Back in 2010, I was in Junior Miss (now called Distinguished Young Woman). I had to think really hard about what I wanted to do for my talent. At the time my funniest thought was popping up a computer projection and editing website code. I had been taking singing lessons, but everyone could sing. I knew that many of the girls could sing much better than me, I wanted something more unique to have a chance and stand out more.
When I was younger I had done Taekwondo with Karate for Kids. I received my First Degree Black Belt in the American Taekwondo Association. Megan Colberg from Karate for Kids graciously helped me make a routine in the style of Xtreme Martial Arts (XMA) and let me borrow her XMA outfit. This was my first time doing XMA. I loved the fast paced nature of it. Staffs and jump front kicks were always my favorite part of karate. Mixing that in with one of my favorite songs remixed was fantastic. Even if I didn’t win any awards or even place, I was thrilled that I could choose such a unique talent.
The whole Junior Miss experience was completely new to me. We participated in a Dilliard’s Fashion Show at the mall, danced on stage to multiple songs as a group, answered random interview questions on stage, wore fancy dresses and more. My favorite part was all the time we spent together learning dances and practicing. We had to learn a lot in a short amount of time. I stayed close with the girls I met there for years! I never expected myself to be in a pageant of any kind, but I’m glad that I chose to participate in Junior Miss.
