When people read the words "beauty pageant," many different images come to mind. For some, beauty pageants conjure images of beautiful women who are justly awarded for their incredible smarts, great people skills and promise of unwavering leadership. For others, beauty pageants are thought of as degrading to all females, not just to the women who compete in them.
For Catherine Kim, a fourth-year College student, the words "beauty pageant" have a whole new meaning. About three weeks ago, the psychology major accepted the honor of being named the inaugural Miss Virginia for the Miss United States Pageant.
This pageant, which began in 1957, has become increasingly popular, and this will be the first year someone will represent the state of Virginia. In July, 50 women representing every state will travel to Las Vegas to compete for the title of Miss United States.
But don't be fooled. Kim does not regularly compete in pageants. In fact, this is her first pageant ever.
"I can't even believe I'm doing this," Kim said. "My friends always make me qualify myself when I tell them I am in a pageant because they never thought I did pageants. So I always have to tell them that they're right, I've never done pageants in the past. Then I tell them the whole story."
Kim said her election to be Miss Virginia caught her completely by surprise. Having never even thought of competing in pageants in the past, she decided to enter the pageant on a whim.
"During the interviews, I actually caught pneumonia from rush, so my headshot was handed to the pageant's executive producer," Kim said. "Then, late one night, I received a random call from the executive producer telling me he was interested in me. So we set up a meeting when he could interview me, and it went really well. In a sense, this great opportunity just fell in my lap."
But what is it about Kim that made her an attractive candidate? Was it her stunning looks? Or was it her poised, confident composure that helped her land the position? These are questions that even Kim cannot definitively answer, but she thinks she knows what gave her the edge above the other women who competed for the title of Miss Virginia.
"The committee wanted to pick someone who they thought would be right for their state," Kim said. "They didn't want fake girls saying they want world peace. So, when I asked them why they picked me, they said they wanted someone who was serious about the title and realized that I answered their questions genuinely. At the national pageant, I will not prepare answers to questions I think they might ask. Instead, I will genuinely answer any question they ask me."
Some argue that beauty pageants are degrading to women. The swimsuit rounds, where the contestants walk down the stage in tiny bathing suits and high heels, are particularly controversial. But Kim, a novice when it comes to pageants, has not formed an opinion about them.
"To be quite honest, I don't know how I feel about pageants," Kim said. "I'm kind of torn on what to think. On one hand, there's that girly girl side of me who loves to look at pageants and see beautiful, poised women. But there's another side of me who thinks pageants can be a bit degrading."
Kim does believe, however, that entering the pageant is the only way she will ever be able to make up her mind about them.
"I accepted the opportunity to be in the pageant so that I can form an opinion about them," Kim said. "The only way you can form an opinion about something is to experience it yourself. You simply can't base your opinions on what others tell you."
In the meantime, Kim is busy preparing and soaking up the limelight. On Friday, she gave a simultaneous interview with CBS and ABC and is busy preparing for all of the events and ceremonies that will soon take place.
"As Miss Virginia, I will be involved with a lot of publicity," Kim said. "I will also crown Miss Teen Virginia and Miss Junior Teen in May. I will soon have to pick a platform and an issue I want to concentrate on, which will be hard because I am currently torn between seven or eight things."
One of the more exciting events that Kim has yet to face is her official crowning. Although she has recently been appointed as Miss Virginia, the ceremony will seal the deal.
"My official crowning will take place on Saturday, April 8, in Richmond," Kim said. "The mayor of Richmond will be crowning me and the ceremony will solidify I am Miss Virginia. I will celebrate with friends and family on April 13 at the downtown mall."
Between traveling, makeup and dresses, the price of the entire occasion could become quite high. This dilemma was easily overcome -- the contestants' costs are covered.
"Along with many other fourth years who will soon face the fact that they will need an actual job, I often struggle trying to figure out how I am going to pay for things," Kim said. "So I was so surprised to find out that they will pay for everything -- entrance fees, airfare, hotels, dresses and everything else. Basically, the whole thing will be free for me. It's great!"
Beyond all the fun, exciting times that Kim said she is looking forward to, the opportunity of being Miss Virginia and possibly Miss United States, serves as an essential stepping stone to her future.
"I've decided I want to pursue an acting career," Kim said. "This is something I have had to grapple with because there is a practical side of me that said, 'I should have just gone to Comm. School.' But then there's another side of me that just loves being on stage. This pageant will give me a great opportunity to explore that side and get myself out there."
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