Pretty, Prim, And Pageants By: Tricia Duenas

Nursing student by day, pageant girl by night. From pageant experience, reviews, to advice. I hope you enjoy my journey in life!  Blog: triciaduenas.wordpress.com Instagram/Twitter: @triciaduenas

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How the Miss America Organization impacted my education: Miss Tucson Desert Rose takes on UA Nursing School

“What do you do other than wear your crown and banner?” and “Is it like Toddler’s and Tiara’s?” are questions I have been asked before. I am frequently questioned on why I decided to get involved with the Miss America Organization (MAO) given their “reputation” or I should say misconceptions to be more accurate. Well, I am here to tell you why getting involved with the MAO has been one of the BEST decisions I have ever made.

I am a pageant girl and a first generation college student. Some would say, the odds of going to nursing school were not exactly in my favor, but just yesterday, I accomplished another milestone that took me another step forward to fulfilling my dream of becoming a nurse. I received my admissions letter to start the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program at the University of Arizona in the Spring of 2016.

My nursing school journey began when I was only a 16-year-old junior in high school when I joined a medical professions program offered at my school. This 2-year program exposed me to various medical professions including Nursing through college school tours around the valley, involvement in Health Occupations Students of America, and volunteer opportunities. Ultimately, this special program gave me the chance to train as a Nursing Assistant and obtain my CNA license. It was during my clinical rotations, I witnessed the selflessness and compassion nurses provide to their patients everyday. After this experience, I was eager to learn more and from then on out, I dedicated everything I did to achieving my goal of becoming a nurse. 

Out of high school, I applied to the University of Arizona, I attended endless chemistry, biology, and physiology study sessions, I studied hard day and night (sometimes pulling all nighters at the library), and there were times I wished it was the weekend just to have a break my classes to do my homework. I aimed high in order to excel in my pre-nursing classes. I also joined the Filipino American Student Association and the Gamma Beta Phi Honors Society, in which I met some amazing individuals who guided me towards the right direction and taught me the importance of serving my community. Lastly, I made the decision to get involved with the Miss America Organization in Arizona. I decided to compete at my very first local in January of 2015 and I was honored to be crowned as Miss Tucson Desert Rose 2015. The Miss America Organization has aided in my college tuition and book costs and I credit a lot of my success thus far to the MAO. I have no doubt the opportunities I have experienced through this organization will help me in nursing school and as a nurse. As a local title holder, I was taught the following things that I believe got me this far and will continue to help me in the future:

 1.     Interview and Communication Skills

(Children’s Miracle Network National Pancake Day Interview with Fox 11)

(Miss AZ Scholarship Pageant 2015 - On-Stage Question: Patricia Duenas)

- Through all of the media interviews, on-stage questions, private interviews, mock interviews, and public speaking, all titleholders acquire exceptional communication skills and interview skills. Being-well spoken does not only benefit in pageantry, but in careers and in just about anything. My speaking skills have come a very long way and I am grateful for that. Not to mention, it probably helped at my nursing admissions interview.

2.    The importance of Patient Advocacy (Children’s Miracle Network)

(Promoting Children’s Miracle Network National Pancake Day at IHOP)

(Tucson Medical Center for Kids - Miss Arizona Bear Delivery Visit)

- The Miss America Organization’s national platform is the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN), a non-profit organization that raises funds for children's hospitals, medical research and community awareness of children's health issues. Being Miss Tucson through the Miss America Scholarship Organization gave me the chance to be a local Children’s Miracle Network Ambassador, which gave me the opportunity to work closely with Tucson Medical Center for Kids and Phoenix Children’s Hospitals. Through all of the fundraisers and events, I had the privilege of meeting some of the patients whose lives have changed through this organization. CMN showed me the importance and value of advocating for patients and has fueled my dream of becoming a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.

