Letting Your Inner Sparkle and Core Values Shine

Letting Your Inner Sparkle and Core Values Shine Through in an Interview

I was so lucky to be invited to be a judge at the 2013 Canon City Blossom Pageant a few weeks ago. I was so excited to go to a town I had never been to before and experience my Queen Sister, Megan McCarter’s very own pageant.  Megan is the director of the Blossom Pageant and let me tell you, it was no simple high school pageant.  It was so much more than I would have ever expected.  It was simply fabulous!

My mom was gracious enough to take the excursion with me and we had the time of our life.  From staying at an adorable bed and breakfast to eating at Canon City’s five star French restaurant, we were treated like royalty. Beyond the incredible production of the pageant and the royal treatment, I was most impressed with the caliber of young ladies who competed for the crown.  Being a judge for this pageant was one of the hardest things I have had to do because I wanted everyone to win.  Those ladies were that special.
As we made the drive back to Denver, I reflected on the interview portion of the pageant. This was the time when we (the judges) got to know the contestants.  These few minutes are so important because it’s an opportunity to let your inner sparkle and core values shine through. From a one young woman telling us about her pink sparkly car to another sharing the story of how she and her mom made her evening gown, I feel in love with so many of those contestants.

As you prepare for the Mrs. Colorado pageant, remember to be your authentic self. Don’t look to the right or left, look forward and be proud of all that you are.

Me and my Queen Sister Megan McCarter, Director of the Blossom Pageant

 With fellow judge, Jennifer Hart, Mrs. Nebraska 2009

Danika VanGorder, Ms. Blossom Queen 2013

Information about the Blossom Festival
The Canon City Music & Blossom Festival Pageant is celebrating it 67th year. Our Pageant is in existence solely to promote the Music & Blossom Festival. Our mission is to teach young women the values of pageantry, and to give our time honored festival royalty to reign over our festivities. We believe that pageantry teaches women of all ages many things that are not taught in most schools. The Blossom Pageant offers much more than a rhinestone tiara, sash, and a title. It allows them to practice hands on interview skills necessary for their future, gives them the opportunity to work on their public speaking abilities, teaches them to be comfortable in their own skin by boosting self-confidence, and makes memories to last a lifetime.