is everything!
Marissa: I used to where I was younger, which was a white and pink stuffed dog, but no, not anymore.
Jane: I was so blessed because I had a bunch of my friends come out and support me at the state pageant. For all of them to drive so far to cheer me on made me even happier than winning! When I competed at Nationals I got tons of text messages and photos from my friends and family watching on the U-Stream back home, so that was a huge highlight of the experience. Support really is everything!
Marissa: I used to where I was younger, which was a white and pink stuffed dog, but no, not anymore.
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| It takes a village to make a queen |
How did you find the "perfect" dress?
Lily: How I finally found a dress was, my Mom and I looked online for a really long time, I looked at colors and designs and picked the ones I thought were the prettiest, finally I had 4 dresses that I wanted and I wrote them down, put them all in my Dads hat and I picked one out. I picked the one I wanted the most, it was called cotton candy!
Lyndsey: Finding my dress took a long time but when came across the perfect one it was my dad who called it. He said " that Is the winner!", so we chose the one and here I am! (:
Jane: Finding my dress for Miss California Teen 2013 was quite the journey. I spent months searching for the perfect dress, but I couldn't find anything that I loved. In early June, my mom and I went to Australia to visit our friends and family, and we found a dress shop in Sydney that looked promising. As soon as I saw my white dress, I was in love. (I think I might have even teared up a little bit when I put it on.) We brought it back home and now not only do I have a unique dress, but there's also a great story behind it as well!
Marissa: I take my dad with me, and you know it's the gown when his face lights up. (He hasn't proven me wrong yet)
Marissa: I take my dad with me, and you know it's the gown when his face lights up. (He hasn't proven me wrong yet)
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| NorCal Queens in their winning dresses |
How did you raise the money to compete?
Lily: I didn't do any fundraising, we just paid the fees on our own.
Lyndsey: To help compete this year I started raising money by having garage sales and asking family for support.
Taylor: My family members have been my biggest sponsors for NAM. They see how much I love the program, and they all pitch in to support my dreams.
Jane: I spent time going around to friends and family and letting them know how important NAM is to me. I've been blessed with an incredibly supportive family, and they made it possible to compete!
Marissa: I go to local businesses, explain what I'm there for, and explain about the pageant.
Marissa: I go to local businesses, explain what I'm there for, and explain about the pageant.
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| Taylor and Lilyanna celebrate after Taylor's crowning |
What is your favorite part about pageant weekend?
Lily: My favorite part about pageant weekend is getting to meet new friends and seeing my friends from when I was a Princess, also the pajama party on the first night, because we can act silly and play and dance on the stage.
Lyndsey: My favorite part of pageant weekend is always rehearsals because making friends during pageant weekend is always the best! Just knowing that you have other people to support you, and you support them in return is great.
Taylor: I absolutely love meeting all of my fellow contestants! We have so much fun at the party and the rehearsals, and we end up walking away from pageant weekend as best friends! It is great being able to meet girls from all over the state, and then keeping in touch with them even after the competition is over.
Jane: I love meeting all of the girls! NAM brings together some of the most accomplished girls in the state, so being in one place with all of them is inspiring. I have made some incredible friends through NAM!
Marissa: Meeting new friends! Meeting the judges, and making new friends (:
Marissa: Meeting new friends! Meeting the judges, and making new friends (:
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| Making friends is the best part of the NAM experience |
Who inspires you the most?
Lily: My Attah and PaPa, because they take care of me when my Mom and Dad are working, and they cheer me on pageant weekend and my cheer competitions, they always tell me great job and how well I did even if I I stumble on my introduction or if I fall at cheer! I love them so much!!!!!
Lyndsey: Many people inspire me to always try my best, but when I'm competing I prefer not to compare myself to other successful women in the past and to think about my self and how everything I've done has led to this moment and what I will do to achieve my own personal greatness.
Taylor: My little sister, Maddie, inspires me every day! She had a seizure disorder, but continually overcame every obstacle she faced. She is going on almost 3 months seizure free, and I am so proud to call her my sister!
Marissa: Who inspires you the most? Dani Walker and my dad. Without them, I don't know where I would be.
Marissa: Who inspires you the most? Dani Walker and my dad. Without them, I don't know where I would be.
What have you gained from competing in pageants?
Lily: What I have gained competing at NAM was, even if you don't get what you really want, you should never give up on trying, they make me feel confident even if I lose a competition.
Lyndsey: Through competing in pageants I have gained a lot of confidence and more experience in my speaking skills.
Taylor: I have gained so much from pageants! They have given me the confidence to pursue my dreams, the poise and skills that I will need later in life for job or college interviews, hundreds of friends from all across the country, and they have truly made me the young woman that I am today.
Jane: I have gained valuable communication skills, and as a freshman in college I have two jobs that I couldn't have gotten without the interview practice that NAM gave me. I have also been able to meet people from all over the country and help in a variety of service projects. This year has been absolutely phenomenal and I am so lucky to represent NAM!
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| Jane and Lyndsey- "California Girls" |
What is the best advice you have been given?
Lily: To always do my best and never give up, and keep dreaming because anything is possible. That's why I have my favorite quote on my bedroom wall above my bed. "A successful journey is a dream out of your reach, but not impossible to grab." My Mom and Dad tell me, if you can't reach your dream now, don't give up, keep working hard, and one day I'll be able to reach all of my dreams and make them come true!
Lyndsey: The best advice I have received is to never doubt myself because if I rethink what I'm capable of I tend to psych myself out. By believing in myself I automatically do better.
Taylor: My dad constantly says, “water off a duck’s back”, whenever I feel sad or stressed out. Ducks have this oil in their feathers that keeps the water from sticking to them. Right when they come up from underwater, the water just slides off their back. So, when my dad says that it is a reminder for me to let go of all the things that are holding me back.
Jane: Be the best you! It can be so easy to look around and compare yourself to other people, but your real competition is yourself. Knowing that no one else is "Jane Kennedy" makes it easier for me to be my genuine self and let my personality shine!
Marissa: Just be yourself, it takes you further than you know.
Marissa: Just be yourself, it takes you further than you know.
