Senior Despina Ades was crowned Miss Illinois High School America on Sept. 17, in Ottowa IL. This pageant is a national event that exists for the purpose of providing personal and professional opportunities for high school girls. Recently, she has won the title of Miss High School America, a system that encompasses both beauty and brains. She plans on talking to a variety of schools about bullying for C.A.R.E.S (Creating A Respectful Environment in Schools).

Her first pageant was in February 2009.  Ades never really “planned” on doing pageants, but she saw them as a great way to earn scholarship money for school, which is her number one priority.

“Along with spreading awareness about causes that are important to you,” she explains, “I feel that pageantry as a whole can instill confidence in an individual and encourage as well as empower women to accomplish their dreams.”

Being in these types of pageants takes a lot more effort than most people would think.

“It is actually harder than it looks!” Ades explains, “Competing really takes a lot of hard work, discipline and self confidence. You have to be really organized and prepared before a competition or you will not be able to do your best. It really takes LOTS and LOTS of practice.”

The pageant consists of multiple areas of competition. In the Galaxy system, which Ades is the reigning Teen Illinois title holder, there are five competition areas: evening gown, interview, fashion wear, photogenic, and swim wear. Each competition is worth 20% of the final score.

NWN had the opportunity to sit down with Ades to talk about pagent life.

NWN: Where do pageants usually take place?

Ades: Depending on where you are in the US. But Illinois pageants are usually in theaters and hotels. The night before you usually have orientation and you meet the girls and have some sort of pajama party to bond before the competition. The next day you have interviews and the actual competition.

NWN: What kind of Questions do they ask you in the interviews?

Ades: Depending on the system. Both systems I’ve done do a bio and resume. They tend to tie it into yourself and your activities. But the difference in a scholarship interview is that it’s longer and more in depth.

NWN: What interested you in pageants?

Ades: I started for the scholarship money rather than just writing a bunch of essays, but now I continue to do them because I enjoy them.

NWN: How long do you prepare for a pageant? What do you have to do?

Ades: Well if the pageant includes a swimsuit event then you usually prepare six weeks in advance like working out and dieting. If there’s no swimsuit, then I just run to my basement in my free time and practice my routines.

NWN: Do you have to be a certain weight for the swimsuit division?

Ades: No, I just want to look my best. They look for if you’re toned and physically fit. You don’t want to over diet and look unhealthy. That’s what I like about pageants vs. modeling because they judge you on your figure and health and not on how skinny you are.

NWN: So how many pageants have you done so far?

Ades: I’ve done five including my international pageant and state pageant. I’m not the kind of girl who does pageants to win. I do it for a cause and to make a difference.

NWN: Can you run through the schedule for a pageant?

Ades: For a state pageant, which is more common, the night before you will check in to your hotel and have an orientation with the director and the former Queen. After, you will have a bonding activity with the girls. Then, on day two you either practice or have interviews in the morning and around six or seven the actual competition begins. At a national pageant, you will have orientation then some type of outside bonding. I know for Miss High School you go to Sea World the first day and on the next day you try to get involved in the community that you are in.

NWN: So on the second day, what time do you get together to practice?

Ades: The earliest I’ve gotten up was at 5 a.m. So you have to show up in your rollers at 5 a.m. It’s crazy!

NWN: What time are awards usually held at?

Ades: It’s a really long day, so awards start at either 10 or 11.

NWN: What kind of emotions do you have during a pageant?

Ades: I’m usually never nervous…That’s why I end up doing so well. I’m usually excited like that’s the only way I can describe it. I’ve seen the girls that are crazy and anxious and girls who are mean…I guess there are a lot of varieties.

NWN: How are they mean?

Ades: This girl who I have done pageants with before threatened to rip apart another girl’s wardrobe and she was being serious. She also poured water into her Gucci bag because she was competition.

NWN: Have you ever been threatened?

Ades: Of course I’ve been threatened. You just can’t let it get to you because they’re only trying to take down your game.

