Cyara Heredia was crowned Miss Teen Kansas 2020 in Lawrence recently.
The sophomore will now advance to the Miss Teen USA 2020 competition in the spring.
A pageant veteran — she has won titles in the Miss Kansas Jr. High and Collegiate America Pageant — Heredia received a $2,500 cash award and other many prizes as reigning Miss Teen Kansas.
How did you prepare for Miss Kansas Teen USA? I worked extremely hard by going on strict diets and training at the gym. I also worked on being more calm during my interviews. All the hard work paid off because now I am the new Miss Kansas Teen USA.
Danika is an 18 year old college freshman who has held a 4.0 GPA her entire academic career. Academics are important to Danika which is why she is frequently on the honor roll list and has even won the Voice of Democracy award.
She is studying business and marketing to become the Chief Executive of her clothing line that is all made in the USA. Danika wants to help women feel beautiful in what they are wearing because fashion is an artistry and she believes it is a creative outlet of expression.
After Danika was cyber bullied she has since created a movement near to her heart called #MeaningfulMedia. Danika knows her generation is a big contributor to social media which is why she wants to educate her peers on how to utilize social media for one’s greater good while also making a positive impact on others lives. Being six feet tall Danika was often picked on for her physical attributes. During her reign she wants to stress the importance that beauty is truly found from within.
Danika also loves spending time with her family, cuddling with her 80 lb weimaraner, and making baked goods to satisfy her sweet tooth.
Becoming Miss Oklahoma Teen USA is a goal Danika has been pursuing for four years and she is filled with joy to finally represent Oklahoma and inspire people all over the great Sooner State. Danika is more than ready to educate others on how to achieve #MeaningfulMedia and encourage others to live “Confidently Beautiful.”
Anna Claire Hay is a Junior at Shiloh Christian High School where she is jumpstarting her collegiate career with concurrent college courses. She is on track to graduate with enough college hours to qualify as a Sophomore. Anna Claire is a member of Shiloh’s competitive and sideline cheer, track, and trap teams. She is an active member of Chick-Fil-A’s Leadership Academy and the City of Springdale’s Youth Council Board. After high school, she plans to attend the University of Arkansas to study pre-med and eventually become a physician.
Anna Claire has taken on a personal mission of leadership and volunteerism through a non-profit she founded, Teens with Integrity. She has dedicated thousands of hours to personally volunteering in her community as well as connecting others to volunteer opportunities. It is her belief that empowering teens and young adults to become effective leaders and active community members can cause a ripple effect of positivity. She took her initiative to the Nation’s capital, meeting with Arkansas Senator’s John Boozman and Tom Cotton to gain support and spread awareness. Anna Claire’s favorite place to volunteer is with the senior citizen’s in her community.
Anna Claire was a recipient of one of the Nation’s top honors for her volunteerism by being named Arkansas’s Top Youth Volunteer of Year in 2019 by Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. She represented Arkansas in Washington D.C. at the national conference among other teens from all 50 states as well as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Ireland, India and Brazil. In addition, she has been named a three-time gold medalist by President Trump for her volunteerism and work with the youth in her community.
Anna Claire has self-authored a children’s book that is currently being published and will be distributed to elementary schools across the state of Arkansas. The book is based on a true story inspired by her brother that addresses bullying and promotes inclusion.
Anna Claire describes herself as kind, consistent, committed, and compassionate to others. She lives by a motto of God first, other’s second and herself third. Anna Claire loves deeply and enjoys time with friends and family, especially lazy Saturday’s with her best friend and sidekick: her Goldendoodle service dog named Snickers. She loves hunting with her dad, running, skiing, knee boarding, and many other outdoor activities.
Anna Claire is an avid traveler and lover of the arts. Her favorite trips include New York City, where she loves going to Broadway shows such as Cats and The Lion King. Orlando is another favorite, she loves the adrenaline of roller coasters and the taste of Butterbeer at Harry Potter World.
She values her family as her biggest support system and is thankful for their unwavering support in all her endeavors. She’s learned in recent years that family isn’t just someone who shares the same last name as you, but is someone in your life that cares about your well-being and happiness more than anything. Anna Claire definitely keeps her family on their toes with her crazy schedule, plethora of activities, undying energy, and funny personality.
Anna Claire emphasizes the importance of living life with a positive attitude, displaying exemplary character, showing the importance of loving those around you, and being comfortable and confident with who you are. During her reign, she hopes to share that bliss every opportunity she gets, and encourage others around her to live boldly, warmly, and bravely. Anna Claire plans to continue to volunteer and expand her political involvement to a national level.