3.     A “Go Getter” Attitude

(The Daily Wildcat ft. Miss Tucson Desert Rose. By: Lauren Renteria)

- I have learned that having the right attitude can mean all the difference in the world. The Miss America Organization has surrounded me with very inspiring individuals who have immensely boosted my confidence and it has taught me to persevere through anything to achieve greatness. I have learned with hard-work and determination, you can achieve just about anything. MAO has also taught me the importance of being goal-orientated. I constantly set both long term and short term goals for myself. This mindset is what I hope to utilize to reach my career ambition of someday opening up my very own practice as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.

4.     Keeping an Open Mind/Never Discriminating

(Miss AZ Scholarship Pageant 2015 - Talent Competition: Patricia Duenas)

(Miss Arizona Class of 2015 - Credit: Morgan Mclane Photography)

- Among the many stereotypes pageant girls are affiliated with, being intellectual is often not one of them. However, the individuals I have come across through pageantry are actually some of the brightest and most talented group of people I have ever met. Law students, medical school students, engineers, journalists, pianists, philanthropists, honors society members, and yes, nurses are just some of the young ladies that comprise the Miss America Organization title holders. It blows me away seeing the daily impact these ladies have on their professions and their education, which led me to always accept ones differences and celebrate diversity. Pageantry is just another one of the countless examples that defends the popular saying, “Never judge a book by its cover.”

Lastly, I want to give endless amounts of thanks to all of my family, friends, colleagues, the UA college of nursing academic advisors, my professors, my medical professions clinical instructors, Gamma Beta Phi Honors Society, and last but definitely not the least the Miss America Organization. Every single one of these individuals/organizations has helped me in my success in gaining admission to my dream school.

I am so ecstatic to embark on this new chapter of my life. Bring it on nursing school!

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I am a pageant girl

On Sunday September 13th, the pageant Super Bowl aired on T.V. For those of you who do not know what I am referring to, I am talking about the 95th Miss America pageant. As the nation watched, I did too.

I am sure many of you know (and with no doubt, all of the pageant involved individuals out there know) that pageant girls and pageant systems are often ridiculed on in every way possible and I know this because I have witnessed this first hand. I have been looked down upon, been talked down to, not taken seriously, have been racially profiled, been questioned about my intellect, and more.

Although, I have brushed it off in the past and continued to know in my heart that my positive impact on my community and my drive to better myself and influence everyone around me was a good enough way to defend myself to what others stereotyped me and many other pageant girls to be, I think I have had enough with all of the hate and criticism towards the Miss America Organization and pageantry all together.

What really drew the line for me was when I read up on the news and saw a video on The View about Miss Colorado, Kelley Johnson, a Registered Nurse who decided to incorporate her passion of being a nurse as her talent at Miss America.

For those of you who know me, I have fallen in love with the profession of Nursing and have dedicated both my high school education and college education to fulfilling my dream of becoming a Nurse Practitioner in the near future. So yes, just like Miss Colorado, all of the nurses out there, and all of my pageant sisters out there, I am offended. How can I not be when both of my passions, pageants and nursing, are being unfairly criticized? There are multiple articles all over social media degrading on pageants and I am not even going to share them with you because I don’t want them getting anymore attention than they’re already getting. More than half of the ones I read don’t even know the difference between Miss America and Miss USA and with the recent controversy of Miss Colorado’s talent, some people do not even know that nurse’s have the ability to wear and use a stethoscope as doctors do. I think it’s safe to assume they are also not knowledgeable of what the duties of a pageant titleholder truly entails. Just remember, you guys only see what is performed on stage. What about the rest of the year of having a title? Most titleholders dedicate a lot of their time helping others through community service and driving themselves to events to help raise money for non-profit organizations, or educating people about their platforms.

Before I got involved in pageants, I was a really shy girl who was afraid of everything. My involvement in pageantry brought me out of my comfort zone and built up the confidence I needed to be who I am today. Pageants helped shape me into the woman I am. It’s taught me independence, the meaning of sisterhood, strength, fear, bravery, failure, success, perseverance, organization, time management, hope, and most importantly, it taught me to dream big.

