Photograph courtesy of Sarah Curry
Crowning Touch: Willow Glen resident Sarah Curry gets crowned Miss San Francisco Cities by Miss San Mateo USA Stacey Kay, of Danville, during the Teen USA Pageant at Hillsdale College in San Francisco last Nov. 17, 2000.
WG resident to compete for Miss California Teen title
By Melissa Matchak
There are many reasons young women participate in beauty pageants--for fun, for recognition, for money or for the thrill of competition.
But for Willow Glen resident Sarah Curry, competing in beauty pageants is a fun way to meet people and get her name and face in the public's mind.
Curry, 17, hopes to one day be a broadcast journalist, and believes pageants are a good stepping stone. Most recently, Curry won the title of Miss San Francisco Cities Teen USA, after competing with 18 delegates from around the Bay Area in November.
In September, Curry will go to Fresno to compete for the title of Miss California Teen. She hopes to win that title and move on to compete in the nationally televised Miss Teen USA competition, in which 70 girls will compete for the title.
Curry began competing three years ago after the older sister of one of her friends, who was competing, suggested she try it.
"It's something fun to do, and it's a good way to meet new people," Curry said. "I like the competition."
Curry also holds the Miss Emerald Beauty title, which she won in San Ramon, and will move on to the national competition in Las Vegas at the end of July. She also placed in the top 10 in the Miss Northern California title, competing against 67 girls. Curry has also participated in pageants in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Vacaville.
There are three parts to the pageant: An interview, an evening gown competition and a swim suit competition. Curry said the scariest part is the on-stage interview, which the girls in the top-five and top-three groups must undergo. All the contestants go through a sit-down interview with several judges, answering questions about themselves and current events.
The winner of each pageant is awarded a savings bond, a crown and a banner, along with gift baskets of makeup and hair products. Curry said the winner's entry fee for the next level of competition is also usually paid for. Entry fees begin at $325 for the preliminary competitions, and fall between $800 and $900 for the state and national competitions.
Curry said she has become friends with the girls she competes with. She said she and her pageant sisters get together on a regular basis, for meals, shopping and other events.
"I've become friends with the people I've competed with," Curry said. "It's not always competition, like in the movies."
Curry said the most frustrating part of the pageants is not winning. She said she began placing in the top five early on in her competitions.
"I go to win, and it's disappointing and frustrating not to," Curry said.
Competition aside, Curry said it's fun to participate and get dressed up for the evening-gown part of the pageant. In some of the pageants she's competed in, there has been a talent competition, in which she has sung.
In the long run, Curry said she hopes the competitions will help her meet people in the television journalism field. She graduated from Leland High School in June and plans to attend West Valley College before heading to the University of Southern California.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
