For generations, the Miss Elk City and Miss Queen of the West Pageants have been an annual tradition enjoyed by countless guests. The heralded event has even produced a Miss America when Elk City native Susan Powell was crowned in 1981.
However, 2019 Miss Elk City Macy Eminger wants to encourage newcomers to join the famed scholarship program and promises innovations will bring new excitement.
“We have a new board,” Eminger explained. “I know change can be hard, but this new board of directors is young people with new and exciting ideas. One of the things that I am most excited about is the new teen program. Now, along with our Miss Elk City and Miss Queen of the West, we will have our Teen Miss pageants. The Miss candidates will be paired with a Miss Teen to mentor them. I am going to age out this next year, but I cannot tell you how many things I have gained from participating in pageants in the last ten years.”
Eminger, who currently serves as the manager for the Sonic Sayre, believes the Miss America Scholarship Program equipped her with necessary job skills to be promoted to leadership.
“I know the Miss America program has been associated with reality tv like Toddlers and Tiaras, but that is not at all how it is. This is a very supportive program that encourages young girls and women to excel and achieve. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, but I have met and networked with so many women. The only thing I have received is full support. You know that every girl up there has worked very hard to be where they are, so even if your name isn’t called, you have respect for your fellow contestants,” she said.
Eminger also knows that some potential candidates may be discouraged by costs, but says the program is full of helpful support.
“Contact the directors of any pageant if you are curious, but scared of the cost,” Eminger advised. “Most girls have almost everything they need already. My parents didn’t have a lot, so my prom dresses were always $80 from Dillards. But I used that first one to compete in many pageants. You get to know people who are willing to let you borrow their gowns. The best part, though, is the personal growth and the interview process. I gained so much insight into myself as I had to answer these interview questions because the questions aren’t things you often think about at 18 or 20-years-old. Each town or pageant has their own set of judges, which can come back later to be someone with a job opportunity for you because they remember you and were impressed by you. These girls often go on to be the leaders of their communities. They are highly educated. And, honestly, they become your best friends.”
Eminger has high praise for the Miss Elk City and Miss Queen of the West’s new co-directors, Rylee Varnell and Abigale Chitwood.
Eminger is also currently serving as Miss Heartland.
“We want to get girls the opportunity to earn scholarship money as early as possible. I have paid most of my student loans through this program,” she said.
