When Anna Meyers was 13 years old, she watched the Miss USA pageant on television. Now, eight years later, the University senior is vying for her own spot on that stage.
“I’ve wanted to do it ever since I saw that pageant,” she said.
However, Meyers isn’t the only University student competing for the title of Miss Oregon and a chance to be Miss USA. University junior Sharitha McKenzie also aspires to see herself on stage, accepting the title and responsibilities associated with wearing the crown.
McKenzie found herself wanting to compete in pageants during her freshman year in high school, after her little sister and niece both came home one day with sashes and tiaras. After flying to Florida to watch them compete nationally, McKenzie realized there was a division for older girls.
“I looked at it, and I was like, ‘I can do that,’” she said.
Now a seasoned beauty queen with more than 20 pageants under her belt, McKenzie said she continues to live the pageant life because it’s a way to have an impact on people’s lives and set a positive example, especially for her family.
“It’s important to be a role model for the younger people in my family,” she said.
Unlike McKenzie, Meyers has never competed in a pageant before. Her lack of stage time, however, isn’t going to stop her from going all out.
“This year, just one door after another has opened up,” she said. “It’s incredible to see all the pieces fall into place.”
Meyers is competing for more than the crown. She said she wants to be in the pageant because it is a great opportunity to reach out to the community and help people. She is currently working on making sexual harassment awareness pamphlets for high school students, and she thinks the publicity from a pageant would help promote that cause.
“If people have the knowledge, there is something they can do,” she said, adding that her other soapbox issue is to encourage others to set high goals for themselves.
Meyers started her college career at Linn-Benton Community College before transferring to Lane Community College. Last year was her first at the University, but through all three colleges she has known what she wants to do with her life: real estate.
McKenzie has taken a different path to the University’s School of Journalism and Communication. Majoring in electronic media, she hopes to be a news anchor once she graduates. A Portland native, McKenzie comes from a large family, most of whom still live in Portland. With grandparents, parents, four brothers and sisters, three nieces and nephews and 40 cousins, McKenzie said she loved having her family’s support for the pageants.
“Everything I do, I try to include them,” she said. “If it’s something I want to do, my mom supports me 100 percent. My dad, too — he’s my nutritional guru.”
Her mom has sewn all of her dresses and swimsuits since McKenzie started participating in pageants, and she also did McKenzie’s makeup for her when she was younger.
“My mom is at home right now, sewing beads on my dress,” McKenzie said with a smile. “If (my parents) weren’t able to help, I don’t know if I could do this.”
Meyers said her parents have never approved of pageants.
“They have disagreed since I wanted to do it,” she said.
Her father, Dan Meyers, said he and his wife are excited to see their daughter compete in the Miss Oregon pageant, but said they have never been through anything “quite like this.”
McKenzie admitted she was critical of pageants when she was younger. Then she entered her first pageant and realized there was “much more to it.”
“It’s not the person who’s the prettiest or who has the best dress,” she said. “It’s the whole package.”
The Miss Oregon pageant will take place Oct. 24 through Oct. 26 at the Portland Airport Holiday Inn Hotel. The winner will go on to compete for the title of Miss USA.
Both Meyers and McKenzie are excited to compete against each another and the 18 other girls in the pageant.
“I’ve met some of the girls, and they’re all wonderful,” Meyers said. “Sweet, gorgeous — it was really neat meeting them.”
McKenzie said she really enjoyed meeting Meyers, adding that it’s great that they attend the same school.
“It’ll be really interesting competing against (Meyers),” she said.