Name: Paxton Webster
Age: 20
Major: Communication Studies with a minor in Political Science
Year: Sophomore
Photo:[http://pageantpics.zenfolio.com/p978390290]
Paxton Webster, UNCW sophomore, was recently crowned Miss Wilmington 2015. Read on to learn more about her pageant life and what she hopes to accomplish through this journey!
HC: How long have you been competing in pageants?
PW: The Miss Wilmington pageant was my third… I started in my junior year of high school.
HC: Why did you decide to compete for Miss Wilmington?
PW: My mom did a pageant in college, which started me getting into pageants. I also work for a boutique called Isabella Grape and they encouraged me to. The more I learned, the more I wanted to do it because I am from this area and I wanted to promote Wilmington, as well as be it’s Ambassador and represent them at the Miss North Carolina Pageant.
HC: What did you do to prepare?
PW: Well, I started taking tap lessons in September in Kenston for my talent portion. I also started dieting, going to gym twice a day, and practiced interview question with two coaches, as well as watched the news every morning to be up to date on current events.
HC: What is your platform?
PW: Inspiration and Celebration through Women of Hope – a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping women with all types of cancer.
HR: How did you get involved with Women of Hope?
PW: I started working with Women of Hope four years ago. My family is good friends with the family who started the organization five years ago; their daughter was diagnosed with cancer and they were inspired to create this organization. They asked me to be the face of Rock the Prom, a prom fashion show that benefits the organization. From there I went to luncheons, birthday parties, and created celebration cards for women who have finished their chemo and radiation treatments.
HC: Can you explain the process of the Miss Wilmington pageant?
PW: Before the Pageant starts, there is a ten minute interview with judges that can be based off your application essay, but isn’t always.
Over the course of the week long competition there are the…
- Opening number portion where you introduce yourself, your platform and your contestant number,
- Lifestyle and Fitness portion, which is the swimsuit section,
- Talent portion that is a minute and a half,
- An on-stage questionnaire,
- And the evening gown part.
HC: What are some things you plan to do as miss Wilmington?
PW: I plan to raise awareness and promote Inspiration and Celebration through Women of Hope not only in Wilmington itself, but also into all 100 counties of NC. If become Miss NC, I’d like to take the campaign nationally. I would also like to promote the Miss Wilmington pageant for being scholarship based.
HC: So you’re definitely competing for the Miss North Carolina title?
PW: Yes, I compete alongside 36 other contestants in June.
HC: What is your favorite part of being involved with the Miss American organization?
PW: What’s so different about it is that it is scholarship and service based. I love that it pushes you to be best person you can be.
HC: Has it been hard to balance college life with all the recent life changes as Miss Wilmington?
PW: In high school I was always active and involved with clubs and sport, so I have good time management skills. I maintain my GPA while having a job and my Miss Wilmington duties, so I feel like I prepared myself for this.
HC: You sound super busy…. If you had a free day all to yourself what would you do?
PW: I would go home and go out on my boat with my parents and relax on an island with my dogs listening to some Zac Brown Band.
HC: Sounds like a perfect and relaxing day to me.