SCHOLARSHIP ... SERVICE ... STYLE ... SUCCESS. These four foundational attributes form a set of standards established by the Miss America Organization for young women throughout the country who participate in its pageant system on local, state and national levels. In fact, the crown is designed with four points to symbolize each of these qualities, and contestants aspire to embody them.
SCHOLARSHIP has long been the bedrock of the Miss America Organization, and scholarships are awarded at each of the three levels of competition. Today, the Miss America Organization is one of the world's largest providers of scholarship assistance. In order to inspire women to consider professions in science, technology, engineering and math, STEM scholarships are awarded to selected state and local titleholders who major in one of these fields. Many contestants enter pageants to help fund their academic studies, and some have actually begun their careers free of student debt thanks to their pageant scholarship grants.
SERVICE to others is accomplished by the contestant developing a platform based on a social issue or a significant cause about which she feels deeply passionate. She promotes, educates and raises consciousness about the specific issue she is addressing. She becomes an informed and credible spokesperson for her platform, and through its concept, she learns to successfully serve society both during and beyond her pageant experience.
STYLE, when personalized, sets a contestant apart from her competitors. A team of advisors is made available to offer guidance and tips for hair, makeup application, fashion choices, communication skills, physical fitness and graceful movement. As she prepares for competition, she cultivates a style unique to her and develops a demeanor that projects confidence and poise as a result of the process.
SUCCESS in achieving her personal and professional ambitions becomes more easily attainable whenever a young woman, upon entering the pageant system, commits to its criteria and the work ethic that will be expected of her. In return, she is provided a venue like no other to showcase her talent and character strengths and to express her viewpoints. Her pageant participation can be an empowering experience that opens doors and provides growth and wholesome influences in her life. The prestige that comes with actually winning a crown can give her life new direction and likewise shape her future.
Current Miss Louisiana Justine Ker entered the pageant system through the Outstanding Teen Pageant, a sister company to the Miss America Organization, while she was in high school. The Ruston native displayed her extraordinary ability as a classically trained pianist and quickly proved to be a rising star. After winning three local level teen competitions, Ker was named Louisiana's Outstanding Teen 2011, and she won the talent division each time she competed.
Scholarship earnings from her pageant successes were beginning to mount nicely by the time Ker finished her senior year of high school at Cedar Creek School in Ruston in 2012 with a 4.36 grade point average. To enter medical school with a focus on neurology had become her career goal. When she graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville four years later with a degree in neuroscience, this Asian- American beauty had not only captured the pageant titles of Miss Shreveport and Miss Louisiana Watermelon Festival but also the ultimate state title of Miss Louisiana 2016. In addition, Ker was also accepted into Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans and used her pageant earnings to help pay tuition.
Tulane would have to wait, though.
“I’ve just won the best job of my life for the next year,” Ker stated on the evening she was crowned Miss Louisiana in June 2016. “I’ll defer beginning medical school for a year.” A flurry of duties that came with her new title, along with preparation for the upcoming Miss America Pageant which followed in September 2016, began the very next morning.
Soon Ker was off to Washington, D.C., for the Miss America Pageant Orientation. Meeting and getting to know the other 51 state queens (her Miss America sisters) amid historical buildings, monuments and museums in the setting of the nation's capital was a meaningful precursor to the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City.
Her presentation during each segment of the national competition was flawless and gained her a spot among the pageant's top 15 finalists. Onstage, she explained her service platform, “A Beautiful Mind: Promoting Positive Mental Health.” For her talent phase, she played her favorite piano piece, Chopin’s Fantasie Impromptu. “While I could have chosen something more technically difficult, I never tire of this piece. I share a very huge piece of my heart when I play it, and I hope people see a part of me as I play it,” Ker said. Her commitment to physical fitness was apparent in her swimsuit competition as was her modeling skill in the elegant evening gown division.
Upon returning to Louisiana to resume her position as the state's official hostess, Ker was met with a packed calendar. Her self-discipline and keen awareness of the importance of fitness, nutrition and time management are helping her to meet her daily schedule. She's receiving gift certificates from sponsoring vendors ranging from food to beauty procedures. A large group of patron clothiers are exquisitely dressing her as she travels throughout the state promoting the pageant’s mission in speaking engagements, community events, performances, television appearances and, especially heartening to Ker, serving as the state ambassador for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals in Louisiana. She lists visiting and interacting with the young patients as a very special honor.
In June, Ker will crown Miss Louisiana 2017 and then move into her life’s next chapter. Tulane University School of Medicine awaits, and her crown and sash will be replaced by a white coat and stethoscope. When advising young women who enter the pageant system, Ker reminds them of the time, courage and perseverance that competition requires. She adds, “While there may be disappointments along the way, hold on to the positive experiences that come with it, and do not rely on a panel of judges to decide your worth on a given day. Instead, acknowledge your courage to stand up there and express yourself. Remember that who you are is enough ... just ask your family and friends. It’s always about becoming your best self.”
– Jo Ann Garner
