Hey dolls and gents! Recently, I completed in the Miss Black & Gold Scholarship Pageant 2015 and needless to say, I had a blast. Every rehearsal was loads of fun even though there was an emense amount of time and effort put into the program by my gorgeous pageant sisters and the gentleman of the Kappa Gamma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Faternity Inc.
Pageant day was full of prepping and running around for me, starting with the interview. I’m usually calm about interviews, but in the beginning of this I was a nervous wreck! Once I was inside and began talking, my nerves melted away; I’ve learned that in these situations, I have to allow my heart to speak as well and not focus so much on the “right” thing to say. Afterwards, I felt a huge rush of relief as I and my friend made or way to our final run through. My excitement for the pageant finally began to set in.
Rehearsal still seems like an out of body experience. I remember being there with the other ladies, giving each other encouragement and tons of laughs but it didn’t feel truly real until I put on the LBD for our opening act. I had practiced my butt off and felt confident that we’d all do well. Since I’m not a very competitive person, winning wasn’t on the forefront of my mind. My mantra of the evening was, “Have fun, live in the moment, and do your best.” I mean, I wasn’t going to do the pageant in the beginning but I was persuded to take the leap of faith and do it anyway- for that I’m forever grateful.
So, it was show time !! We split off into two groups since there were two dressing rooms. I was in one of the dressing rooms with the former Miss Black and Gold, as well as, one of my pageant sisters and let’s just say it’s a mad house transitioning from one scene to the next. If nothing else brought us closer together, I know that definitely did! The opening scene was a small routine to “Live In the Moment” from the hit show Empire. Oh, did I mention that Empire was the overall theme of the pageant?! I love the show and the songs, so I had no trouble getting into our routine. Included in the opening of the show was our introductions. I felt a wave of nerves as I heard the song become background noise for us to introduce ourselves. The three girls before me rocked their intros, and all too soon it was my turn. Once contestant number three left the stage, I counted to three and remembered my mantra. Like magic, I felt comfortable with my introduction and finished with ease; plus, I didn’t mess up- which was a heaven sent. I wish I was able to hear the other girls after me but I had to change for the next scene, swimsuit.
The next category was the one that terrified me the most. Granted, I’m a naturally small person but there are always places to improve and I was not one hundred percent ready to go on stage. Coincidentally, my best friend text me saying I was beautiful flaws and all. Words cannot describe how much that meant. I wore a deep purple bikini with minimal jeweley, and strutted my stuff like there was no one watching; It was such a rush! And a yell from my mom and stepdad made me feel even more at home on stage.
Once off stage, I was back in my dressing room to change into my favorite evening gown that I purchased from NakedWardrobe.com (side note: Check them out for a variety of cute, fancy, and sexy items- they’re amazing!) Next up, talent! I decided to do a monologue titled “Time”. I dedicated it to one of my close friends who passed last November. I’d practiced it until perfection and that’s exactly how it came out on stage! I was so proud of myself for being able to pull it off and not cry.
Next up was formal wear. I wore another favorite of mine that I’ve had for about 3 years now aka my prom dress and it still fits like a glove. I didn’t know if that was a good thing that I haven’t grown or if it was, but I was glad all the same. Besides, this scene was easy and quick. Directly after formal wear, we had to do our on stage question. Thankfully, I got the question I had wanted the entire time. My answer was short, sweet, with a little humor, then it was done.
Finally, it was time to see how we did. While we waited backstage, we danced and I do mean everyone- especially the guys. Once the judging was completed, we lined up in numerical order and received our awards. I was crushed when I didn’t recieve anything like the other girls did, but he called my name on the final award- Miss Black & Gold 2015! I thought I was going to cry or something embarrassing when I walked up to recieve my new title. It still feels unreal to me.
For this being my first pageant, I can say this was an amazing experience and I wouldn’t trade it. I may even do more pageants outside of this one in the near future- you never know! Thanks for reading and I’m so glad I could share this with you guys. Have a great day!
Leah La’Rae 😘
A great view can show you where you’re capable of going or where you’ve been. Each exist and opening are gateways to a new adventure. So, go mad and find something new. 😘
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