Teens today face many issues – peer pressure, stress at school, trying to fit in and find their place, and learning how to love themselves.  It may seem like these issues have quick fixes, but as someone who was a teen not long ago, I understand how challenging it can be to battle these bumps in the road.  In today’s society, teenage girls are fed this constant image of what a teen “should be.”  So how do we change this?  We don’t.  How do we fight it?  Let me tell you… with confidence in our own uniqueness!  Nothing fights peer pressure, stress, and the feeling of being an outsider better than confidence.  With confidence and a lot of respect for ourselves, we can overcome issues we face no matter how challenging they may be.

Now the question is, how do we become confident young women?  Well, it takes time, but in order to do so, you must have the right tools.  I’m a firm believer that pageantry, more specifically the Miss America system, gives you those tools and presents you with the opportunity to put them to work.  Now I’m not saying that you have to compete in a thousand pageants in order to fine-tune your confidence building skills.  I, myself, have only ever competed in three pageants – a local pageant, Miss Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Teen, and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen – but what I learned from those three pageants and the six years I’ve been involved in pageantry has helped me get to where I am today.  Not only did I learn how not to fall down stairs in five inch heels, but I also learned what it takes to be a poised and confident young women.  All of my interview training, pageant prep, and onstage experience has help me realize that whatever issues I face, whether it be nerves before a college interview or not feeling sure that I fit in with a group of people, I know that I have the tools, the skills, and the confidence to face those challenges head-on and be successful.

Now for those of you teens who may not be in to competing in pageants or for those of you who are but want even more, Teens in Training Camp is the place for you.  Teens in Training Camp will give you those same confidence-building tools to use in a fun, stress-free environment.  Teens in Training Camp will provide you with advice and training from the most experienced professionals in the pageant and performing arts world.  Teens in Training Camp bridges the gap between the pageant world and your world and gives you everything you need to be a confident teen today and a successful leader tomorrow.

So instead of a tip this time, I’m going to give you a quote from Liev Lazarow that I believe fits perfectly with this post.  “She who has confidence in herself will gain the confidence of others.”  I’ve learned to live my life by these words and I highly encourage you to do the same!

I hope to see you in Orlando for Camp this summer!

Sincerely,
Tawni