Anna Claire is honored to represent her home state of Arkansas and feels so blessed to work with Vanbros this year. She is confident in her ability to serve the state and will do everything in her ability to make Arkansas proud.
On December 1, 2019, Holly McDowell joined the Miss Missouri Teen USA sisterhood and proudly became a Vanbros girl. Holly is a fresh face in the world of pageantry, and she is honored to join this amazing group. Determined to keep up with her two athletic older brothers, Holly loved competing at an early age. Sports have always been a part of her family life, and they set the stage for Holly’s love of competition. Her favorite sports are snow skiing, swimming, volleyball, and softball. She also loves modeling.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Holly now resides in Lee’s Summit, MO, with her parents Timothy and Marcy McDowell, and her brothers Jacob (22) and Paul (19). Holly’s brothers are her number one fans.
Holly loves to travel, allowing Holly to pursue her favorite pastime - scuba diving. She is advanced certified, and she plans to become a divemaster when she turns eighteen. Holly has logged many dives in the Caribbean and the Hawaiian Islands. Her most memorable dive was at night with giant reef manta rays, an experience that was truly incredible. In her future, Holly hopes to use this special talent and hobby to advocate for keeping our oceans clean.
Holly is no stranger to hard work. During the spring, summer and fall she works alongside her brother Paul running their lawn mowing business. In her hometown community of Lee’s Summit, she and her brother service over thirty yards per week. With a passion to work hard and help others, Holly is excited to spend as much time as possible using her title to support communities such as hers in the beautiful state of Missouri. She especially plans to visit local animal shelters, charities, and children’s hospitals.
In July 2019, Holly had the opportunity to go and serve on a mission’s trip with the student ministry team at her church. In Harmons, Jamaica the focus of the week was to build a house for a single mother and her family. The work was very physical and strenuous in extremely hot and humid conditions. Holly was eager to learn and willing to get physical, sweaty and dirty to get the job done! Along with the building project, the team was also able to visit a Salvation Army children’s home where Holly was able to visit with kids of all ages, visit an Infirmary with elderly and severely handicapped adults just wanting companionship, a hand to hold, and scripture read to them! Where most teens and even adults would have been very apprehensive, Holly stepped right in, without hesitation to visit with and to “love on” residents.
After recently losing three of her grandparents, Holly is passionate about advocating for cures for Alzheimer’s and women’s heart disease. Suicide prevention is also near to Holly’s heart. Losing an aunt and an uncle (that Holly never got to meet) to suicide, she wants to spread the word about mental health issues and let others know that getting help for depression and anxiety is important.
After high school, Holly plans to attend college to pursue a hospitality management degree and become a wedding planner. Since attending and participating in many weddings, she knows how important a couple’s dream day is to them. By sharing her skills in organization, management, and genuine love for others, she hopes to help many more couples achieve the beauty and memory of this important day.
Most of all, Holly wants to make a difference in the lives of others! She wants to put God first in all that she does and give Him all the glory. Her life verse is Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” This verse is the inspiration for Holly’s pursuit of Miss Teen USA, and she invites you to join her on this road. You can follow Holly’s journey on Instagram @missmoteenusa and on Facebook at Miss Missouri Teen USA.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, I had the chance to spend some time with Miss Teen USA 2016 - Karlie Hay at the Miss Texas Teen USA 2017 pageant and interview her for the first time in months.
We had a real honest chat about how her year has been, her goal as Miss Teen USA, about being a role model, and what she has learned about herself.
Read for yourself what Karlie Hay has to say -- in her own words -- in this exclusive interview for thePageantGuy.com.
-Will the Pageant Guy
[dt_divider style="wide"/]
Walk me through a typical day in the life of Miss Teen USA when you are doing official pageant duties.
Well, when it is a day full of official duties, I normally wake up pretty early because I like to be on time. So I'll wake up, I'll eat breakfast, drink a cup of coffee, and get ready for the day. I try to arrive 10 minutes early for everything. For example, I have worked a lot with our MUO digital team to create new and exciting content that we can share with our fans. You may have seen my reoccurring fitness videos which I have really enjoyed being a part of because a healthy lifestyle is very important to me. Whatever I'm doing, I do it the best that I can. After the day is through, I always make sure to reflect on the memories made.
Miss Teen USA 2016 - Karlie Hay speaking to the Miss Texas Teen USA 2017 contestants
And what's a typical day like when you are not doing official pageant duties?
