Passing Down The Crown
By: Ruairi Cooley
While pageants might seem like glitz and glamor, the reality is that an immense amount of hard work goes behind winning a title. Preparing for each competition can be a lengthy process but getting to experience all the opportunities that wearing the crown brings can make it all worthwhile.
After a year of holding the title, there comes a time when a new winner is announced. Passing down the crown has been a tradition in pageants for many years but having to give it up can be a bittersweet moment. A student at Jenks is familiar with this process and had to give up her title earlier this month at the “Miss Tulsa Teen Pageant.”
Georgia Matlack, 12, has been winning titles and passing down crowns ever since she was 5 years old. She first started her career competing in the “Cinderella International Scholarship Pageant.” Since then, competing in pageants has become a sole passion of hers. Matlack has gone on to place in many local and international pageants, and her most recent achievement was being crowned “Miss Bricktown's Outstanding Teen.”
Georgia Matlack posing after being crowned “Miss Bricktown's Outstanding Teen” with Leah Hughes, “Miss Oklahoma City’s State Fair Outstanding Teen.” Photo Credit to Stacy Matlack.
“Pageantry has made me the person I am today. Every title that I win has brought new experiences and taught me extremely important life lessons,” said Matlack.
Her routine to prepare for each pageant is a process that consists of many parts. Finding time to practice for pageants can be challenging with Matlack's busy schedule. She is a full-time student at Jenks and also a member of the Jenks Varsity Pom squad.
“At first it was challenging to manage my time with pom, school, and community events, but pageants have helped me with my organization and time management skills,” said Matlack.
One of Matlack’s proudest accomplishments is winning 1st place at Miss Tulsa's Outstanding Teen. Over the years of being the title holder, she has made many lifelong connections and the organization will always hold a special place in her heart.
“Miss Tulsa's Teen was a very special title because it was such an amazing organization. It brought me many opportunities and lots of scholarship money to put towards my college education,” said Matlack. “I formed a lot of new friendships, one being Miss Tulsa Emily Faith. Emily was a great mentor and supporter to me throughout the entire year.”
The Miss Tulsa Organization became a family for Matlack and she learned valuable life lessons from her many supporters. Her directors Jerry Jackson and Judy Jackson were some of her biggest fans and watched her grow throughout the year.
“Georgia represented the Teen Tulsa Organization so well and was named the third runner-up at the state competition. She competed in talent, interviews, on-stage questions, evening wear, and physical fitness. She excelled in all areas and was a fantastic representative for the City of Tulsa. We are so proud of Georgia,” said Jerry Jackson.
Earlier this month, new title holders were announced and Matlack got to crown a new winner. Having to give up this title was extremely hard for her but she was happy knowing that someone else would get to experience the same opportunities she had.
“I was sad when the time came for me to give up the title, but I was so happy to welcome someone new into the organization. I know that all of the girls competing worked incredibly hard, so getting to pass down the crown to one of them was a huge honor,” said Matlack.
When Aubrey Bartmann, a junior at Victory High School, was crowned as “Miss Tulsa’s Teen,” it was a long-time dream come true. Before she won, Bartmann was the first runner-up 4 times in a row, so finally being crowned at this pageant was a special moment for her. Now that she is crowned, she is excited to represent the town of Tulsa.
“Coming to Miss Tulsa's teen and getting to be crowned, knowing that all my hard work was finally being rewarded was great,” said Bartmann. “For this competition, I was feeling very at peace because I knew that I had worked my butt off to be here, and I just felt like this was where I was supposed to be. When my name was being called there were tears of joy because it’s been one of my biggest goals, and achieving it was huge.”
Bartmann is extremely excited to start her year as “Miss Tulsa’s Outstanding Teen,” and one of her first tasks will be expanding her social impact. She plans to share more about her platform “Chatter Matters,” by making appearances in schools and attending different social events.
Aubrey Bartmann after being crowned at “Miss Tulsa’s Outstanding Teen.”
Competing in pageants is not an easy task and these two girls have put in the work. Through pageants, these girls were presented with many amazing opportunities and can apply them to all aspects of their futures. If you want to learn more information about local scholarship pageants like Miss Tulsa’s Outstanding Teen, visit here!