The Miss Oregon Teen pageant is coming to Coos County’s Liberty Theater on Saturday, April 28th and will stay through the 30th–giving thousands of young women the opportunity to compete for a scholarship. The overall winner for Oregon will go on to participate in Miss America, for those aged 18 years old to 25, and Miss America’s Teen, ages 13-18. 

Miss Oregon scholarship pageant strives to be much more than the stereotypical pageant. They focus on the unique skills and talents of the young women involved. The competition is organized to emphasize the successes and goals of the contestants and rewards the participants with educational financial assistance. 

“All of our organizations are based on scholarships, giving scholarships to young women and empowering them to pursue their future,” said Blaine Barklow, president of Miss Oregon. 

Barklow has been a board member since 2020 and is a volunteer just like the rest of the board. Last year between Miss Oregon and Miss Oregon Teen, 50,000 dollars were given out in scholarships to the young women competing. 

Along with scholarships, the program provides opportunities for community service, artistic expression, and personal growth for Oregon women. The contestants learn great interview skills, self-confidence, public speaking, and several other life skills.

“I wish people knew the skills they would gain from this program,” said Kiri Goodson, last year’s Miss Coos County and first runner-up for Miss Oregon’s Teen. 

Last year was her first year competing in pageants and she was very successful. She will be competing in Miss Southern Gem’s Teen on April 1st to hopefully advance to Miss Oregon’s Teen. 

 Another benefit of competing is the friendships that are made. Participating in pageants is a great way to build relationships with like-minded people. The young women that compete for all have the passion and determination to better themselves and the community in common.

“My favorite personal favorite part is the relationships that I have built and that I see other people building through their participation,” said Barklow. 

Many people think pageants are all about beauty but there is so much more than that. Contestants are judged on community involvement, passion, scholastic accomplishments,  interview abilities, creativity, achievements, and talents. 

“A misconception I think people have about pageants is that it’s just about beauty and you have to get out there and look a certain way to participate or be successful,” Barklow said. “There’s no one look that fits the bill. It’s about your passion for community service, it’s about your passion for bettering yourself, and pursuing your dreams.”