After days of practice, rehearsals, and waiting, it was finally time to officially start the competition to find the next Miss Indiana! The fourth day of the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant started bright and early with the private interview competition. The 31 contestants finished their day in front of a screaming crowd at the first night of preliminary competition at the Zionsville Performing Arts Center.
Private interview is about a quarter of a contestant's total score in the Miss America system, and most titleholders, including me, spend more time prepping for interview than any other area of competition. In the months and weeks leading up to the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant, and read the news constantly to stay current on politics and pop culture. Then I would take that knowledge into my practice interviews so I would be ready for just about any question my mock judges would throw at me. I love, love, love my interview dress, and the story behind it, and I truly felt like a Miss America when I walked into the official interview room at the Miss Indiana Pageant.
Private interview is the only chance I get to actually interact with the judges, so I try to make the most of that opportunity and really let the judges get to know me and see how I would be a good fit for the position of Miss Indiana. I've always viewed being a titleholder as a job, so that is something I try to convey to the the judges. I also love singing, and I am passionate about my beliefs, so I have a lot of things I want to tell the judges during the 10 minute private interview. For the first nine and a half minutes of the interview, the judges just fire away with their questions in no particular order. The judges get to ask anything they may want to know, and some of these questions might come from the contestant's paperwork or current events. With only 10 minutes total, I work hard to stay on track so the judges have time to ask enough questions to get to know me well and see how I can do the job of a state titleholder. I felt really good when I left the interview room and I couldn't think of a single answer I would change.
I was in Alpha Group at the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant, so that means I compete in evening gown and swimsuit during the first night of preliminary competition. In swimsuit contestants are only on stage for a few seconds and I really wanted the judges to see I am physically fit. Every titleholder wants to be a good role model for healthy lifestyles and that is something we hope to showcase in the swimsuit competition. Evening gown is about poise and presence, and I spent a lot of time practicing how I would find my own pace no matter what the music would be at the state pageant. I had been waiting so long to compete at the Miss Indiana Pageant, and taking the stage in my evening gown was such an amazing moment. I love my evening gown so much, and I felt like a queen on the Miss Indiana stage. For all you princesses out there, dreams really do come true if you work hard and always keep chasing your goals.
It was really good to have my friends and family in the audience cheering for me. The energy at the PAC is really incredible when it is filled with Miss Indiana fans. And the crowd only gets bigger as the week goes on. I was really proud to see my parents and friends in the audience with their Team Presley buttons and badges and signs. Having such an incredible support system really makes it fun to compete for the title of Miss Indiana.
Keep reading all week as I post my favorite memories from the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant!
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