Pair share in pageant experience
Ashley Emerson and Rechelle Lewis might never have met if it hadn’t been for last month’s Miss Washington Teen USA Pageant in Seattle, where they were roommates during the competition.
Emerson competed as Miss Spokane County Teen USA, and Lewis as Miss Spokane Teen USA.
Lewis, a senior at Freeman High School, has competed since her early teens, winning a multitude of awards and earning cash and prizes as well as gaining friends, from all over the United States.
“As long as I can remember, I’ve been a girly-girl,” she said, “and I thought a pageant would look good on a college resume. It’s a passion now.
“I plan on competing until I become too old.”
In last month’s pageant, Lewis, 17, won first runner-up in just about every category.
An honor roll student, Lewis plays basketball for a team that voted her “most inspirational” the past two years, and she is the captain of her cheerleading squad. She also loves to shop, a pastime that goes along with her career choice.
“My ambition is to be a fashion stylist,” she said, and she has applied to area colleges that have fashion programs.
While pageants have taught Lewis how to be poised in front of thousands of people, Emerson, who had never been in a pageant before, is still learning to be comfortable on stage.
“It wasn’t about winning, you know,” she said. “It was experiencing something incredible and going beyond your limits of comfort.”
Emerson, 17, spends her time playing tennis, the piano, and creating domino art in the form of earrings, necklaces and key chains. She has earned about $3,000 in sales.
A junior at Mead High School, Emerson is a member of the National Honor Society and a member of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America. While attending a leadership conference, Emerson met a previous Miss Teen Washington who talked about the pageant.
“It sounded very interesting and a way to sort of help me try new things and meet new people.”
Emerson believes that the experience helped her become more outgoing.
“Yes, it was very nerve-wracking going on stage in front of hundreds of people, but once I was up there, I felt this huge boost of confidence come over me. … All the girls were so smart and beautiful, and it just gives me a whole different outlook on new things and going for it and that you can do anything no matter what people say.”
Emerson most likely won’t be entering any more pageants, but she is grateful for the experience.
Lewis was impressed with Emerson.
“She’s kind of shy, but she showed confidence. She didn’t make it into the top 15, but while others pouted, she hugged me and said, ‘I hope you win it all.’ “
Emerson won the Academic Achievement Award. Out of the 53 teen contestants, five had a perfect 4.0 grade-point average.
Emerson won because she had maintained her 4.0 g.p.a. the longest.
Emerson wants to be a pediatric neurologist or a chemistry teacher.