Miss NY Kenn Berry Scholarship Essay: What is Spirit within the Miss America Organization?

I’ve never been a cheerleader. I don’t have the coordination to form any sort of human pyramid, nor vocal chords strong enough for hourless chanting. Growing up, however, those peppy and perfectly energized girls shaped my idea of “spirit.” For many of us, that perception may have carried over into adulthood, leading us to believe that people with the most spirit have the bubbliest personalities and talk the loudest about their beliefs. They are the shining lights at the top of those metaphorical human pyramids formed in workplaces, college classrooms, and the like.

At Miss VA 2008...

At Miss VA 2011...guess I haven't changed THAT much. ;)

I began to recognize the flaws in my original definition of spirit during my first year competing in the Miss America Organization. I was 19 years old, one of the youngest at the state competition, and absolutely clueless. Arriving with no expectation of winning and no expectations of my fellow participants, I didn’t realize how many of the older girls competing- the veterans who had already learned about the spirit of the Miss America Organization- would change my entire perception on spirit and leadership in a few short days. I listened to them talk about their goals for breaking pageant stereotypes, their love for the MAO, and how much the crown didn’t matter. To back up their words, these women instilled within me confidence and excitement during a week that can often be intimidating and overwhelming for a newcomer. I left that pageant week making the top 10, but more importantly, realizing that the spirit of the Miss America Organization had nothing to do with what happened onstage. It was about how those women treated me so kindly when no board members were watching. How they had true discussions about role modeling. How they were passionate without needing attention to fuel their actions. How they so surely believed in the impact we can have as titleholders.

I wanted to be like them.

Fast-forward to now. Here I am, the very oldest girl competing at Miss New York. About to turn 24. Over the hill. Am I worthy or capable of being the same example of unpronounced spirit that those women were to me four years ago? Yes. Because years later, I get it. I feel it. I want to share it. Miss America is about connecting with people, proving you can make a difference by giving your soul to a cause, changing the minds of pageant critics through positive choices and genuine interactions, and representing a dream of all little girls that began on the boardwalk of Atlantic City in 1921. I have shivers thinking that little old me can possibly stand for all of that. But it’s in my spirit. A spirit that does not require a crown or the attention at the top of the pyramid, rather requires a heart of kindness, motivation, integrity, passion, and belief in a dream. Miss America has instilled in me that spirit, and I will actively pay it forward for the rest of my life.