These last few weeks and months have been very busy for newly-crowned Miss Louisiana Bethany Trahan and her family.
When Trahan told her parents she wanted to compete in the Miss Louisiana Pageant competition, she said they were in utter disbelief.
“It was so spur of the moment,” said Trahan, who competed as Miss Calcasieu.
She had always idolized the competitors and winners, believing them to be some sort of superheroes in her young age. She had watched the pageants for years and attended the last two Miss Louisiana and Miss USA pageants live in Baton Rouge.
Despite her parents’ amazement, they encouraged Trahan to compete to the best of her ability and began sending her to pageant trainings with other girls.
These trainings were no small task, involving hour-long interview and modeling sessions, as well as education in political viewpoints and current events. These trainings lasted for three months before she entered her first pageant.
Trahan was originally surprised at the depth and sincerity of the girls she trained with.
“People have this view of girls in pageants — they aren’t like that at all. They’re more than just pretty — they’re very educated and very dependent on each other,” said Trahan.
She went on to say that some of them are now her best friends. They all pray together before pageants and wish each other the very best of luck. She feels that the whole experience has transformed her in the best way possible.
Trahan’s platform during her pageants is centered on the feelings of anxiety and depression she struggled with in her younger days. She wants to raise awareness on these issues. She said, “I used to cry myself to sleep sometimes,” feeling alienated and timid. She feels the pageants are a huge boost in her self-confidence and “I want people to remember that they can do anything if they stay positive,” Trahan commented, and urges everyone to believe in themselves no matter what. “That doesn’t define you,” she continued.
When Trahan was crowned on Oct. 8 of this year at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center in Metarie, she was overcome with shock. “I blacked out,” she said, “when I heard ‘Calcasieu’ come out of the announcer’s mouth. All of a sudden, the crown was on my head.” She felt that the most emotional moment of the night was when her sister rushed out to hug her on stage when she was crowned. Trahan was crowned that night by Maaliyah Papillion, Miss Louisiana 2016 and a woman whom she respects immensely. “Maaliyah represented Louisiana with the utmost class and grace,” Trahan said when asked about her influences, and hopes only that she can represent Louisiana just as professionally as Papillion has.
Trahan is excited for events to come, but is very busy. In just this next week, she will be traveling to many states to compete in more pageants and attend numerous events. She feels that anything she can do to help bring attention to issues with anxiety and depression is worth doing.
Miss USA 2017 airs next summer live on Fox.
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