NWN: What’s the worst thing someone has said or done to you?

Ades: At Galaxy this summer, I took the same girl in the Gucci purse incident to the movies because she was from another country and I wanted to be friendly. I thought we were friends because we bonded all throughout the movie, but when we got to orientation she did not talk to me. She did not say a single word to me during the whole pageant, but instead she would go ahead and talk crap about me. They’re just really fake people.

NWN: How do you feel when you win? Do you feel like you’re going to win or is it a complete shocker?

Ades: Well, it sort of depends. Like at Galaxy, I knew I was not going to win because I was not on my A game the night before, but I at least made the top five and I was second runner up.  Then again, I don’t know if the other girls did worse or better than me, so I just have to wait and see how it turns out. I’m always grateful for whatever I place. I usually don’t see winning coming to me even if everyone tells me I’m going to win. That’s because if I think that I’m going to win and I don’t win then it turns out to be a bigger disappointment.

NWN: So you won two out of the five pageants you’ve done?

Ades: Yes, I won two major pageants, but the rest I was always second runner up. People joke that I have the second runner up curse, but that only makes me work a little harder for the next time because if I always get first place then pageants wouldn’t be a challenge for me.

NWN: What or who has been your biggest inspiration or motivation? Who has helped the most with all the drama that goes on during a pageant?

Ades: There are two people. [One is] my pageant coach Stephanie Piller. She was Miss Galaxy, too. I met her at my first pageant and ever since then we just bonded. Also, Jennifer Hyman, who I consider as my pageant mom because she take me to events that my mom can’t attend and she also helps me with my interviews.

NWN: What is your favorite memory or moment that you’ve had during any pageant?

Ades: It would be from my recent pageant that I won a few weeks ago. Being crowned Miss Illinois High School America because it really mean the world to me that I can be a representative of both beauty and brains. What I’m going to do with this title is work with kids and speak to them about bullying. I’m aiming at the Chicago community and the trauma they are going though.

NWN: What’s your favorite event?

Ades: It’s a tie between interviews and evening gowns. Interviews because I feel like my personality really shines through and that’s when they can see I’m not just pretty on the outside but I can show my interior beauty as well. And evening gowns because I love getting all dolled up and I love whatever gown I wear for the night.

NWN: Who is your number one fan or supporter?

Ades: I would have to say it’s a tie between my mom and my best friend, Alexa. My mom because she pays all the entry fees which can go up to $500, which is expensive but it’s worth it because you do a lot. And Alexa because even at the last pageant, in the interview they asked me to describe my best friend and she was waiting for me outside, which was pretty amazing. She has not missed one of my pageants.

NWN: Are the interviews private or in front of everyone?

Ades: They are usually private and one-on-one.

NWN: What kind of outfit do you usually have to wear during an interview?

Ades: I wore a day dress which was still glamorous but natural and still put together.

Other than pageantry, Ades seems to always have something on her plate. Not only is she an Honor Roll student, but she’s also the President of S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions), a Peer Mediation Leader, the Peer Mediation Coordinator for Expanding Lives, a Lit Center Tutor, in National & Spanish Honors Society and is a Boys and Girls Club volunteer.

“I am also a part of many more activities which would take too long to list!” she explains.

Wherever she may go, Ades always seems to put a positive impression on people.

“I think shes one of the nicest people I’ve ever met,” said senior Nashiha Alam. “She’s really dedicated in what she does and shes not a quitter.”

Teachers think highly of her as well.

“Despina is a great girl and it is a pleasure to have her in class,” says her debate teacher, Eric Oddo. “She is very supportive to her fellow classmates. Despina has a bright future ahead.”

This March, she will be heading to San Antonio, Texas to compete in the National Competition.

“The next step is the USA system. People are saying that I am the one to watch in Illinois and I want to make sure that my presence is felt. Who knows, maybe one day I will be your Miss Universe!”

Make sure to check out Facebook and like her fan page- Miss Illinois High School America.

Nicole Kim conducted the Q and A in this article.