Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a Maple Princess. Something about being on a stage in front of a huge audience always appealed to me. Also, my sister, mother, and several of my relatives were all once Maple Queen contestants, which influenced my choice to try out for the contest. I wanted to compete in this scholarship pageant for a one-of-a-kind experience. I would be introduced to new techniques on how to properly walk on a stage, learn how to perform in a large auditorium, meet new friends from Somerset County, and gain interview skills that would benefit me in future job interviews.  

To become a princess, and possibly queen, I knew I had a long, hard journey ahead. First, I began preparing for auditions. I visited with my four coaches several times a week leading to the tryout, and they asked me questions, helped me with my promenade, and critiqued my talent. This trial was not like I had imagined. Ladies auditioning for the Maple Queen Contest had to go through three different rotations, which included different aspects for the judges to evaluate. In the end, everyone's scores were tallied and to my surprise, I was chosen as a maple queen contestant for the pageant in March.

Well, I thought all the hard work was just in getting nominated, but I soon found out that the work had only just begun. I had to continue practicing several days throughout the week and brush up on certain questions that could be asked during the contest. I was getting stressed out with all the daily random questions and my mother pushing that I needed to continue practicing. I knew this would be an experience like no other, and I had to persevere and make the most of getting ready for the contest.

Along with preparing for the contest, I also had to fulfill some duties as a Maple Princess before the pageant. Helping with fundraisers, asking businesses to be Princess Patrons, filling out paperwork, and completing other tasks were all part of the description of being a Maple Queen contestant. Luckily, throughout this whole process, I had nine other wonderful, and supportive princesses by my side, and we helped each other out as much as we could.

January and February seemed to pass by quickly, and the weeks prior to the contest went by in a flash. I was getting very anxious with each passing week, and each practice. I felt like I wasn’t ready at all, but in reality, I was right on track with preparation. My advisors continued to ask me questions, and even held several mock interviews with certain individuals and faculty members asking deeper questions that had to have some more thought behind the answers. I seemed to continue to become more comfortable with each mock interview I did.

By March, the contest was only a couple of days away and I was very busy trying to make sure I was fully prepared. Those five days before the contest were probably some of the most exhausting days I’ve experienced in a long time. Throughout that week, there were several practices at Meyersdale with all the contestants, and along with those practices, I had many practices with my advisors, just for last minute adjustments. Those last couple days before the contest I had to push through my tiredness to make sure I was prepared, which was probably the hardest to overcome.

The morning of the contest I was a little nervous, but I was very excited for what the day would bring. I couldn’t believe that the time had finally come for the Maple Queen Contest. I had been preparing for months for this moment, and I had to try my hardest, since I put so much time in effort into this pageant. To be honest, I was nervous for the interview more than I thought, but I knew I just needed to be myself and everything would be okay. That was the key to this whole contest. Working hard, practicing questions and my talent several times a week, and just keeping a positive attitude and being myself throughout it all.

Being on the stage has always appealed to me, even when I was a child, so I was excited to be in front of such a large crowd. As I glided across the floor in my copper ball gown, I felt an instant feeling of happiness. I was so thrilled and blessed to see so many people in attendance, and I was proud to be on the stage, in this contest. My smile was from pure delight, not a fake smile displayed only for the judges’ promenade scores. As the night went on, I continued to have this feeling of joy.

Backstage was very hectic most of the time, trying to change in and out of dresses, and everyone trying to prepare for their talent, but that's where most of the memories were made with my lovely fellow contestants. We all tried to help each other as much as we could, from helping each other get in and out of dresses, to cracking a joke to ease the nervousness everyone was experiencing. Truly, if I wouldn’t have had all of the other Maple Princesses, I would have been a nervous wreck.

My favorite moment was when I stepped out onto the stage to show off my talent to the audience, and especially the judges. Baton twirling has been a passion of mine since I was tiny girl, and I was so excited to perform on the stage that night. All I could think about was how much fun I was going to have, throwing my batons up in the air, and hopefully catching all my tricks. Well of course, I dropped the very first trick I attempted, but I couldn’t let that get the best of me. I continued on with my routine, and as I caught every trick, I could hear the loud screams from my family and friends that were obviously in the audience. When I heard their cheers, my smile got bigger, and my will to perform got stronger. I was having fun on that stage, and no one was going to stop me. I was just hoping the judges saw how much heart I put into that performance.

All of the princesses lined up on stage, waiting to hear which contestants were chosen as the top five contestants. I stood there, looking out to the audience, just praying that I would be picked. They called three girls names, and I just thought the chance to be one of them was over, and just then I heard, “Contestant number eight, Princess Madison!” I stepped forwarded with a sigh of relief to be recognized as top five, I just couldn’t believe it.

The curtains closed, and I was immediately summoned to a hallway, along with the four other ladies. We all stood in line, filled with so much excitement. I was freaking out inside, because I still couldn’t believe I was chosen. I was very nervous though, and when it was my turn for first question, I was caught off guard and stumbled a bit, but I knew I still had a chance with the second question that would be asked. The MC of the night asked me to give advice to a little girl about life, and I knew exactly what I was going to say. The little girl walked out onto the stage, and I was hesitant to walk over to her, but I did. I told her exactly what I tell myself everyday, “Don’t let others bring you down, and tell you that you’re not good enough, and always keep a smile on your face.” To some people that wouldn’t have been the strongest answer, but that statement means a lot to me and I was happy to share that with her.

The night concluded with the distribution of the awards. All the princesses positioned ourselves on the stage, hand in hand, along with our lovely attendants. We all stood and looked out to the crowd waiting to hear who would be crowned Queen Maple LXX. It was nerve wracking standing there as we listened to who won each award, because I knew each person on that stage deserved something, and I wasn’t sure where I would be placed in comparison with the rest of the contestants. They announced that the next award was for talent, and immediately, my name was called. I walked forward to receive the award with the biggest smile on my face. I did it, I showed the judges what baton twirling was all about.

As much as I wanted to be named Maple Queen, I knew that everyone worked hard to be a part of this contest as much as I did. No matter what the outcome would be I was just proud to represent my school and be a part of this contest with several other outstanding young ladies by my side.

Alas, I was not chosen as Maple Queen LXX, but I am quite ok with that. I know that there could only be one winner of the contest, but this experience made me feel like I had already won. Being a Maple Princess, spending time with all of my new friends, and being able to take part in this scholarship pageant granted me the best memories and experience that I will ever take part in. Overall I am just filled with joy that I can be happy for everyone who participated because everyone worked hard, and were very dedicated to doing their best in the contest. This experience will be one that I will never forget and will always cherish. I hope to encourage others to enter the contest in the coming years, so they can take part in the amazing experience.