Newtown Teen Crowned Miss Connecticut Teen 2010

By Eliza Hallabeck

As she prepares herself for June, when she will face teens from around the country in competition, Newtown High School junior Paige Olson will also be doing community service work with the Newtown Lions Club as the recently chosen Miss Connecticut Teen 2010 in the Princess America pageants.

Paige has been competing in pageants for the past three years, and said this week that her work at the June competition, along with competing, will include supporting Miss Connecticut 2010 Christine Fura of Windsor Locks.

“We’ve been working together for a few months now,” said Paige, who explained she was recommended by Ms Fura to be Miss Connecticut Teen 2010. The Miss USA Teen pageant is a derivative of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, according to Paige.

Paige said she has learned a number of things since starting her pageant career, and remembers when it started.

“It originally started as a letter I received from the Miss USA pageant,” said Paige.

Her father, Paige said, jokingly told her she was not pretty enough to compete. “He meant it with good heart,” Paige explained.

Paige took her father’s response as a dare, and answered by competing.

“When my friends heard, they laughed,” she said, “because they couldn’t see me walking around in a bikini on stage.”

Since her first pageant, Paige said she has learned a number of things, one of which is never to use a spray-on tan, she joked.

At first, she was afraid to speak in front of people and on stage, but that has changed.

“I learned to be proud,” she said, “and I have more confidence in myself than I have ever had before.”

On Thursday, April 15, Paige planned to speak at a Newtown Lions Club meeting.

“And I couldn’t have done that a few years ago if I didn’t do pageants,” she said. “So that’s one way to prove I got over my fear of public speaking.”

Paige also plans on working with the Newtown Lions Club over the next year doing community service work as a Princess America representative.

“I really want to inspire people to get involved,” said Paige, “and I am working with the Lions because I am a Leo Club member at this school. I have always been inspired by the work the Lions do in town.”

By the June pageant competition, Paige said she needs to be prepared to speak to six judges while being videoed. The competition will also include visiting children’s hospitals in the Orlando, Fla., area.

Her fellow competitors in pageants have been the biggest surprise in her pageant career, she said.

“I’m just surprised by the girls I have met,” Paige said. “I was one of those girls that looked down on pageant girls as impractical.”

Pageants have helped Paige meet some of the most impressive girls, she said, and one competitor became her friend a few years ago. The two attend each other’s competitions and support each other as they move along in the pageants.

“They are all well-spoken, intelligent, beautiful girls,” said Paige.

The scene backstage at pageants does not include name-calling and other negative assumptions regarding pageant competitions, Paige said. Behind the scenes, the girls are helping each other with their makeup, and making them feel better by telling each other how beautiful they look.

“The pageant world is not as dark as people assume,” Paige said.

Paige also said she is looking forward to what the next year brings her as being Miss Connecticut Teen 2010.

“I hope people can see the good work I am trying to do, and will support me,” said Paige.