Pageants have immensely helped me get closer to my dream of someday opening up my very own practice as a nurse practitioner and it has given me the opportunity to be an ambassador and advocate for numerous non-profit organizations. It has made me a servant to my community and the list goes on and on.

I am Miss Tucson Desert Rose. I am a member of Gamma Beta Phi Honors Society. I am a first generation college student. I am a writer. I am a local Children’s Miracle Network Ambassador. I am a Certified Nursing Assistant. I am a dancer. I am a first generation Asian-American. Ultimately, I am a pageant girl.

And that’s just my story…  All of the nurses and pageant girls out there have their own. I think it’s time for all of the hateful people out there to get educated on their facts before making assumptions and to simply keep an open mind. To all of the pageant girls and nurses out there, you are all heroes to me and at the very least you deserve respect for what you do.

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Road to Miss Arizona 2015: Victory for one, victory for all.

Just in case you are all wondering or haven't heard the news, no.. I did not walk away with the new title as Miss Arizona 2015, but I walked away with something much greater. Although I did not get the job as Miss Arizona, I still won, in fact we all did. "But wait Tricia, how did you win, but not win?" Is probably what you are all thinking. The dictionary states the following definition for the word victory:

Vic•to•ry noun plural  vic·to·ries

Definitions:

1: the overcoming of an enemy or antagonist 

2: achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties

The greatest enemy I have ever had through this experience was myself as I am sure many of my sister queens can relate to. The constant battle between myself was the greatest struggle to overcome, but once I performed on that stage I realized my full potential and ability to succeed in what I was doing. This past week, I was victorious in an endless amount of things and for that, I am forever grateful for this experience at state this year. Through this contribution, I have gained a better understanding of who I am and what I want in life and that is a true win to me. 

Now that I have had some time to settle down from Miss Arizona pageant week and finish up the two summer school classes I decided to take this summer along with Miss Arizona (I know, I'm crazy), I finally have some time to write about my experience.

To start off, pageant week was perfection to say the least. It was the best pageant experience I have ever had so far. I was showered with so many gifts, love, and encouragement from my awesome local pageant director, pageant sisters, family, friends, the Miss Arizona state team, and of course the endless amount of generous sponsors. Thank you so much for spoiling me/us and making me feel like true royalty!

When I decided to compete at my very first local, I did not imagine all of this would happen. I have built connections with so many networks, I have gained friendships that will last a lifetime, I have worked closely with numerous organizations dear to my heart, and have ultimately become a servant to my community. My love for the Miss America Organization continues to grow more and more each day as I continue to grow and learn everyday.

Now it is time to express my sincerest gratitude..

To Nina, you are INCREDIBLE. It's easy to see why you were Miss America. Your positive presence is contagious and you shine in whatever you do. I can only wish to be half as amazing and influential as you are. You have been a role model of mine even before I got involved with the Miss America Organization and you're even more so now after I have met you in person. Thank you for taking the time to listen to my (probably creepy story) of how I wrote about you in a research paper during my Freshman year of college. Most especially, thank you for hosting Miss Arizona and for sharing your words of encouragement!

To Stacey, Cathy, Tiffany, and the entire Miss Arizona State Prep Team, I swear you guys are all super heroes. Everything you guys do for us is always done with love and I appreciate it so much. Thank you for all of your hard work to make Miss Arizona a success!

To Alexa, you're a ray of sunshine! You did an incredible job representing the state of Arizona. Thank you for helping the state of Arizona get to the next level. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors, social media queen :)

To the Miss Tucson local prep team and sponsors, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your contribution to our success. Without you, I would not have been able to be up there on that stage.

To my Miss Tucson director, Marta, I am so happy you were my director for my very first year at Miss Arizona. Thank you for all the wonderful things you have done for me and my sister queens. Also, thank you for the never ending support. Love you pageant mama!

To my Miss Tucson sisters, I will always cherish the memories we have made and the memories to come. You all have grown to be such great friends and sisters of mine. It has been a pleasure to see you all grow. Thank you for always having my back and for your support!

