By Scarlette M. Whyte

Guest Column

Remember when being a pageant queen actually meant something? Miss America was the woman that every little girl of all ages and ethnicities dreamed to be. She was elegant, graceful, stylish and, don’t forget, absolutely beautiful.

I’m sure some girls were even jealous of her well-proportioned physique. She was the envy of women and the dream of men. Today, when most people hear the words “pageants or pageant queen,” lots of negative images come to mind: shallow, mean, plastic, addict, stupid, the list goes on and on.

Some suggest that pageantry contributes to unrealistic standard of beauty that has plagued so many young girls and women. The mistakes of former beauty queens have certainly not been a help to the world of pageantry.

.Many of us may be too young to remember Vanessa William’s reign as “Miss America,” coming to an abrupt end after racy photos of her were made public. Former Miss USA winner, Tara Conner, had her titled snatched and was forced to move out of her luxurious Trump Towers apartment after she tested positive for drugs.   Has the world of pageantry come crumbling down? Is there away to bring “class” back to pageants?

The Cinderella International Scholarship Pageant is “bringing classy back.” The Pageant offers an alternative by not just focusing on beauty, but intelligence as well.

Cinderella is the largest and most prestigious pageant of its kind. The pageant has championed the need for higher education by awarding millions of dollars in scholarships to young women throughout the United States and a host of foreign countries. Importantly, the pageant seeks to nurture the development of young ladies through competition, higher education and community service.

Contestants who enter Cinderella pageants gain leadership and public speaking skills that will help carry them through high school, college and beyond.   

The Cinderella International Scholarship Pageant is coming to Metro Detroit in search of the next outstanding young lady who will represent the program internationally. She must be elegant, graceful and a true leader. Cinderella will kick off the pageant year by holding the first preliminary pageant on Dec. 14 at the Oakland Center.

Participants, 3 to 26 years of age compete in a variety of categories. Interview, Casualwear, Formalwear and Talent for girls ages 7 and up. And Tot Personality and Photogenic for girls between the ages of 3 and 6. The contestant’s manners, behavior and attire should be age appropriate. This is a natural pageant and excessive make-up is a big no-no.

The age categories are:

Cinderella Tot (ages 3 – 6)

Cinderella Miniature Miss (ages 7 – 9)

Cinderella Miss (ages 10 – 12)

Cinderella Teen (ages 13 – 17)

Cinderella Woman (ages 18 – 26)

How does this process work? First a contestant must enter a preliminary pageant to have a chance at entering the State and International Finals. If a young lady lives in an area where there are no preliminary pageants, she can enter the State Finals as an “at large contestant” with the permission of a State Director.

For more information on upcoming pageants in the area and the Cinderella Michigan State Finals you can inquire at [email protected] or (248) 977-5517. Also visit the international website at www.cinderellapageant.com.

Take the first step. You can still make those “pageant queen” dreams come true.

—Scarlette M. Whyte is involved in presenting the Cinderella International Scholarship Pageant at the Oakland Center. She is currently pursuing her masters in Public Administration at OU.