Contestant 4: Winnie Carlson

Jacksonville, Fla. (SCPDA): With the Miss Stanton Pageant around the corner, the pressure is on for all the young women who are participating to represent Stanton. To understand their hopes for the pageant and what they have taken from it, the Devil’s Advocate interviewed them and got their side of the story.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: Why did you decide to run for Miss Stanton? WINNE CARLSON: I wanted to prove to myself that I could do something outside of my comfort zone. Also, I heard from those who competed before that it was a really fun and rewarding experience.

DA: Who do you consider to be your biggest role model? WC: My mom because she taught me how to work for the things that I want to achieve and to be strong no matter what hardships I face.

DA: If you were to win, what would the Miss Stanton title mean to you? WC: That I am the example of a good Stanton student with the kind of behavior and integrity that are expected of a student here. It would also mean that I proved to myself I can do something I didn’t always think I was capable of doing.

DA: What do you think has been the most rewarding part of the competition? WC: Making new friends with girls I haven’t talked to before and realizing how nice and supportive everyone is.

DA: What talents do you have that separates you from the other candidates? WC: I think I’ve faced a lot of setbacks on my way to gaining the confidence to put myself out there for this competition. I’m really passionate about representing Stanton. I’ve been representing Stanton through being a member of the cheerleading team since I was a freshman, so I know what it’s like and I know what I have to do, and I’m ready for that.

DA: How do you respond to the negative connotations of beauty pageants? WC: You are graded on your ability to represent Stanton in the best way possible rather than how pretty you are and what you look like, so you have train your mind to answer a question well, present a good speech or answer a question on the spot rather than just looking a certain way one day.

DA: As Miss Stanton, how would you improve the school? WC: I would make Stanton a less competitive and stressful place. We’re already the best of the best so competing with the best can be really overwhelming. I would try to encourage people to be the best version of themselves instead of trying to be the best out of people here.

DA: Besides you, what other candidate would you choose to win? WC: I would pick Syona Rai because I’ve seen the amount of work she puts into the things she’s passionate about so I know she would put a lot of effort into representing Stanton in the best way possible.

DA: If you won, how would you balance the responsibilities of the title and your daily life? WC: I have been juggling cheerleading and keeping up with the Stanton academics and other hobbies already. I’m really passionate about Miss Stanton so I know I can apply my time management skills and get it done.