To the Miss Arizona class of 2015, I love you all so much. I am so grateful for the opportunity to build my friendship with each and every one of you. Our bonds are indescribable. Thanks for all the laughs, cries, and prayers. I wouldn't want to spend my pageant week with any other group of people, but you guys.

To #teamtricia, saying thank you is simply not enough. Your support means the world to me and I am blessed to have amazing friends and family. I loved the video you all contributed to. Thanks for being there for all of the highs and the lows in my life.

Lastly, congratulations to my friend of almost 10 years, Madi Esteves, for the biggest victory of all! I am so proud of how much you've grown and I support you all the way. Go show Atlantic City what Arizona's got!

In the end, the Miss America Organization has encouraged me to be my best self and has taught me to always dream big, be passionate, and never settle for anything less than I deserve.

With that said, don't you worry.. This girl will be back, but for now, I am still your Miss Tucson Desert Rose 2015.

Til next time,

Tricia

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Top 6 things that have impacted my life as a First Generation College Student

It’s First Gen Friday! I will be sharing my college experience with you all and I hope you enjoy!

Note: I got this idea from another first generation advocate (Thanks, Yolanda if you are reading this!)

Deciding to take the next step towards my higher education has impacted my life in ways that have changed my life for the better. Although it has challenged me in every way possible, it helped me grow. There are many aspects of college that has changed my life, but there are specifically 6 things that have greatly shaped my college experience into what it is now.

1. My Second Family - There have been hundreds of people I have met in the short amount of time I have been in college, but a small group of that hundred have become my family. I was lucky to have found the University of Arizona's Filipino American Student Association (FASA). FASA has made me feel at home from the moment I met them. Being Filipino-American, I missed the culture I was always around when I was living at home, but meeting this club has exposed me to the rich Filipino culture again. I have met some of the brightest students who encourage me towards my educational goals and I have met some of the most down to earth and supportive people who have become my life-long best friends. Finding my niche has been a huge factor in shaping my college experience. If you're reading this, I love you all even though I have been MIA lately due to all of the overload of extracurricular activities I have taken under my belt.

2. The Infamous Miss America Organization - Where does one even begin.. I never understood the love people had for this organization until I became actively involved in it. This organization prides themselves in Style, Scholarship, Service, and Success. (Which happen to represent the four points of the crown). These four aspects make up the foundation of what the Miss America Organization embodies. The organization has grown to be a huge part of my life. Everyday I strive to be a woman who embodies all that a Miss America titleholder should be. This lead me to further understand the importance of my education. The Miss America Organization is one of the word's largest scholarship providers for young women and I am blessed to have gained their assistance in contributing to the funds of my college education. I look forward to furthering my journey through this amazing non-profit organization.

3. Moving Out of the House - Boy, was this a scary thing for me to do. I have been living with my family for 18 years straight and now I had to ultimately live on my own?! I was terrified of doing this. During my first year of college I lived in a dorm on campus and for my second year I lived in an apartment with my best friend. I found myself driving back almost every weekend because of how home sick I was, but let me tell you now, this is probably one of the best decisions I have made during my college career so far. I grew out of my comfort zone. I started cooking, cleaning more, using handy-man tools, and so much more. Moving away has made me more mature, stronger, and independent.

4. Preparing for Nursing School - I swear I have an emotional breakdown about Nursing school once a week. College has been a whirlwind for me. All the studying, class lectures, and endless homework has consumed my life. At the end of the day, I am actually thankful for all of the stress and hardships I have endured and will endure. The dedication and all of the hard work I have put into making it into nursing school will only make that entry letter to the BSN program that much sweeter. This experience has made me realize the best things in life are not just handed to you. There are the things you have to work really hard for. Pre-nursing has taught me discipline and the true meaning of hard work.

