Competing in pageants was not something Emily Neuenschwander had considered until family friend Sherri Stewart suggested it.

Recognizing her involvement might provide the opportunity to help other teens with issues they face in today’s society, as well as making friends with others who share the same interests, she decided it was something she wanted to do.

With encouragement from Stewart, who currently holds the title of Mrs. Southwest International 2020, Emily entered her first pageant in 2019 and won the title of Miss Jr. Teen Oklahoma International and will also be competing as a state finalist in the National American Miss pageant in Tulsa this summer.

Most recently she won runner-up in the Miss Oklahoma High School America pageant held last month in El Reno.

A junior at Marche High School and active in speech and debate, Emily said pageant competition gives her the ability to use her public speaking skills to inspire teens to embrace their individuality.

“I want to show my peers it’s okay to be you,” she said.

Social media creates unique challenges for today’s teens, Emily said.

“It isn’t always positive and can have negative effects on teenagers, male and female, often causing self-esteem issues,” she said.

“I want to raise awareness about the stigmas that social media creates with teens today.,, _day.,,

At the eighth grade health conference in Kingfisher, Emily said she had the opportunity to talk to students about not letting social media affect their confidence and to embrace who they are.

One of the aspects that intrigued her most about the recent competition for Miss Oklahoma High School America, she said, was their platform “BRAVE,” which stands for building respect and value for everyone.

A portion of the pageant is modeling, fun fashion and formal ball gown, but Emily said a big consideration for the judges is the interview, as well as your resume and community service.

The day before the pageant was spent in preparation and getting to know the other contestants and the director, she said.

During that time, they also spent time writing letters to veterans as a community service project alongside a former titleholder of the pageant

“It was a really fun weekend,” Emily said. “I got to meet a lot of different girls from all over the state and made a lot of friends.”

The daughter of Eric and Kelli Neuenschwander, she is also active in drama, student council, cheerleading and other activities. With ambitions to become a nurse, Emily plans to work in pediatrics.

One positive aspect of this pageant circuit, Kelli said, is the girls get to know each other and make friends with their peers who are equally passionate about standing up for a cause.

“As a parent, it is fantastic to see these young women take such a strong stance, have confidence and stay true to themselves,” Kelli said.

“I think that a lot of people have an idea that pageantry is about girls getting dressed up and the focus being on them, but it’s not,” Emily said.

“There is so much more that goes into it”

Last month’s competition may have been a little more special for Emily, as one of her best friends, Emma Stover, entered the Miss Oklahoma High School America pageant as well.

Emma is a sophomore at Okarche High School and is involved in speech as well as basketball, softball, trap shooting and other activities.

She is the daughter of Greg and Erin Stover.

Competing in her first pageant, Emma said she usually spends a lot of time playing sports and not wearing heels, but she thought it would be something fun to explore.

“I just decided it was time to try something different,” she said.

“It was really fun to step out of my comfort zone.”

One of her favorite things, she said, was experiencing the pageant with Emily and “just being in awe” of how well her friend modeled in the pageant and how natural it was to her.

“It was a great opportunity and I enjoyed making friends,” Emma said.

Emily has been competing for a few years and it’s a new experience for Emma, but another Okarche student is a veteran of pageantry.

A third grader at Okarche Elementary School, Harper Geheb started competing when she was 4 and has participated in 12 pageants, winning six Oklahoma titles and two national titles.

The daughter of Barry and Jaci Geheb, she recently competed in the same pageant as the older girls in the elementary division and won Miss Oklahoma Elementary America 3rd Grade and will compete in nationals this summer.

After watching her older sister, Lawson, compete in pageants, Harper wanted to give it a try.

“I thought it would be fun and I could meet new friends,” she said.

Getting ready for the competition and spending time with her friends is one of the things she likes most, Harper said.

“My favorite part about the pageant is getting my hair and makeup done and getting dressed,” she said. “While my mommy does my hair, I can talk to my friends and it’s a lot of fun.”

She also said she likes the modeling and being able to show what she has been learning and practicing.

The emphasis on community service, Jaci said, was an appealing element in the decision to enter Harper in the Miss Oklahoma Elementary America 3rd Grade pageant.

The focus of Harper’s community service project, “Be a good sport,” was inspired by her experience while playing softball.

Jaci said some of Harper’s teammates didn’t have the proper equipment, which led them to donate some equipment. Recognizing that need, Harper started her service project to collect donated sporting equipment to help others.

Other activities Harper is involved in are softball, basketball, cheerleading and dance.

At the Okarche school-wide talent competition recently, Harper placed third for her song and dance routine “Cat in the Hat”

While competing in pageants, Jaci said, the girls learn important life skills and self-confidence, as well as having fun and making new friends.

The interview is an important part of the competition, she said.

While Harper couldn’t remember many of the interview questions, she did remember this one: “If you had the biggest ice cream sundae in the world, what would you put in it?”

Her answer: “It would have vanilla, chocolate, cookies and cream, and strawberry ice cream, with chocolate sprinkles, gummy worms and whipped cream.”

For girls of all ages competing in pageants can foster new friendships, build self-confidence, make a difference and much more.

If other girls are interested in pageants, Emily said she would encourage them to give it a try.

“If you have something you are passionate about, I think it would be a great idea to compete,” she said.

“Even if you don’t win, you can still still make a good impression on the judges and director, make new friends and learn something new.”