Magazine Madness

I was featured in Saint Charles Magazine’s Winter 2009 issue along with Mrs. America 2010, Andrea Robertson, which hit newsstands on December 1.  If you’re not from the St. Charles area and didn’t get a chance to pick up a copy of your own, I hope you enjoy our article below!

Crowned Jewels of St. Charles County

We must be doing something right in the area, because we have the distinct honor of being home to both Mrs. America 2010, Andrea Robertson, and Miss Missouri 2009, Tara Osseck.  If the first thing that comes to mind when you hear ‘pageant’ is overly made up little girls with pushy stage mothers, be prepared to change your way of thinking.  Last year alone, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance – the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women – making the pageant system a very viable option when it comes to funding a college education.  While the Miss America program exists to provide personal and professional opportunities for young women to promote their voices in culture, politics, and the community, the Mrs. America pageant is the foremost competition for married women, devoted to emphasizing that America’s 70 million married women are extraordinarily beautiful, poised, articulate, and versatile.

Saint Charles Magazine recently had a question and answer session with these two talented, passionate women, and here’s what they had to say:

When did you earn your current title, and what is your next competition?

Miss Missouri:  I was crowned Miss Missouri on June 6, 2009, and leave for the Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas on January 21.  After three nights of preliminary competition, Miss America 2010 will be crowned live on TLC on January 30.

Mrs. America:  I was crowned Mrs. Missouri in March 2009 and Mrs. America in September 2009.  The competition for Mrs. World is currently underway and will be decided November 22^nd in Vietnam.

What charities are closest to your heart and why?

Miss Missouri:  As Miss Missouri, I serve as the state’s goodwill ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network.  This charity is important to me, not only because it is the national platform of Miss America, but because I spent the last year working in a children’s hospital and am working toward a career as a pediatric hospital administrator.  On a daily basis, I witnessed how CMN provided care and changed the lives of patients and their families.

The other charity I actively advocate for is the National Eating Disorders Association.  I became involved with this organization after my college roommate struggled with a severe eating disorder for two years, and I realized how little knowledge the general public has on eating disorders.  With my background as a health educator, I have been able to reach thousands of students to educate them on developing a healthy body image and proper health practices to prevent this disease from escalating further.

Mrs. America:  I am an ambassador for the Women’s Sports Foundation and a board member for the St. Charles chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  I also hold a special place in my heart for the Open Arms Adoption Ministry at my church.

What impact do you think pageants have on the self-esteem of young girls?

Miss Missouri:  In the right environment, pageants can do wonders for a young girl’s self esteem.  Pageants provide a forum for girls to develop social skills, public speaking skills, performance opportunities, and poise.  The most common misconception of child pageants is that behind every girl is a ‘stage mom’ pressuring her to win – but this is the exception, not the rule.  Most parents provide a healthy environment for their daughters to learn the value of competition and develop character, just as the parents of children on sports teams do.

Mrs. America:  I will say that in judging the pageants that I have been a part of, it is amazing to see how well prepared and intelligent those young girls are.  It is interesting because they are called beauty pageants but the scoring is typically 50 percent interview.

What other activities are you involved in?

Miss Missouri:  I started dancing competitively at age three, so I’m happy to still have opportunities to perform my talent.  I also volunteer at McCallum Place, which is an eating disorders treatment center in St. Louis, in partnership with my personal platform, “Education and Prevention of Eating Disorders.”  But prior to being named Miss Missouri, most of my time was spent as a graduate student at the University of Memphis, working on my Master’s in Health Administration, and working as an Administrative Resident at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee.  I had to take a year off from both, as being Miss Missouri is a full-time job, but I am planning on returning to complete my degree next year.

Mrs. America:  I am a competitive triathlete, and a member of the St. Louis Triathlon Club and TriSmart USA triathlon team.  I actually just qualified for Team USA to compete at the World Championships in Budapest Hungary in 2010.  I LOVE coaching my daughter’s soccer team and helping coach her and my son’s basketball team with my husband.

What are the best and worst things about this kind of competition?

Miss Missouri:  The best part of competing in a pageant is the personal and professional opportunities gained from the experience, win or lose.  The most difficult part of pageants, as in any sport or activity, is maintaining a healthy, competitive edge mentally.

Mrs. America:  I love to be challenged and Mrs. America was one of the greatest challenges I have ever taken on.  I think the time it takes to prepare s a bit of a challenge, but in the end it is definitely worth it!

Do you have anything else you would like to add?

Miss Missouri:  I would like to thank the Miss Missouri Organization for the opportunity to visit schools and speak with students from kindergarten through college.  It’s the part of the title that I enjoy the most.

Mrs. America:  I would like to thank local business owner Jennifer Bonacorsi from U Design Jewelry for sponsoring me and supplying all of the jewelry to coordinate with my competition wardrobe.  Also, I would like to thank everyone for their well wishes as I represent our country in Vietnam.

I was also featured in two other magazines this month – Streetscape Magazine in an article about health, nutrition, and fitness and Missouri Life Magazine featuring my famous gooey butter cookie recipe!  Hope you get a chance to check all the articles out this month!

Best wishes,

Tara

Advertisement

---