5. Supporting The Shine Project - I heard about The Shine Project through a friend last year (I have a separate blog post all about The Shine Project, so I will spare you the description). The Shine Project supports students just like me. It was eye opening to hear about these student's stories and to realize how similar it was to mine as far as being a first generation college student. Supporting this organization has opened up so many opportunities for me and has made me realize how much of a gift and honor it truly is to be a first generation college student. I used to be embarrassed about it and in ways frustrated about being first generation, but through this organization I learned to embrace being the first person in my family to graduate from college. I have come to realize how much of a privilege it is. I am a proud first generation college student.

6. Gamma Beta Phi Honors Society - I was offered membership to this honors society in the beginning of my sophomore year. I was ecstatic to even have the credentials to qualify for this honors society. I have been part of honors societies before, but this one is my favorite. Gamma Beta Phi (GBP) does not just focus on academics, but they have a heavy focus on service. Although I have always been a Philanthropist ever since I could remember, GBP has introduced me to a variety of volunteer experiences. Being part of this honors society has kept me actively involved within my college community and has kept me in check as far as maintaining my grades.

I am forever grateful for all the challenges I have come across and I am looking forward to growing and learning more as I live through this chapter of my life. Join me in sharing your college experience story! Sometimes all these students need is a little motivation to taking the next step towards higher education. (Remember to use #FirstGenFridays and #FirstGenerationHigherEducaton)

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Love is in the air!

This Valentine’s day Idecided to do something I have never done before. I decided to spread the lovenot only with my friends and family, but with strangers too! And boy let me tell you, my day was filled with EXTRA love and joy.

Before I tell you how my experience was, I cannot give myself credit for this amazing idea. I give all credit to Ashley Lemieux and the rest of The Shine Project team. Last Valentine’s day she spread love drops around in her community and this year, they did the same. I wanted to experience it for myself, so I decided to join in on the pay it forward cause this year.

I created cute goodie bags to pass around on Valentine's weekend, which were filled with chocolates and valentine cards. Now let me tell you how I spread the love this Valentine’s day!

1. I started by delivering a few to some friends and family. Life can get so hectic for everyone; so taking some time to show how much you love and appreciate the most important people in your life is a must on the day of love.

2. Next, I delivered some love drops to some residents at an assisted living home. Most of these people have not had a Valentine in years and it was heart-warming to see how touched they were by my goodie bags. It definitely put a big smile on their face and it was awesome to see how youthful they quickly got in the sight of chocolate!

3. Speaking of youth, I gave a valentine goodie bag to a young boy at a grocery store. He was super antsy and cranky about leaving, so I asked him if he wanted some chocolate. He quickly ran over to me and I gave him a valentine. He was more than thrilled to finish the grocery trip with his parents and I was glad to change his mood from antsy and cranky to happy in a matter of seconds.

4. While I was out for brunch at a place called Goodness in Tucson Arizona. I gave the cashier a valentine and she was definitely surprised, but was appreciative of the gesture. After eating brunch I left another love drop for the next person to dine at our table.

5. After watching a movie, I went back to my apartment to get ready for dinner. I left my next door neighbors some love drops as well as my roommate who has been studying hard for some test that are coming up this week.

6. Lastly, I ate dinner at an amazing Tepanyaki Japanese restaurant called Mr. An’s in Tucson as well. I was not seated until 10:40 pm and the restaurant was about to close in 20 minutes. I work with at a job that requires me to have excellent customer service, so I definitely understand the frustration when customers come in at the last minute and all you want to do is get started with the closing routine/procedures. I was expecting to have a waiter/waitress that was a bit worn out, but to my surprise our waitress was beaming and lively even though I could tell she had a long day. We tipped her good and I left a love drop on the table. As I was taking pictures by the front of the restaurant, I saw her run over to her co-workers and said with a big smile on her face “Look at what my table left me!” I looked over and she was pointing to the goodie back I left for her. The co-workers responded with a lot “aww”, “How cute!” and “How nice!” I was so happy to see her ecstatic after a long day of work.

