Miss USA 2026 Contestants Break Down Some of the Biggest Misconceptions About the Pageant World (Exclusive)
Miss USA 2026 Contestants Break Down Some of the Biggest Misconceptions About the Pageant World (Exclusive)
Tabitha ParentWed, August 26, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC
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Audrey Eckert is crowned Miss USA 2025.Credit: S92 Photography -
Miss USA returns on Aug. 27 for its 75th iteration
10 contestants at this year’s pageant break down what those outside the pageant world might not know about what it takes to be a pageant queen
Many of the women credit pageants with contributing to their personal growth, lifelong friendships, and opportunities to reshape their careers
The women who are set to take the stage at this year’s Miss USA pageant are poised, elegantly dressed, excellent public speakers and definitely know their way around a strip lash and a curling iron.Many of them have also trained since they were very young to compete in the uber-structured, intense pageant competitions and know what it takes to succeed in the high-stakes world. Whether they grew up in the pageant circuit or participated in competitive dance and sports, the women who are set to grace the stage at the annual pageant in Florida next week are experts when it comes to competition.And yet, to those who are unfamiliar with its inner workings, the pageant world might appear shrouded in mystery.As the annual Miss USA pageant approaches on Aug. 27, some of the women of the pageant world are pulling back the curtain on what it takes to be the bearer of their heavily bejeweled crowns.Speaking with PEOPLE, 10 of the women who are set to compete at next week’s national competition reflect on some of the things that people outside the world of tiaras and gowns might not know about pageantry.They break down some of the misconceptions along with some of the best parts of their reigns, and tell PEOPLE that, at the end of the day, they’re more than happy to deal with the hard parts of the job if it means being a role model for young women everywhere.
Miss Nebraska USA, Emily Lenser
Emily Lenser won Miss Nebraska USA on June 28.Credit: Emily Lenser/Instagram
Emily Lenser, who tells PEOPLE that her mom originally got her involved in the pageant world at age six to combat her “painful” shyness, says that two things come to mind when asked about what might surprise people outside the pageant world most.“The first being that although it’s a competition, many women leave with lifelong friendships. We understand the unique experience we’re all sharing and empower each other along the way,” she says.“The second being that winning is only the beginning,” she shares. “A titleholder spends hundreds of hours traveling, speaking at events, serving as a brand ambassador, raising awareness for causes, and representing sponsors.”
Miss Arkansas USA, Anna Claire Hey
Anna Claire Hey was crowned Miss Arkansas USA on May 3.Credit: Miss Arkansas USA/Instagram
For Anna Claire Hey, being a pageant queen has always been the job of a lifetime.“My mom introduced me to pageants when I was four years old, and I never looked back,” she tells PEOPLE, adding, “I still remember walking into my first Miss Arkansas USA pageant, grabbing her hand, and saying, ‘Mom, one day I’m going to be Miss USA.’”She continues, adding that “at four years old, I had no idea how big that dream was — I just knew it was mine.”She thinks that people might be surprised to learn that pageantry is “really an interview for a year-long job.”“The gown is only a few minutes of the competition. The real work is building relationships with sponsors, serving your community, speaking to thousands of people, representing a brand professionally, and showing up consistently. The crown isn’t the finish line — it’s the first day on the job.”
Kaitlyn Humphrey, Miss Arizona USA
Kaitlyn Humphrey is set to represent Arizona on June 27.Credit: Miss Arizona USA/Instagram
Performers know that it takes a very particular kind of mind-body connection to maintain focus while on stage.Kaitlyn Humphrey, who was crowned Miss Arizona USA on June 13, “grew up on stage.” From musical theater to choir to now her work as a musician, Humphrey says that being a pageant queen felt like a “natural extension” of her “deep-rooted” love for performance.
“People would be shocked to know that preparing for a pageant takes being extremely in touch with your mind, body, and soul,” she says.
She adds that she likes to approach her preparation “holistically.” She’s never just in the gym or in her gown, but rather spends time meditating and journaling as well.
Jade Kircus, Miss Georgia USA
Jade Kircus.Credit: Jade Kircus/Instagram
As a mother to three children, a former D1 athlete, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a Surface Warfare Officer who served in the U.S. Navy for eight years, Jade Kircus, 36, knows a thing about sacrifice.“Competing in pageants is an investment into your future,” she says. “It’s not often talked about by the pageant world, but you have to make sure you’re prepared to financially support achieving your dream (even with sponsors)! Everything worth having in life costs you something— just make sure you want it badly enough.”
