Goodbye Miss TX North America title, Hello New Chapter of my Life

Transitioning into any phase of your life takes time and an open mind willing to accept change. When I won Miss Texas North America in March of 2021, I didn't realize at the time, but my life was about to transition to busy weekends (every single weekend), appearances, and a change in my outlook on life. As my year went on, this became the normal and what I was accustomed to. I could no longer imagine having a free weekend or life without the sash and crown. But how blessed was I to be granted this opportunity in the first place and have something that makes saying goodbye so difficult.

When I reflect on my Miss Texas North America journey, I find myself wishing I could put it into words but there are no words to describe what this title meant to me. The truth is, the crown is to be seen as a privilege and opportunity, not as a prize. An opportunity to represent something much larger than yourself. An opportunity to serve others, and grow into who you were always meant to be. If all your prayers were answered, would they change the world or only yours? My hope was to make an impact in my community and on others, but never would I have imagined the capacity of the impact that I have made. Now, when I pray, I pray to be of use & to live a life whose purpose exceeds my time here. I discovered so much about myself throughout the duration of my reign. When the crown is placed on your head, it changes your demeanor. You stand taller, smile bigger, and live larger, because it elevates your way of thinking. I could walk into a grocery store and no one would notice me but when the crown is on, heads turn and little kids say “look, it’s a princess”. It took me a little while to realize that the crown doesn’t define me, my worth, or my future potential. It doesn’t give me value but it enabled me to do things beyond what I thought I was capable of. The crown didn’t give me a voice, it amplified my voice. There is so much more to the crown than that of which meets the eye. Behind the beautiful crown, there was a team of people who loved me well, my family. There was my amazing director, who humbly served the organization and created an avenue for women to chase their dreams and make a difference. Through her, I met girls who I didn't know then, would change my life forever. Pageantry has an expiration date but the sisterhood I formed with the girls, will last forever and that alone, is the beauty and biggest perk of pageantry. As my time as Miss Texas North America has ended, the legacy I pray I was able to leave is that I hope to be someone's inspiration to never give up. I realize that a crown worn on the head will last a year but a crown worn on the heart will last a lifetime.

It's true what they say, that when one door closes, another one opens and I believe that I will be walking into the best season of my life. This chapter of my life is called making dreams a reality. My journey after Miss Texas includes giving my all to my new full time job position of being the Public Relations and Human Resources Director at Robstown ISD, finalizing the last pieces to establish my first ever nonprofit organization titled "empoWEr women", publishing my first children's book titled "Polly the Possum", and building homes for the less fortunate through Habitat for Humanity. I get asked an awful lot if I will be competing again or what my next title will be. My answer remains the same "we will cross that bridge when we get there". Competing is definitely still on my radar but not for a little while because I plan to focus on my above projects and give my all to each of them. I will not sell myself short or rob a project of it's full potential. I will also be taking this time to enjoy this "break" from being constantly busy with events. It is important to realize that pageants and titles keep you busy but make sure to take time for yourself too. Time to reflect on the title or journey you are on because sometimes, your reward is the walk, not the destination.

With that being said, there are a lot of exciting projects in the works and I cannot wait to share more of each one with you here on the blog. Stay tuned and be on the lookout!

XOXO, Tess