An announcer called out her name, and she nervously entered the stage. A spotlight centered on her, and she took her first few steps. The only thoughts she had were to smile and walk to impress.

Junior Sanobia Tapia participated in the Texas Miss Teen Pageant that was held on Feb. 28 in Irving, Texas. There were three age categories: juniors, preteens and teens. Tapia competed in the teens category. The person who placed first in each age category would receive an all- expenses paid trip to Florida to compete at nationals. In addition, the winner at nationals would receive a $30,000 scholarship. Approximately 187 girls competed and Tapia placed 10th.

“I was excited because I made it that far, but I was also a little disappointed because I kind of wanted to go to Florida,” Tapia said.

In order to participate, Tapia had to complete an interview and attend a training conference.

“Basically, there were letters sent out and if you wanted to participate, you just had to go to a meeting,” Tapia said. “I wouldn’t call it a try-out meeting. You had an interview, and if the person who interviewed you thought you were going to do well in the pageant, you got in.”

This was Tapia’s first time competing in a pageant, and she joined because she wanted to try something new. The experience was both exciting and stressful for Tapia.  

“I was freaking out, and I didn’t quite know what to do,” Tapia said. “I was very stressed out. It’s very nerve-wracking, because there is so much waiting between each category. I was on edge the whole time.”

At the training conference, Tapia and the other contestants were taught proper pageant etiquette.

“We learned how to walk across [the] stage and how to present ourselves during the interview during the pageant,” Tapia said. “They told us the rundown of how the pageant was going to be run and stuff like that.”

Tapia prepared for the pageant by practicing walking across the stage in a specific way. She also had to purchase her attire for the pageant. In order to have enough funds, the pageant required the participants to find sponsors.

“The pageant itself didn’t fund it for me, because you had to go out and make sponsorships,” Tapia said. “My dad’s company sponsored me for like $2,000. That cleared all the expenses.”

Tapia received support from her family members, and her mother was backstage with her for the entire pageant. The contestants did not have a mentor or supervisor. Instead, they were expected to prepare on their own.

“It was all personality-based, so they didn’t want anything to conform us or anything like that,” Tapia said. “They were just like, ‘Go on stage, and be yourself.’ That’s all the judges wanted to see.”  

During the pageant, contestants only had to show off their casual wear and formal wear to the judges.

“For casual wear, I wore one of my drill team uniforms,” Tapia said. “It was the one with the overlay and fringes on the side. For my formal wear, I wore like a light pink bottomed dress, and it was beaded and open-backed. I loved it.”

When Tapia was doing the formal wear portion, she was asked what the hardest part of her high school career was.

“I just said [it was] trying out for officer and being a Mam’selle, and being committed and all that,” Tapia said.

Tapia said she was nervous and a little excited to compete. But, her favorite part about competing was getting to wear her formal dress. Overall, she said she thought the pageant was a memorable experience for her.

“I met a lot of new people from all parts of Texas,” Tapia said. “It was just really cool to meet people from different cities I’d never heard of before and girls from small towns.”

Although Tapia said there was nothing difficult about the pageant, she did think it was different from her experiences as a Mam’selle, because she is usually dancing on stage, not speaking. Tapia said that she became more friendly and willing to meet new people.

“I’m not usually one to interact with different people,” Tapia said. “It taught me how to open up and come out of my shell a little bit more.”

Tapia said that she would encourage others to participate in a pageant, because it is something different, and not all about dressing up and looking pretty.

“It’s not always how people assume it,” Tapia said. “You really do get to meet a lot of new people, and the experience was pretty great.”