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Fresh off winning Miss Louisiana Teen Sportsman’s Paradise USA, Emilie Hebert is honing her skills to compete in October’s Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageant.
The 18-year-old Louisiana State University freshman and Chauvin native is hopeful she can parlay the Triple Crown Preliminary outcome in Lafayette when contestants return Oct. 24-25 to the Heymann Performing Arts Center.
If Hebert wins, she’d be the second consecutive Terrebonne Parish resident to hold the crown. The current Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2014 is Houma’s Mary Risener.
Between now and October, Hebert’s goals are to gain more confidence and improve her interview skills and overall self presentation. The skills can only help, as the 2014 Vandebilt Catholic High School graduate’s dream career is to work for a public relations team or a sports organization.
“I am not athletic at all, but I did cheerleading and that opened me up to how much I love sports,” Hebert said. “I loved watching from the sidelines. It would be fun to be around it all of the time.”
The Chauvin teen admitted that growing up in south Louisiana watching the New Orleans Saints and LSU has also flamed her sports passion. Jimmy Graham is her favorite Saint. Hebert is in search of a favorite Tiger on the gridiron. Her past favorites have graduated.
“I guess I will have to find new ones that I like. I am sure I will meet some while I am there. I am excited to be in Death Valley as a student,” she said.
Hebert joined the pageant circuit on a lark, entering the Miss Chauvin contest in 2011 – and winning.
“I did it for fun, just to try something new,” she said. “It turned out to be fun because my friends came out and I ended up winning.”
From there, Hebert learned that pageants offered excellent networking opportunities and college scholarships.
“I got really into it so, now, I am here,” she said.
“Pageants really connect you with all types of people. I have met my directors, fellow titleholders, our sponsors, staff with the state pageant and other people who work in the world of pageantry,” Hebert said. “You get to meet people who are successful in their field. For example, if I were to win Miss Teen USA, my boss would be Donald Trump.
“Competing allows me to connect with people, make lasting relationships and possibly meet future employers.”
In anticipation of the swimsuit competition, Hebert is focusing on staying fit – a challenge for any college freshman.
“I am really big into my health so working out and eating right are super important to me,” she said.
Hebert is also confident about the interview process because she loves talking to people.
“I just have to be myself and be natural and not uptight about it,” she said. “I need to not think of it so much as a competition, but just think of it as a conversation with somebody.”
The teen admitted that pageants are a way of showcasing her love for competition. Out of the blue last summer, Hebert decided to teach herself the Arabic alphabet for fun because she wanted a new challenge.
She said her competitive drive started at a young age, when she first began participating in dance and cheer contests.
“Competition is a great way to challenge yourself and push your limits because at the end of the day, no matter if you win or lose, you gain experience, learn lessons about yourself and about life, and hopefully have fun,” Hebert said. “Pageants push me to be the best version of myself because I know I want to be proud of what I’m bringing to the stage when I stand up there. If do-ing this brings me a job or inspires someone, then that is more than I can ask for.”
Emilie Hebert,18, of Chauvin, started doing pageants for fun and now uses them as a tool to network with people. Recently awarded the Miss Louisiana Teen Sportsman’s Paradise USA, Hebert will compete for the Miss Louisiana Teen USA title in October.
