Taking Care Of Pageant Contestants

What careers do contestants pursue after the pageant circuit?

They not only go into the entertainment business but they go on to successful careers.

What's the worst behavior you see in pageant girls?

Well, I don't know if this is worst, but I am just surprised at the cell phone activity, the text messaging. But other than that, I really have not... I've really been pleasantly surprised at how well-behaved and how respectful they are. The house moms and the staff too.

How old are pageant contestants?

The youngest is fifteen, our youngest teen is fifteen. So for some this is their first time away from home so it's understandable that some of them might be feeling a little home sick.

What are the eating habits of pageant girls?

That's something we do monitor the eating habits of the girls. We are making sure that they are eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. And most of them have quite healthy appetites.

Why is it important to monitor the diet of the pageant girls?

It's important to monitor the diet, what the girls are eating because they just are full, grilling days and we want to make sure that they are having a balanced meal so that they have the nutrition to get through and to meet the demands. It's a full, full day.

Are you aware of medical conditions of the pageant girls?

Of the 12 house moms, three of us are registered nurses and we do go through and screen the girls. Any medical conditions should fully disclosed to us and we do monitor them a little more closely.

Do the girls have fun at the pageants?

They are. I hear a lot of laughter and I see relationships being formed, bonds being formed, and they're having a good time.

What do you think the girls gain from this kind of competition?

I think one of the benefits of being in this pageant is the confidence. We see some young ladies come to us that have never been in front of a group of people much less an entire auditorium. And it's really interesting to see the metamorphisis that they go through over course of three days. It's really quite remarkable.

Do you ever see the pageant girls stress out?

I personally feel that the Ms. California USA Pageant doesn't impose a lot of stress on these girls. I think that there's a lot of work that's done ahead of time, the orientation that they get prior to this; they get the information that they're going to need to prepare for this.

Do pageant girls have any talent?

They are poised, they're extremely poised, I am just astounded at how poised they are and how quickly they pickup routines. They're just very well balanced, they seem to be multi-talented.

Do you ever have to console the losers after the pageant?

If anybody is disappointed by the outcome I am here to hold their hand and comfort them. But I would reassure them that there's no losers here. This is just a great stepping stone.