Niles West class of 2004 graduate Alicia Manzanares was crowned Mrs. Illinois American for 2024 on June 15. In addition to her hard work and dedication, Manzanares credits her time at West for helping her to gain the confidence she needed for her first beauty pageant. Competing in beauty pageants is not a common occurrence for many girls, and Manzanares was inspired by many factors to compete.

Manzanares grew up watching the Miss Universe pageant on TV with her mom and remembers looking up to the young women competing, awed by their beauty and grace.

“As I grew older, I started doing a lot of community service by coaching youth and by encouraging students to complete their education. While I was a dance coach for Futuro Latino at Niles West High School, I really saw the impact that my role and involvement could have in encouraging and mentoring students and help change someone’s life. So, I decided to start getting involved in beauty pageants and it has been an honor getting to represent my community, my family and my state,” Manzanares said.

While Manzanares is an inspiration to many with her community work, there are many who influenced and helped her along the way. She recalls the support of French teacher Eileen Walvoord, English teachers Paul Wack and Kim Barker, science teacher Elizabeth Ramseyer, and band teacher Bill Koch.

“Mr. Koch was someone that really helped and shaped my high school career. He helped me build confidence, discipline, and work ethic that I carry on not just in my pageant career, but in my everyday life,” Manzanares said.

Barker, who was Manzanares’s English teacher and has kept in touch with her since she graduated, was proud to see her former student accomplish such great achievements and explains what an honor it is to have made a difference in her life.

“Alicia was a very dedicated student and such a vibrant young woman. I remember working with her on English assignments and thinking that she was very committed to whatever she put her mind to. I’m really impressed by her commitment to trying something new with the pageant program. It has been lovely to keep in touch with her, and I am honored to have had an impact on her,” Barker said.

Participating in pageants is a lot of work with countless hours of practicing, so it is helpful to have people for support. Luckily Manzanares had the support system from her her director Julie Aceto and her husband Jamie Manzanares who captured clips at photo shoots, drove her to appearances, and helped her with dress fittings.

“Most importantly, I reminded her throughout the journey of the love and support she has from her friends and family, as well as the meaningful work she’s done for her community. Helping her focus on her mission and encouraging her to savor every moment of this once-in-a-lifetime experience were key ways I supported her. Having friends and family there can be uplifting, and I was proud to be part of that support system for her,” J. Manzanares said.

Manzanares advises other young girls who might want to compete in pageants or who just need to gain confidence in their everyday life.

“Find your purpose first, because without that crystal clear purpose, the journey can be very hard. But if you do have a clear understanding of what you want your mission to be and how you want to contribute to society, then the rest of it can become a little bit easier. At the end of the day, it makes everything worth it because you see the impact that your life has on others and that’s, to me, the most beautiful part of being Mrs. Illinois American 2024,” Manzanres said.