I am so glad I was able to join in on this pay it forward cause. It definitely gave me a different outlook on Valentine’s day and it has officially become one of my favorite holidays. I probably spent about $12 dollars to create these love drops and I was able to witness love in a new perspective. Always remember no act of kindness however small, is ever wasted.

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5 Tips on How to Prepare for a National Pageant

  Ever since I won the title of Miss Southwest American Coed in June, I have been developing a plan on how to prepare for MAC nationals. Through past experience, I have learned that it takes plenty of preparation, both physically and mentally, to compete at a national pageant. I have put together a little list on some things that I have been doing to prepare in hopes that it will help you too.

1. Familiarize yourself with the Pageant System

From Miss USA to Miss America to Miss American Coed, it is important to know that each one runs differently. lt is crucial to understand the pageant system you are competing for because essentially you are preparing to win a job position to be the ultimate representative for that particular pageant system. As a representative of a pageant such as Miss American Coed, I believe it puts a candidate at an upper hand when they have knowledge of what the pageant is all about. From the pageant history to the pageant’s reigning queens to the pageant’s platform, study it all. Trust me, this is more important than you think. 

2. Strengthen your Weaknesses 

If you have the opportunity to get your state pageant judge’s scores and comments. I highly suggest you do so. If your state pageant does not allow you to review scores or comments, then seek feedback from people who have watched you on stage or even off stage while you prepared. This will help you work on some aspects of your performance that needs some cleaning up. If you are not strong with interview, then practice some interview questions with friends, family, pageant coaches, mentors, etc. If your personal introduction needs help, then practice your delivery and voice projection. The list can go on and on, just remember that it is very important to improve your weak points rather than ignore it. Always strive to do better!

3. Obtain Pageant Fees

Let’s face it, pageants are wallet breakers. I personally can not continue my pageant journey without my generous sponsors. I find it best to go to locally owned businesses when it comes to asking for sponsorships, but family and friends have also been a big support system in the past. There are so many options on how to obtain money for pageant fees. I have done raffles, fund raisers, gofundme.com, and much more. Just be sure to be professional with each sponsor and make sure you tell them how they can benefit from sponsoring you. Lastly, never forget to thank them for their support. You can definitely get creative with this.  

4. Be Organized

Staying organized will help you succeed in pageants. I am an avid checklist maker. I literally make lists for EVERYTHING; most especially with pageants. I make pageant checklists of everything from what wardrobe to bring to pageant fee deadlines to appearances/volunteer events I want to attend for the month. Staying organized is key to making a pageant girl less stressed. If you haven’t organized your all your pageant stuff into lists yet, I advise that you do so. I personally have all my checklists on my Mac book, which is great because iCloud syncs all of them to my phone and iPad as well. This is not the only way; I have seen others keep a planner to stay organized.  

5. Act the Part!

Many people say that being a pageant girl is more than just a hobby, it’s a job. With that said, what better way to prepare for nationals than to already act the part of the job? I’m sure you have heard the saying “She believed she could, so she did.” This mentality is one that every titleholder has in common. I believe that one major job responsibility that every pageant girl must fulfill is to give back and get involved. This will improve your people skills and will also give insight on what you want to do with your title if you win nationals. In the end, just keep in mind that you are what you believe you can be.

I hope that find this list of tips to be helpful for you at your next upcoming national pageant. Good luck to all of you!

Until next time,

Tricia

[prettyprimandpageants]

Let's Wear Change Together!

Photo Credit: The Shine Project

A few days ago, I came across an Instagram post of a beautiful stack of jewelry from one of my friends. As I read her post, she mentioned how she purchased the jewelry from The Shine Project. Being my curious self, I wanted to read more about this cause right after reading her brief description (Sophia if you're reading this, thank you once again!). After reading and researching plenty about The Shine Project, I knew right away that is was a cause I wanted to work with. For those of you that do not know, The Shine Project was founded by a phenomenal woman named, Ashley LeMieux. It has the mission of inspiring and motivating individuals to make the world a better place. The Shine Project has a non-profit scholarship program that assists at-risk teens and first generation college students with funds for their college expenses. The coolest part is that The Shine Project employs at-risk youth to create beautiful jewelry and in return, they are able to pay their way through school. 

