World Class Beauty Queens Magazine would like to welcome amazing Queen McKenna Morin IJM Miss Washington 2019.
Full name: McKenna Morin
Title/Year: IJM Miss Washington 2019
Pageant System: International Junior Miss
Age: 22
Zodiac sign: Capricorn
Hobbies: Photojournalism, traveling, sightseeing
Platform: The Humane Society for the United States
Years competed: One
Countries visited: Five
Likes: Photography, food, friends, movies, the beach, snow, rain
Dislikes: the sound of people eating, spiders
Status: Single
World Class Beauty Queens: Please tell us about yourself.
I recently graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in Communications. I am now working as a Sports photojournalist and reporter. I was born and raised in Anaheim, California and grew up believing I was a Disney princess. I was around 8 when my family moved to Washington and we’ve been here ever since I have traveled to five countries and four continents, including Antarctica. I love traveling and being able to photograph the things I see to share them with the world.
World Class Beauty Queens: What does women Empowerment means to you? Empowered women are ladies who believe in themselves and in other women. It is girls who stand up for what is right even if they are nervous or alone. Ladies supporting ladies, whether you are friends, sisters or strangers.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your pageant history. My first pageant was in February of 2019. I always wanted to be a Debutant but Washington doesn’t have those. When my friend Cierra Nalani Richards asked me to run for IJM I thought it would be a fun experience. I had no idea I would win and then spend the next year having the time of my life with my sister queens.
World Class Beauty Queens: What inspired you to do your first pageant? My friend is the reason I decided to enter my first pageant. However I really wanted to see what the crazy world of pageants was like and to have that experience for myself. Seeing some of the amazing work other pageant girls and women do, I knew I wanted to be a part of that.
World Class Beauty Queens: Why did you choose to compete for your current title? IJM is a scholarship pageant that looks at who you are as a person and how you effect your community. Those are important ideals to me and I wanted to hold a title in a system that shared those with me. IJM is all about the sisterhood. We do everything together. When I went to internationals, I met so many ladies who I am friends with now. It is such a bonding and welcoming system.
World Class Beauty Queens: To those unfamiliar with your pageant system please tell us what is it about? IJM is about being polished and professional while showcasing the amazing opportunities you have as a title holder. The main competitions are in evening gown, fun fashion and interview. So while you should look nice, it’s not about how skinny or fit you are, how tall or short you measure up, or how you look in a swim suit. It’s about who you are as a person.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are you being judged on during the competition? Interview, evening gown, and fun fashion.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your experience during the competition. During my first pageant I wasn’t worried about steaming my dress, curling my hair, or even winning. I didn’t know to be worried about those things. Instead I focused on making friends and memories. I wanted to have the most authentic experience and the way to do that is to live in the moment.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your platform or what cause do you volunteer for. With IJM, my platform is working with Humane Societies to help find good homes for pets experiencing homelessness. My puppy Max was a homeless dog. At nine months old the Humane Society for southwest Washington found a puppy in a cardboard box tapped closed on the side of a river. He had been there for about three days. Because of the donations of food, toys, and bedding he recovered and was able to be adopted into my home. I help many other dogs and cats find their own happy endings.
World Class Beauty Queens: What appearances have you done with your title? I have done appearances in Seattle at the Mariners games, in Portland parades, and service events like volunteering at the Portland ALs walk for a cure. One of my favorite appearances was at Disney World. Peter Pan parade me and my family around the park, Many princesses chatted about queen etiquette with me, and Minnie Mouse and I taught Mickey the princess wave.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are some of your achievements? Some achievements I am proud of are, graduating college, getting a job in my field, rising money for the ALS foundation, the Susan G. Komen Organization, and for Humane Societies.
World Class Beauty Queens: What makes you stand out from all those other beautiful girls? I think I stand out because I try to live and be my best self. I am not the stereotypical pageant queen. I believe beauty is as much on the inside as it is on the out.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about the moment your name was called out as the winner. I didn’t really process my name being called for the first few seconds after winning. I stood there until the retiring queen came over to crown me. She and I are friends so we started crying and laughing, not believing I had won. It was my first pageant and I was competing with pros. It was amazing.
World Class Beauty Queens: What does it mean to you to be a Beauty Queen? It means to exert beauty in everything you do. Being beautiful is not only how you look. It’s how you act, treat others, speak, and just generally who you are.
World Class Beauty Queens: How did competing in pageants helped your life? It helped me create new friends, break stereotypes, and be more confident in myself and my looks.
World Class Beauty Queens: How did pageants helped your selfesteem and body image? Pageants helped me learn that you create your own beauty. Even though you are being judged, the judges take their ques from you. If you are confident and see yourself as beautiful, they will too.
World Class Beauty Queens: You are an inspiration to all the girls out there. How does it feel? Being an inspiration or role model bring a lot of pressure. However, it brings so many great opportunities to help others and showcase things that mater to you. I feel so blessed to have this role.
World Class Beauty Queens: What is your on stage strategy to win the judges over? I show them that I am having the time of my life. It doesn’t matter if I have a wardrobe malfunction, or my hair fell, or if my makes smudged. If I show them I am doing my best and having fun, they will to.
World Class Beauty Queens: How did you prepare for your competition? I trained every night. I practiced my walk, my talk, my turns and broke in my shoes. I worked with a previous title holder who knew the ropes better than I did.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for learning better pageant walk? This sounds silly but walk like you have a mission to accomplish. Walk proud and tall.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for choosing right pageant dress? If you feel beautiful in the dress, then you will look beautiful in the dress. I tried on many gowns my mom thought were the best thing ever, but I hated them. The dress I chose made me feel like a winner and a true queen.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for winning interview? Something I always work on is knowing when to stop. Don’t ramble. Tell them what you need to say and finish strong.
World Class Beauty Queens: What is one mistake that you've done during competing you wish you could redo and fix it? One time, I was doing a personal intro and completely forgot to say my name. I wish I could go back and take a deep breath before walking out on that stage.
World Class Beauty Queens: What other mistakes are made by girls during the contest? Forgetting turns and poses are common. However the biggest mistake I think you can make is not having fun. In the end only one person can take home the crown, but you can still win by improving yourself, making friends, and having a good time.
World Class Beauty Queens: Any modeling or acting experience? When I was little I acted in a few small plays.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your plans for 2020 as a Queen? I crown my successor in February. After that, I will look for something I can dedicate my time to that helps others.
World Class Beauty Queens: What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? Leaving a legacy is a big thing, but it’s hard to achieve. I think sometimes the best legacies are the ones you don’t plan. I want to leave a legacy of friendliness and kindness. I want people to remember the IJM 2019 queens as one big family.
International Director: Nikki Clark
National Director: Nikki Clark
Your Local Director: Nicole Miller
Pageant website: internationaljuniormiss.com
World Class Beauty Queens Magazine would like to say thank you for this amazing interview.
McKenna Morin IJM Miss Washington 2019, World Class Beauty Queens Magazine, Photo by Lori Gush
Interview by Derek Tokarzewski Owner/Editor in Chief Mr United Nations 2018 Platform: Women Empowerment Ambassador to International Foundation for Orphans iffocares.org
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