Typical day in the life of Karlie would be normally waking up around 9 or 10am when I'm not doing an official pageant duty. Eat a healthy breakfast, go to the gym, and do my online school work. If I have time I like to go up to the library too. My college is about 5 minutes from my house, so I use the libraries resources to study. I'm volunteering throughout the week at Star of Hope which is a shelter the homeless that provides resources and structured programs for those in need.
How has being Miss Teen USA different from what your expectations of it were before winning?
Well, I think I have overcome obstacles that other titleholders may not have had to tackle right away. But I've used these experiences to push forward and focus on what I want to prioritize this year and that is giving back to my community. It's not all glamorous and red carpet events, it's actually been a humbling experience for me to give my time to something I care about.
Tell me about spending time with your sister titleholders, Pia and Deshauna?
It has been a ton of fun and I am thankful to go through my year with them. This weekend Deshauna and I got to share Thanksgiving with Pia since, of course, she doesn't celebrate the holiday in the Philippines. We all talked about what we are thankful for and also shared some of our favorite traditions and memories. The last time I was here (in New York), Pia, Deshauna and I had a couple of movie nights, we love those. Deshauna and I were also just traveling in Miami together to support Best Buddies. We also had some down time at the beach and the pool which I can't complain about!
"I want to set an example for young girls and boys and live by that example..."
Miss Teen USA 2016 - Karlie Hay with Miss Teen USA 2016 - Karlie Hay
Give me some interesting insight about being Miss Teen USA...some things that people may not know?
Miss Teen USA is a job. Whether I have the crown or sash on, at all times I am Miss Teen USA. I am very proud of this accomplishment. I have a title to uphold and I have responsibilities to a lot of people, that's very humbling. I feel very empowered knowing that I have such a big job this year. Some people may think that when you're wearing the crown and sash is when you are Miss Teen USA. No, I am Karlie Hay, Miss Teen USA 24/7. Who I am with my crown and sash on, is the same person I am with it off.
What is your number one goal as Miss Teen USA?
To inspire others to give back and make an impact no matter how big or small. Especially our teenagers, I know we sometimes get caught up with the various things going on around us. It's important to remember that they are others who aren't as fortunate. For me, being able to go out and give back to others is an incredible feeling.
Being Miss Teen USA puts you in a position of being a role model for teenagers. How do you handle that responsibility and is it tough?
I was Miss Texas Teen USA before I became Miss Teen USA so I felt the need to be a role model then just as much as I do now. I don't ever want to slack off because people are looking up to me. I want to set an example for young girls and boys and live by that example as well. That's why I study hard and try to do everything that I can to help my community. All while incorporating my goofy personality and being as nice as possible to everyone that I have the opportunity to meet. I'm sure you probably heard this, but I live by the motto "be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody." So, I try to make everyone I meet feel special in some way.
"I have learned that with every obstacle there’s a lesson to be learned. We can gain strength from it."
If you could give one piece of advice to all the teenage girls and guys, what would it be?
That's hard. I like giving advice, but that's a big one. Just one piece? I would say, stay true to yourself. My final answer at Miss Teen USA is all about peer pressure because I feel that's the biggest problem teenagers face - the pressure to be like your friends, and to fit in with society, and act a certain way, dress a certain way. But I think it's so important to remember who you are and how you were raised and be true to that. Be true to who you are, what you like and how you feel. Just stay true to yourself, it's important.
So how has competing in pageants shaped you to be the person you are today?
Well, I think before pageants I was a little lost and I didn't really know who I wanted to be. I was a follower in high school and I think that pageants have shown me that my words are powerful and impactful, and I can be a leader. That's something this title gives you, leadership. When I started competing two years ago, I fell in love with the pageant system and I decided from that point forward, I wanted to push myself to be better and better and better. And I think that helped shape me into the best version of myself.
So, in the few months that you’ve been Miss Teen USA, what have you learned about yourself, if anything?
I have learned that with every obstacle there's something to be learned. We can gain strength from it. I have definitely grown over the past couple of months. And especially through my service at the Star of Hope shelter it's been such a humbling experience. Giving back to my community has shown me a whole different side of the Houston area, a whole different crop of people that I never thought that I could have interacted with or become close with. Now, I look forward to going seeing the same faces every week. Being able to just put a smile on their face and giving back has become so important to me.
"I want to make people laugh and smile and get to know me as Karlie. I want people to like me for who I truly am."
After your time is up being Miss Teen USA, what’s the next thing you want to accomplish?