I love nothing more than giving back to others. Pageantry has taught me many lessons in life, but the most important thing that I learned from pageantry is the importance of giving back and serving my time to others. I read a quote about a week or two ago that stated "A crown will not complete you, nor will it make you happy. It is simply part of the uniform of an elite group of people who are just trying to change the world one rhinestone at a time." I have no idea who actually wrote that quote, but it is one hundred percent true. As a title holder, there is nothing more rewarding than being a part of something much bigger than yourself and that is why I love engaging myself is volunteer work as well as supporting causes, organizations, and advocacies I believe in. The Shine Project supports a cause that is important and meaningful to me because I am also a first generation college student. Although everyone comes from all walks of life, I can still relate with all of the stress, discouragement, and struggles that these other first generation college students have to go through. I also understand all of the hard work it takes just to make a simple dream come true. With that said, I have decided to take upon the platform of empowering first generation college students in support of The Shine Project. 

Lastly, I want to thank my boyfriend, Chine, for ordering my birthday presents from The Shine Project. I am so excited to receive it in the mail! If you're looking for some awesome jewelry, customized bangles and motivational apparel, please check out their website. I promise you that you'll fall in love with the selections! Each purchase will go towards an amazing cause :)

Shine on,

Tricia

Additional Information:

Threads By: The Shine Project: http://theshineproject.storenvy.com

The Shine Project Blog By: Ashley LeMieux: http://www.myshineproject.com

Watch this to hear all about The Shine Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbsHKqvfVRQ

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Going Green with the Miss Earth Organization!

What an amazing experience it has been being involved with the Miss Earth Organization. For those of you that do not know, I started my journey with the Miss Philippines Earth (USA) 2014 pageant and continued on with the Miss Grand Earth 2014 pageants. Before I start rambling on about this eco-friendly pageant system, I would like to congratulate Andrea Neu (Miss Earth U.S.), Sara Platt (Miss Grand U.S.), Channelle Chacon (Miss U.S. United Continents), and the rest of the element title holders. You are all very deserving of your accomplishments and I wish you the best in the rest of your endeavors. Also, I would like to give a shout out to Miss Earth Border Cities, Janina. If you're reading this, I just wanted to let you know that you're awesome and I enjoyed your company during pageant weekend! Lastly, to Miss Earth U.S. 2013, Nicolle, it was so nice to meet you. I admire your beauty, grace, and intelligence. 

I will start by saying that pageant weekend was a blast! It was jam-packed with numerous of events and it was truly a weekend I will never forget. I will try my very best to break this down day by day because there is a ton to say about my experiences during this whole weekend. So what did my pageant weekend consist of?

Day 1, Friday: My Friday began with checking into the host hotel and going to registration/fittings right away. During fittings, I was able to meet some of the girls as well as try on my opening number dress, swim suit, heels, and official photo shoot shirt that was all provided by the pageant. I was very impressed with the quality of all the wardrobe that was provided to us. Huge thank you to our pageant sponsors for that! Right after fittings, I went to get my hair and make up done by the lovely Noemi Melendez and then went straight to the official photo shoot. Friday night, the girls and I went to Hollywood, CA for watch a T.V. shooting of abc family's Mystery Girls. This was a very exciting opportunity because I have never been to a T.V. show shooting before. It was awesome to see what actors have to do behind the scenes and that basically concluded my first day at pageant weekend.

Day 2, Saturday: For Saturday, the girls and I woke up bright and early for the Surfrider Beach Clean Up at Huntington Beach. I was surprised to see how much trash was lying around in the sand. I personally found plenty of cigarette buds and plastic at the beach. With that said, I was proud of all of us for picking up several pounds of trash in just a few hours. The day continued on with orientation, followed by the make up seminar lead by Noemi Melendez and her team as well as the cat walk seminar lead by the amazing founder of Runway4Life and the incredibly talented, Joey Galon. It was an honor to have these credible individuals share their expertise with all of us. I learned plenty of tricks to enhance both my make up skills as well as improve my evening gown and swimsuit walk a whole lot. The girls and I ended the day with a Quakes baseball game. It was an awesome experience being able to walk the field and contribute to some of the activities at the game. 

