Miss Congeniality

One phone call was all it took; one phone call that would change my life forever. The day I called Janet to enter as a contestant into the Peach Queen Competition was a call of great importance. After relaying all my information to her, my phone number, address, date of birth, etc, I was in.

This competition, a part of the Kiwanis Peach Festival, was held in Lewiston, New York, one of my favorite places in the whole world. I’ve gone to the fest since I was old enough to walk. Just thinking about the smell of all the delicious food, the feel of the hay under my feet, and seeing all the fun rides gives me an incredibly happy feeling.

On a hot and sunny late July, 2008 day, I met all the other Peach Queen contestants at a gorgeous house right on Lake Ontario. At first, everyone said awkward hello’s and nice-to-meet-you’s, but soon we warmed up to each other and started having fun conversations. I was sort of an outsider since I was only one of the few girls who hadn’t come from Lewiston Porter High School. So, right from the get-go I was already a leg down in the competition. Wonderful. However, I didn’t let it bother me and kept talking, being my usual cheerful and energetic self.

Soon, we met the judges along with the coordinators of the competition. From the coordinators, I was told that we were to learn a dance, strut our stuff in a fashion show, and write up a platform on something that we were passionate about. All of these things were to be recited in front of the judges, our parents, and everyone who was watching us on LCTV, the local TV station. After this speech, feeling a tad overwhelmed, we all gave hugs goodbye, knowing we’d see each other soon.

Over the next month and a half, we twenty contestants came together with our peach colored shirts, white shorts and sneakers, and became involved in different exciting activities. One day in early August, we had a picnic and softball game with the judges where we showed off our skills, or lack thereof. On another day, we had a Mary Kay makeup party where we learned which color eyeshadow went with what colored eye, how to apply mascara, and much more. During this whole time, us girls got to know each other well. Not a second went by when we weren’t smiling.

By the end of August, after a month of dance practices two days a week, I found myself fitting right in with all those LP girls, and they really seemed to really like me! With the competition only a short week away, we were all getting excited, nervous, and giddy. Before that fateful day came, we had to meet with the judges one at a time in an interview fashion. After searching for hours on Youtube for quick tips on how to impress judges, the time I had been dreading arrived.

When my name was called to come into the room full of the eight judges, I could feel my heart beating in my ears. The door slowly squeaked open and I could feel the judges’ eyes gazing into my soul. I acted like myself, but the nerves were not easy to hide. The questions they asked weren’t anything to difficult to answer, but what did they want to hear? Hopefully what I was telling them was good enough. I breathed a sigh of relief as I walked out of the room to drive home. Thank God that was over. Next step? Write my platform and perfect my dance; two daunting but doable tasks.

September was the first of two days of competition. On this rainy, miserable Saturday morning, all of us “queenies” were to walk in the huge annual Peach Festival Parade. In order to do so, we had to walk under umbrellas while throwing candy… too bad I didn’t have four arms to do so.

Later that night the competition started. We shared our platforms, walked in the fashion show, and performed our well-rehearsed dance in front of a live audience. After that was through and the judging was over, we were cheered off stage. It was the end of day one.

Day two consisted of getting my hair done in an up-do, putting on a gorgeous peach colored dress, and standing there onstage smiling until my face was numb. This was the day all of us were waiting for: who would be named the next Peach Queen? The emcee called the top four girls’ names very slowly. Holding each other’s hands firmly, we all held our breaths as he called the last name. The name wasn’t Kayla O’Keefe. I was devastated.

The emcee switched gears, however, and decided to name Miss Congeniality. This award was given to the girl who was the most pleasant because of her personality, and was based on the overall consensus of the girls. He called the name… Kayla O’Keefe! It was me! Miss congeniality. I was thrilled.

This competition was the best thing I’ve done so far in life. I made many friends of whom I am still in contact with today. This experience changed my life. The self-confidence I gained helped me deal with transitioning into college. I will never forget that amazing summer where I learned how to fit in, interview with judges, and gain an overall different perspective of life. It all started with a phone call.