Well, I want to go to Texas A&M University and get my degree, but I will always continue giving back to my community. The goal would be to pursue a career that I am passionate about, I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do. Whether its business, or modeling, or something where I could couple the both, but I do want to continue to with community service efforts.
Miss Teen USA 2016 - Karlie Hay co-hosting at the Miss Texas Teen USA 2017 pageant with Miss Texas USA 2017
Enough with the pageant questions and on to some fun questions. Tell me what’s on your playlist? Like what are you jammin to right now?
You know the Bohemian Rhapsody song, it's really old? There's a Panic! At the Disco remix and it was in the movie Suicide Squad. Every time I’m in the car I jam out to Bohemian Rhapsody. It doesn’t get old, I just keep singing it. It gets stuck in my head.
Do you have a pet? Do you like like animals? What’s your story with that?
Okay, I obsessed with all animals. I have an Australian shepherd, but I have dreamed and begged my dad for a couple of years now to get me a mini micro pig – a piglet. I have already picked out a name for it. I want its name to be Jodi. Yes, a piglet, is on my wish list is for a pet, but I would be happy with any type of non-traditional pets. I'm obsessed with koala bears, I have two koala bear stuffed animals – one that I bring with me to New York all the time. Monkeys, I love monkeys. I could go on and on and on about animals, but piglets are something that I see in my future. I need a piglet.
If I asked you to take me the best restaurant that your hometown in Texas has to offer where would you take me and what dish would you suggest?
If you came to my hometown of Tomball, I will take you to Mel's. It's a little town café where they have tons of comfort foods, it's all so good. Some of my favorites are fried steak fingers and mashed potatoes. And it's the best home cooked, country food. And they have desserts and all kinds including pies, cakes and ice cream. It's dangerous to go in there because you are going to want to everything. I'll take you there if you came to Tomball, it's a very traditional, local popular place.
On whatever dish that you eat, what type of condiments do you like to put on your food?
I do not like any condiments except for ranch and barbecue sauce. I really don't care for ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise, and I will not eat anything that it comes with it. So it's just ranch and barbecue sauce for me. I'm very specific. I like chicken with barbecue sauce and French fries with ranch. Oh and pizza with ranch. Ranch on everything!
"...the key to my success was just being myself and letting my personality show."
Miss Teen USA 2016 - Karlie Hay just being herself 🙂
So, you competed in Texas, with a hundred girls every year at Miss Texas Teen USA. So what's your best pageant tip or trick of the trade that you've used or seen that you can pass along to girls in pageant land?
Beauty tip number one - Vaseline is your best friend. Vaseline is versatile and I use it to remove all my makeup, works like a charm. The second pageant tip is to relax and be comfortable on stage. When I first started competing, I was so nervous that my family told me that I did not look like I was enjoying myself – I looked scared, my lips were shaking, my legs were shaking... I had to be more confident. I think this is probably when I got the most compliments, after Texas Teen USA and Miss Teen USA, people told me that I looked comfortable on stage.
I agree that once you were more comfortable with being you, being goofy Karlie, that’s when you stood out to me.
Thank you. Yes, I had to learn to let my personality show and not be what some may think is a stereotypical pageant girl. I wanted to talk in my own voice and really have a conversation with the judges whether it be on stage or at the interview table. I wanted to be normal "me", I didn't want to sound forced or rehearsed. I wanted my thoughts to come from my heart and be genuine. I definitely think that the key to my success was just being myself and letting my personality show.
Last question. If there’s one message that you would like everyone to hear so people can know who you are as a person, what would that message be?
I strive every day to be someone who makes everyone feel like they are somebody. I want everyone who meets me to feel good about themselves. Through my own personal growth, I have become comfortable and confident in my own skin and I want to encourage others to feel the same. I want to make people laugh and smile and get to know me as Karlie. I want people to like me for who I truly am.
(photos courtesy of the Miss Universe Organization and Zac Grimaldo)
This past weekend I had the opportunity to watch 113 beautiful Texas ladies compete for the coveted title of Miss Texas Teen USA 2017.
Winning this year’s Miss Texas Teen USA 2017 crown is Kirby Lindley (Dallas). I've been lucky to have a front-row seat to Kirby's preparation for this pageant and thrilled to see Kirby compete alongside 50 other young ladies from across the country for the title of Miss Teen USA 2017. Watch Kirby’s crowning moment below!
Video by Zac Grimaldo/PixelBroom Studios. Photo by Miss Texas USA/The Crystal Group.