Julia Hatoum, Miss Delaware USA 2026
Julia Hatoum is Miss Delaware USA.Credit: Miss Delaware USA/Instagram
After graduating from the University of Delaware in 2024, where she was student body president, Julia Hatoum says she found “purpose” when it came to advocating for her fellow classmates. This ultimately led her to public service opportunities, where she stumbled upon the Miss Delaware USA competition.“Pageantry gave me something I had not found anywhere else: a platform that brings together service and advocacy with my love for fashion, modeling and glam,” she tells PEOPLE.However, beyond that, she says that people might be surprised to learn that “being immersed in a community of like-minded women who are constantly striving to achieve more mentally, physically, professionally and philanthropically motivates you to raise your own standards.”“Add a firm deadline and the courage it takes to stand before judges and audiences around the world, and pageantry creates an unmatched drive for growth. You leave with incredible relationships, opportunities that can reshape your career, and a stronger version of yourself. I know I did.”
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Madeline Erickson, Miss Iowa USA
Madeline Erickson.Credit: Miss Iowa USA/Instagram
While working at a prom dress store in high school, Madeline Erickson’s boss encouraged her to apply for the Jovani It-Girl competition, where she was ultimately selected to model the company’s fall collection in Atlanta, Ga.“While I was there, I met the current Miss Iowa USA and several other Miss USA titleholders who encouraged me to give Miss Iowa Teen USA a try,” she says. I never imagined myself doing pageants, but once I started, the rest is history.Erickson will be the first to admit that when she first tried out for the Jovani It-Girl competition, she barely knew how to curl her hair or apply a strip of fake eyelashes.Despite how “incredibly glamorous” pageantry looks from the outside, Erickson says that behind the scenes, contestants are all “just girls.”“One minute we’re in full glam, and the next we’re sitting on the floor in robes, eating snacks, fixing each other’s lashes, swapping beauty products and laughing,” she continues.“Some of my favorite pageant memories have happened offstage and behind the scenes. They’re a great reminder that beneath the crowns and gowns are genuine friendships and a group of women cheering each other on.”
Katarina Lengyel, Miss New Jersey USA
Katarina Lengyel was crowned Miss New Jersey USA on July 26.Credit: Miss New Jersey USA/Instagram
Growing up a competitive dancer, Katarina Lengyel, who is this year’s Miss New Jersey USA, knows a bit about what it takes to be an athlete.“I grew up as a competitive dancer, so I’ve always loved performing and being onstage,” she says. “Pageantry felt like a chance to challenge myself in a completely different way, where I could bring my personality, goals, and everything I care about onto the stage with me.”Asked what people might not expect about being a pageant contestant, Lengyel says it is how athletic it can be.“Between walking in heels, rehearsals, choreography, quick changes, and long competition days, you definitely build some stamina,” she explains.
Miss Michigan, Amber Uhler
Amber Uhler is Miss Michigan USA 2026.Credit: Amber Uhler/Instagram
Miss Michigan USA Amber Uhler says that her pageant journey began long before she ever stepped on stage.“On January 1, 2021, while nearly 300 pounds, morbidly obese, pre-diabetic, and wearing a size 24, I wrote down one seemingly impossible goal: compete in a beauty pageant,” she recalls. “That dream became the catalyst for losing 170 pounds through diet and exercise alone.”Today, Uhler is 41 years old and a wife and mother of three. “Standing on the Miss USA stage represents so much more than a pageant. It’s proof that it’s never too late to chase the life you once thought was out of reach.”
“People often think pageantry is all about winning a crown, but that’s actually the smallest part of the experience. The real purpose is using your platform to serve others, advocate for meaningful causes, build lifelong relationships, and leave your community better than you found it.”
Miss New York USA, Jenna Dykstra
Jenna Dykstra.Credit: Miss New York USA/Instagram
This year’s Miss New York USA Jenna Dykstra was initially recruited by a pharmaceutical sales rep, while she was working in her job as an ENT and allergy physician’s assistant. “I competed for the United States title four days later and the international title 2 weeks after that. Talk about a career overhaul,” she jokes.She raises the point that, to the outside world, it might appear confusing what all the different pageants are for: Miss USA, Miss America, Miss Universe and so on. It’s a question she gets asked frequently, she says.
“To which I respond that it is like Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Sprite,” she says. “Different brands, different franchises, different flavors and styles but all with the same overarching theme of sisterhood and personal and societal improvement.”
Holly Plank, Miss Maryland USA
Holly Plank is Miss Maryland.Credit: Miss Maryland USA/Instagram
Holly Plank was crowned Miss Maryland USA on July 26 and calls pageantry one of the most “incredible” ways to grow as a person.“When preparing for a pageant, you’re gaining skills for life,” she says.“You learn how to pivot, lose gracefully, how to walk, talk, and show up as the best version of yourself.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
