Compared to the girls with exorbitant gowns and designer shoes, she didn’t think her $90 dress and $20 Amazon heels would stand a chance.

But she proved herself wrong.

In one year, junior Jenny Sun placed third runner up at the National American Miss Texas state pageant and ranked among the top 12 contestants at the National American Miss Pageant.

Sun became involved in beauty pageants in her sophomore year. One of her friends received a letter for an open call where pageants recruit new contestants, and Sun decided to tag along.

“I just did some background research on pageants, went to the open call and did an interview,” Sun said. “After that, I became a state finalist and had to start preparing for the state pageant.”

Although Sun did not initially have any professional help, she learned some helpful tips on her own.

“I had no former help because my mom didn’t really care for the pageant thing,” Sun said. “I didn’t have any coaching or professional hair and makeup people that helped me. I just did a lot of research and practiced interview questions on YouTube.”

According to Sun, coming self-taught into the pageant world “wasn’t too hard.”

“I felt like pageants are something I could do pretty well because I have a background in speech and debate, and I can have good posture,” Sun said. “That’s really all it takes, and just confidence. If you can do the talk, you can do the walk.”

Sun competed in multiple events at her first pageant in June 2024 to earn points toward a final score that ultimately determined her third-place standing. She placed highest in Formal Wear and Introduction. Her lowest score was in her interview.

“I had my $90 dress and absolutely no formal preparation, except me and my little talking skills, so I was happy with how I placed,” Sun said. “I definitely felt like the underdog during my first year. Going up against girls who have been doing pageants for years, they have professional hair and makeup and these $1,000 gowns, you definitely feel weaker.”

The state pageant competition allows pageant contestants to be eligible for prizes such as scholarships and sponsorships, including paid trips to various photoshoots. But for Sun, her most valuable takeaway was the connections she made.

“I made a lot of friends from all across the state,” Sun said. “It’s really cool for me to see everyone’s regional differences.”

Paitlyn Stewart, Miss San Antonio Junior Teen, competed with Sun at both the state and National American Miss pageants. Stewart calls Sun “a role model.”

“I’m grateful to say that I met her with the chances that our last names allowed us to compete side by side,” Stewart said. “[Sun] is incredibly ambitious and humble. Having her made my nationals experience something that I won’t forget – a moment of true girlhood.”

After state, Sun attended the National American Miss pageant in Orlando, Fla., with contestants from every U.S. state. However, she had one major regret at the competition.

“During nationals, there are modeling and acting agencies that you could audition and potentially get callbacks for,” Sun said. “I didn’t choose to do any modeling optionals, so naturally I didn’t get any callbacks. That is my only regret.”

For Sun, the national pageant was “really tiring.”

“I got professional hair and makeup for nationals, and since they had so many clients, I had to wake up really early, like 4 a.m.,” Sun said. “It’s especially exhausting when rehearsals are later on in the evening, because I end up being awake for so long. The adrenaline keeps me alive, though, because pageants are just so fun.”

To prepare for nationals, Sun stepped up her preparation. She practiced interview questions throughout the day, whether it was while doing dishes or even in the shower. She also consistently met with her talking coach, Amber Brown, for one-hour online sessions.

“Working with Jenny was refreshing,” Brown said. “I got to witness a determined, focused and confident leader up close. Whether she was taking copious notes or intensely listening to constructive feedback, Jenny’s approach led with positivity and passion.”

According to Sun, preparing for nationals was “cram time for practice.”

“For the evening gown walk, I just went to the pool house next to my apartment and constantly practiced in front of a really large glass door,” Sun said. “[I] also made sure to practice changing my facial expressions, but keeping them positive. If you constantly smile, you look robotic.”

While Sun ranked in the top 12 contestants at nationals, she said she believes the experience was a far more important takeaway for the future.

“Pageants definitely prepare girls for the future,” Sun said. “Getting that really crucial interview practice in the interview rooms is so important. I know a lot of people where their first interviews are college or job interviews, and it’s nerve-wracking for them.”

Beyond the interview, Sun said she has been shaped through her connections with girls from around the state and country.

“Pageants are the most supportive environment I’ve ever been in,” Sun said. “I’ve been involved in chess and piano, but nothing compares to the absolute kindness pageant girls treat you with. In the finale of pageants, we have a minute to change backstage into our gowns, and we’re all just helping each other zip up our dresses, fix our makeup and get our heels on.”

In getting “pageant ready,” Sun has been forced to bend her beliefs to look the part. Due to stage lighting, her pageant coach encouraged her to get a spray tan so she would not look washed out on stage.

“There are definitely times when I kind of falter on my beliefs for beauty,” Sun said. “I just didn’t feel super comfortable with getting a spray tan. I’m Chinese, and in many Asian cultures, fair skin is the beauty standard, while in America, tan skin is more desirable. I’m just here being like, ‘Can we please leave our skin alone?’”

While beauty pageants may have traditionally been about looks, Sun believes it is time for its purpose to change. A particular incident etched in her memory was when controversy erupted over entering a girl in nationals who was plus-sized.

“The focus on women’s appearances is really annoying,” Sun said. “People were saying that the girl was promoting bad body standards and obesity in girls, which is just not true. She promotes body positivity. Someone should win the title because they are a good speaker, good with communication, good at community service and because they would be a good title holder.”

According to Green Living Magazine, one of the most important criteria for beauty pageants is that candidates should be thin and “stereotypically beautiful.” With this rule, pageant contestants tend to have a body mass index lower than the average for females.

With the current mindset that certain beauty pageants have, Sun said it can send a “toxic” message to younger girls.

“Everyone looks the same in most pageants, just with changed hair, eye and skin color,” Sun said. “The beauty industry can really try to get you to feel bad about your appearance because it wants you to conform to this one beauty standard, like narrow noses or a certain physique. It’s just leeching off young girls’ confidence.”

Given the sometimes “cut-throat environment,” Sun tries to keep a healthy mindset.

“I refuse to be unconfident,” Sun said. “Everyone is beautiful in their own unique ways. Don’t feel intimidated if another girl is so pretty, because her beauty doesn’t take away from yours. A winner’s mindset is not to think about what others have that you are lacking. [The judges] are never looking for anyone in particular; they are looking for someone who can represent the brand well.”

Ultimately, Sun still values the core of what pageants mean to her – being intelligent and still proud to be a “girly” girl.

“Pageants, to me, are about reclaiming femininity,” Sun said. “They show that you can be feminine and smart and ambitious at the same time. It shows that being feminine and smart are not mutually exclusive. I think it’s so important to express that message to young girls, especially in this day and age where femininity is viewed as something weak.”

Throughout the journey, Sun is grateful for the support she has received to improve.

“It truly does take a village,” Sun said. “Pageants are really mentally and physically taxing, and it definitely takes a lot of people to support you to do it well. I’m especially grateful to my mom for driving me over an hour, sometimes multiple times a week, just to go visit my walking coach. I just really appreciate all the effort.”