Waking up at 3 a.m. to put hair in rollers, finding the entry fee money, tripping on a long dress at internationals…all part of the pitfalls of the pageant circuit.
For freshman Regina Gameros, however, the pageants were a way to grow socially. She said the pageants made her who she is.
“I was a very shy girl before I started the pageants,” Regina said. “When my mom asked me, I said, ‘Why not?’ and I’ve loved it ever since.”
Regina has been competing in the Cinderella pageant circuit since she was 4 years old. She was introduced to pageants by one of her mom’s friends. Mom Luisa Gameros is Regina’s biggest supporter. She even helps Regina design her dresses.
“She feels like all these years have been helping her to get ready to compete at the Miss Texas stage in a couple of years and reach more scholarship to attend college,” Luisa said. “She wants to get her business undergrad and then to law school.”
Competing in pageants is not cheap with local pageant entries at about $125 and larger week-long pageant costs at around $2,500.
“Pageants can be expensive,” Regina said. “Luckily all of us are in the same boat, and we make fundraisers. We bake or make raffles. It really helps with the expenses.”
Pageants involve components like interview, talent, casual and formal modeling.
“My talent is tap dancing,” Regina said. “I first started singing, but then I fell in love with dancing.”
Regina has accumulated a variety of mentors throughout her career.
“She’s very blessed to have many mentors like one of her dance teachers, Chelsey Epperson, her interview coach Lisa Spooner, a former Miss Texas, Bryton and Laryssa Bonacquisti, former Miss Louisiana,” Luisa said. “The list just can go on and on. She looks up to so many girls and women who are not just poised and confident, but also ladies who set goals and work hard to achieve them.”
While the perception of pageants is often just crowns and pretty dresses, Regina knows the benefits of the scholarship pageants.
“I got into the Cinderella Scholarship to help with college,” Regina said. “I would like to go to college in Alabama, Tech or Tennessee to be become a lawyer.”
Regina’s titles include Miss Texas Miniature and Miss Texas Teen 2024.
“The last time I went to internationals during the summer, I was the second runner-up,” Regina said. “There are more pageants throughout the year, but I’m too busy with school to go to those.”
Television often portrays pageants as drama filled, but Regina said it’s very supportive.
“We have a very nice environment apart from what you may see on TV,” Gameros said. “I’m the hardest on myself when I don’t see progress.’’
Regina said a great deal of thought and planning go into pageants.
“When we have shows, I have to wake up at 3 a.m.,” Regina said. “All the preparations that go into the pageants are planned from January to the summer.”
With pageant wins comes travel.
“The travel commitment comes when she wins a title,” Luisa said. “So she has to be traveling our state or around the country if she wins an international title. She’s has to have appearances and royalty trips besides in our state. She has been able to travel to New York, Miami, Orlando, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama and New Mexico.”
This type of competition usually comes with stress but not for Regina.
“Pageants are something that she does because she loves them,” Luisa said. “It helps her reach her personal goals because each time that she wins a title, she wins a scholarship, money for her college, so that’s another positive thing.”
