GERING, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska was in the pageant limelight last month when Sarah Rose Summers was crowned Miss USA.
But the state has another crown-wearing winner: Teresa Scanlan. The Gering, Nebraska, woman was named Miss America in 2011.
The Omaha World-Herald reports that since her reign, Scanlan has juggled an unplanned pregnancy, divorce and putting school on hold.
Now a single mom, the 25-year-old is wrapping up basic training with the Air National Guard.
Scanlan, who knows Summers and her family through Nebraska pageants, has some advice for the 23-year-old Papillion native and other women entering the pageant world.
“Go into competing knowing what your purpose is, knowing who you are and what you want out of life. Keep the people who are close to you close,” Scanlan said.
When she was crowned at 17, Scanlan spent a whirlwind year doing public speaking engagements, and visiting with children and military members, as well as showing up at professional sporting events and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
This fall, life will look a little different. Scanlan and 2-year-old son Jace will pack up and move to Berkeley, California, where she’ll start law school. It’s something Scanlan, one of six kids, has always wanted to do. She started competing in pageants to earn scholarship money for law school.
Scanlan said the organization’s move announced last week to retire the swimsuit portion of the competition is forward-thinking.
“It allows Miss America to be more inclusive to many different types of women who didn’t feel they could participate in prior years,” Scanlan said.
We caught up with Scanlan to see what her reign as Miss America was like and what she’s been up to since.
Responses were lightly edited for length and clarity.
Q: What was that year as Miss America like?
A: There was definitely no such thing as a typical day. Over my year, I was home one week for Easter and two weeks for Christmas. The other 49 weeks of the year, you are on the road 24/7. We were usually in a new state every day or every other day. We visited 40 states and five countries. I learned how to throw myself into any environment that year because you were always somewhere new.
Q: What had to be put on hold once you landed the title?
A: Everything. I was set to start college when I won Miss Nebraska. I deferred for a year when I won Miss Nebraska and deferred another year when I won Miss America. It’s strange living out of two suitcases.
Q: You’ve said you gained 30 pounds during your year as Miss America. Was it hard to take care of yourself while you were on the go as Miss America?
A: A lot of people assume you travel with a personal trainer or chef or stylist, and for us, we didn’t. You’re so tired, you need to sleep. You don’t work out. You have to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktail hours with clients. You can’t really monitor what you’re eating at that point because people are watching all the time. My platform was eating disorder awareness, and I didn’t want to seem like I was starving myself.
Q: What’s it like backstage at pageants? How does a “girls support girls” movement play out there?
A: It is so much fun. I excel on that adrenaline rush. You get used to the stress. It’s fast-paced, and the energy is insane. I felt so much support from a huge majority of the competitors. The stereotype of girls being catty and tearing each other down typically doesn’t exist. There’s no room to tear each other down. Everyone’s doing their best. It’s about making a good name for Miss America or Miss USA.
Q: What were the high points of your experience?
A: There were tons of highs. I met children that year who will forever change my life. The perspective and attitude they had, it encouraged me. It pushed me forward each day even when things did get hard.
Q: What about the lows?
A: Realizing that I wasn’t good about keeping communication with my inner circle and the people who were closest to me. That’s essential for anyone in that kind of job. You need people who know you best to keep you grounded, to encourage you and to be a sounding board for criticism you receive.
Q: How did your unplanned pregnancy change your life?
A: Anyone knows children change your life entirely, and it’s in a good way. Looking back, I can’t even really remember life without (Jace). I was starting my senior year of college and that was a tough spot to be in. I got married and that relationship was not good at all. That entire year was the most difficult of my life. We ended up getting divorced, and I moved back to Nebraska. I’ve learned and grown more than most people do in 20, 30 years or a whole lifetime. I had to learn and mature a lot faster. While I would never in a million years go back and go through these things again, at least I can be thankful for a new perspective that it has brought me.
Q: There are a lot of expectations for someone with the Miss America title. What was it like navigating that, especially because things didn’t necessarily go as planned?
A: At that point, I was still far too concerned with other people’s opinions. Once I accepted it and started to take on ownership of this new role as a mom, I realized I didn’t care what other people thought about me.
Q: What made you decide to enlist in the military?
A: As I traveled (for Miss America) and did things with the armed forces, I felt like that was something I could do and a capacity I could serve in. I’ll be working at the base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, one weekend a month. It’s more of a part-time commitment, which is perfect for my role as a mom.
Q: Former Miss Americas signed a petition calling for change in leadership after emails using disparaging comments about former winners were released. What are your thoughts on the need for change within the Miss America organization and the pageant world?
A: It was apparent we needed a change. It wasn’t something that could be swept under the rug. I signed the petitions that former Miss Americas wrote. I was on board with all of my sisters in that, and I’m glad that pressure resulted in change.
What I don’t agree with was how some people were taking the comments made by leadership to show pageantry or Miss America were outdated and needed to be stopped in the light of the #MeToo movement. We need to continue to allow women to compete in whatever they want. Saying because you compete in a swimsuit or evening gown you shouldn’t be taken seriously, nothing can be further from the truth. I found Miss America to be a challenging and demanding experience. I found it so empowering.
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Information from: Omaha World-Herald, http://www.omaha.com
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