There she is…Caressa Cameron, Miss America 2010!  The judges were looking for a “real girl”, “someone to capture their heart”, “an IT girl”. They found her, in Caressa Cameron, the new Miss America. This year’s pageant is truly a game changer and is sure to inspire young ladies all over the world to follow their dreams.  The judges had a very difficult job with such an incredible line up, but the called out Kristy Cavinder, Miss CA, Stefanie Wittler, Miss TN, Katherine, Miss LA, and Mallory Ervin, Miss KY. Any of these ladies would have made a wonderful Miss America, but Caressa just had that something special. Let me tell you why this win and this pageant turns the tables.

Miss America Pageant 2010

Miss America 2010 changes the pageant game because she made the choice not to conform to “IT”. She brought it. She worked it. She was IT! Caressa Cameron, the former Miss Virginia did not prescribe to the traditions that entrap so many contestants. Caressa did not wear the semi-bridal gown or sing the love ballad. Every time she hit the stage, she owned the pageant stage…confidently.

Through a great selection of diverse judges and a good blend of “America’s vote”, the pageant itself as undergone some changes.  Americans love a Cinderella story. My favorite moment of the pageant was when Miss Oregon, CC Barber was voted in by her fellow contestants.  Also, giving viewers the chance to vote in favorites will bring people back to Miss America. We are witness to a battle that will keep Miss America current and relevant. As the last four hopefuls stood waiting, clearly you can see the traditional unchanged Miss America vs. the emerging ever changing modern Miss America. It’s clear who is wining. Maybe in a few years Pageant Patti will be gone forever. And a new pageant where no girl is a dark horse will emerge.

My hope is that girls all over this country are inspired to expand their views on not only Miss America but themselves as well. Miss America 2010 will usher in a new era of fresh new faces. This is how we will be a product of our generation: by being the truest version of our inner self unapologetically.

This article was written by Kristen Darden, a pageant coach out of Tennessee. To contact Kristen for a consultation, email Kristen.Darden@gmail.com.