‘A Step Out Of My Comfort Zone’: Jeanie Lee's Journey To The Miss Arizona USA Pageant

You’ll be surprised by how much there is to gain from pageants if you enter with the right mindset. When you compete in a beauty contest a lot of people think; Is it like Toddlers and Tiaras? Do all the girls hate each other? Is the answer always world peace?

Getting on a stage and public speaking can be terrifying, but you will learn a lot about yourself, your strengths, weaknesses, and what you need to further improve on. When speaking on stage, you need to express your ideas in a quick and eloquent way. This is easier said than done, especially when you’re under pressure. There’s never a right or wrong answer. But there is a diplomatic one that shows empathy for both sides of the argument. Having these discussions teaches you about the different perspectives people may have and in turn, you’ll discover what your own stance on a topic may be.

Indeed, the only way to overcome your fears and grow as a person is to challenge yourself by getting out of your comfort zone. 

The beautiful Jeanie Lee will have the opportunity to compete in the Miss Arizona USA Pageant in a few days. When she was young she remembers watching Miss Universe thinking she wishes could walk across that state with so much confidence - "I've always been a shy girl so this was a big step to take out of my comfort zone. It wasn't until my sophomore year in college when I competed in my first pageant and I had so much fun" - she explained.

If she wins the contest Jeanie will have the opportunity to represent the state of Arizona in Miss USA 2018. Did you know ? Arizona has had a comparatively large number of semi-finalists and placings, but has never won the Miss USA crown in its own right. However, in 1980, Jineane Ford was awarded the title after Shawn Weatherly (who won the original pageant) won the Miss Universe pageant.

Three Miss Arizona USAs were former Miss Arizona Teen USAs and two were former Miss America contestants. The current titleholder is Tommy Lynn Calhoun from Tucson.