In our society today, success is a concept that each and every one of us are trying to reach. No matter which path we decide to take, we want our ambitions and passions in life to lead us to success. An important person in my life recently told me that his current fear is that he won’t succeed in life, regardless of how high his ambitions are. After thinking about this, I realized that this is a fear that is universal among every single human being, and today, among women more than ever before. In regards to this, one concept that goes hand in hand with the idea of success is the idea of dressing like a successful person, especially in the world of women in the workforce. This central theme was examined at our very own annual Miss Cherokeean Pageant this February 9, 2019, where participants spoke out in front of their parents, teachers, and peers about what “Dress For Success” really means to them.

The pageant opened with each contestant participating in a choreographed dance to the song “Suit and Tie” by Justin Timberlake. After this, the pageant had officially begun. The night was broken up into two separate sections: casual wear and formal wear. During the casual wear category, each of the girls found the courage to speak out about what “Dress for Success” means to them personally. Responses included Yasmin Carerra’s desire to create a free dress-for-success closet, Ciara Mace’s passion of helping others, and every single girl’s mentality to succeed in a world where women can chase whichever goal they want to go after in a fearless pursuit. Through all of the responses heard, we learned that dressing for success involves far more than just fashion and that the beauty the girls are chasing after is not one that can be seen on the inside. After everyone had spoken and after a brief intermission, the girls presented their outward beauty, present in every single one of them, in the formal wear section. Various entertainment followed, and finally, long awaited awards were given.

The winners of the night are as follows:

Miss Cherokeean – Kassidy Perry

Miss Senior – Dacy Thomas

Miss Junior – Naomi Bolden

Miss Sophmore – Erika Quinn

Miss Freshman – Anna Paris

Spirit Award – Precious Smith

People’s Choice Award – Kassidy Perry

Senior Academic Award – Ciara Mace

Junior Academic Award – Christy Bolin

Sophmore Academic Award – Brianna Kaylin Parris

Freshman Academic Award – Anna Paris

The Gaffney High School Indian Post wants to thank Alyssia Nix, 2018 Homecoming Queen, and Jada Vergara, 2018 Miss Cherokeean, for crowning our winners of the night. We also want to thank Alanie Blanton and Zoe Hurst for being our vocalists of the night.

The Indian Post Staff also sought out feedback from the experience the girls had from the pageant. When asked what winning or what being in the pageant meant to them, this is how the girls responded:

Kassidy Perry (Miss Cherokeean) – “Being Miss Cherokeean means that my childhood dream came true. I’ve always loved being on stage, and being able to do what I love and winning means the world to me! I think all the girls were so beautiful, and I’m honored to hold this title. I worked very hard for the pageant, so winning it also meant that all of the hard work was worth it. It is truly a memory I will carry with me forever.”

Kaylee Yang (Freshman) – “To be in the pageant really meant everything to me. I wanted to do it to improve my confidence and to have the experience of being in one. My favorite part was the ball gown section. I honestly felt like Cinderella the whole time, and all of the contestants looked absolutely beautiful. What I learned is that everyone should always try new things and should be themselves, and that it doesn’t matter about winning or losing, just about having a good time. Being a part of Miss Cherokeean 2019 was such a memorable event.”

Anna Paris (Miss Freshman) – “I really enjoyed doing the pageant! I made new friends and became more confident in myself during the process. I absolutely loved it!”

Naomi (Miss Junior) – “Winning Miss Junior meant so much to me. It showed that if you put your heart and mind into a certain goal, it allows a fair chance for you to win. The girls I competed beside were beautiful, intelligent, and hard-working, and this was quite intimidating to me at times. When I saw and accepted the beauty and great qualities in them, it allowed me to discover the ones within myself. I found that in life, you don’t have to be the girl beside you to do well – you can just be yourself!”

Dacy Thomas (Miss Senior) – “I didn’t expect to win the pageant at all. It was something I dedicated myself to, so I’m honored to have won because it lets me know that the dedication paid off.””

Payton Greene (Junior) – My favorite part of the pageant is getting on stage and showing off my personality. I also love having a great time with the other contestants and making memories through the pageant.”

Through all of these responses, it is evident that the pageant was really a process of self-discovery more than anything else, and that “Dress For Success” was by far about inner beauty rather than outward. We’re thankful that the event was a success, and it was only because of all of those involved that it was made possible. The Gaffney High School Indian Post Staff expresses gratefulness to all faculty, administrators, and community partners, participants, and parents that helped us throughout this process. This pageant is what fuels our program, but we are overjoyed to know that it is also an event that participants are able to gain something very special from and that the community can be involved in. We can’t wait until next year’s pageant!

Above is a video from the night – we hope you enjoy!!