Day 3, Sunday: This day was coronation day. Since I was contestant number 1, I was up and ready very early in the morning and started my day with interview. The interview process was panel style and was very relaxed. The judges did an amazing job at making the contestants feel very comfortable and I truly appreciated that. Right after interview, I went back to hair and make up to have Noemi transform myself into being "pageant ready". Soon after, the girls and I departed to go to the pageant venue and we had tech rehearsals. This was probably my least favorite part of the entire pageant just because I feel as if it were rushed, but I understood because we were at a time crunch. Soon after rehearsals, we started the show. The show ran smoothly and I had a ton of fun being able to walk in opening number, swimsuit, and evening wear. The pageant also consisted of on stage questions for the top finalist, followed by the crowning of the new queens. 

If you're still reading this, props to you! Unfortunately I was not crowned, but I was honored to win the gold medal for having the best state representation for the "We Make Our Planet Beautiful" calendar photo. Thank you to the photographer, Edwin Padilla, for capturing the beautiful photo! Overall, my experience with the Miss Earth Organization has taught me so much about the importance of sustaining the environment and it also taught me plenty about myself. I am grateful to have grown as an individual being involved with this pageant system. Thank you to the National Director and my new pageant daddy, Evan Skow, I am forever grateful for the opportunity you gave me to represent my state. To my family and friends, I love you all and thank you for being my biggest supporters! This pageant system has opened so many doors for me and it holds a special place in my heart. I look forward to the rest of my year in reign and I can not wait to see who will be crowned next!

For more information on the Miss Grand Earth Pageants please visit: http://www.usearthpageant.com

[prettyprimandpageants]

Welcome to Pretty, Prim, and Pageants!

Hello all and welcome to my official pageant blog. I am so beyond ecstatic to share my pageant tips as well as showcase my experiences and opinions being involved in one of the biggest aspects of my life that helped shape me into who I am today, pageants.

A little long bio about me.. My name is Patricia Duenas, but most call me Tricia for short. I am currently a Sophomore Pre-Nursing student attending the University of Arizona and I have the ambition of becoming a Registered Nurse in the near future. I am not entirely sure on what I want to specialize in as a nurse just yet, but I am leaning towards Pediatrics. I come from a Filipino background and I am very proud to be Filipino-American. Many people always ask me how I got involved in pageantry and my simple answer is “I was born with it” For those of you that do not know, pageantry plays a huge role in Philippine culture and that is what introduced me to the world of pageantry. As for my pageant experience, I began my journey when I was 13 years old. I joined a pageant in San Diego that is annually held in celebration of Philippine Independence. I captured the title of Miss Teen Philippine Faire 2009. Right after, I took a break for a few years as I transitioned into High School. I joined National American Miss Arizona a few years later in 2013 and placed as a top 20 semifinalist and won top model third runner-up. From then on I was hooked and decided to further on my pageant career. I joined Miss Philippines Earth (USA) 2014, placing in the top 11 and I was also awarded best in national costume. Next, I joined the Miss Grand Earth United States Pageants and I am currently the reigning Miss Earth Arizona 2014. Through the Grand Earth US Pageant Nationals, I was also awarded the gold medal for being the best representative of my state in the “We make our planet beautiful” calendar. Additionally, I got involved with the Miss American Coed system in Arizona and I am honored to hold the current title of Miss Southwest American Coed 2014. Aside from competing, I have also judged pageants as well as train young ladies to present their absolute best on stage. When I am not engaged in pageantry and school, I thoroughly enjoy traveling, dancing, reading a good book, learning new things and watching my favorite sitcoms.

That is all for now, stay tuned for more to come! :)

Always with love,

Tricia