Interview with Miss Teen USA on #SelfLove Campaign©

Glitter girls meet Miss Teen USA, K. Lee Graham. She’s simply amazing! Glitter sat down with K. Lee to talk about her road to the crown, the most challenging aspect of the MISS TEEN competition, what it means to represent teens across America, what self-love means to her, and make sure to read to the end where we ask her some fun quickfire questions.

GLITTER: Where are you from and how far did you have to travel to be in the MISS TEEN USA competition?

K. LEE: I was born and raised in South Carolina. During my year as Miss South Carolina Teen USA, I traveled all over the state making appearances, and then went to the Bahamas to compete for the national title. Now that I’ve won, I moved to New York City to live and work with the Miss Universe Organization!

 

GLITTER: Tell us about your road to Miss TEEN USA.

K. LEE: I competed in a few pageants in middle school, but I was still new to the pageant world when I competed for the first time at Miss South Carolina Teen USA in 2012, where I was fourth runner up. At that point, I had only competed in my high school’s pageant and a local pageant. I then competed in my high school pageant again as a sophomore (and won!), in addition to another local pageant which sent me to state once more. When I won Miss South Carolina Teen USA in 2013, I also won a spot at the Miss Teen USA pageant which brought me to where I am today! I am a strong believer that practice, experience, and preparation is essential for achieving your goals, so having a bit of experience before Miss Teen USA made me feel more confident about my ability to represent my state to the best of my ability!

 

GLITTER: What has been the most challenging aspect of the MISS TEEN competition?

K. LEE: The most challenging aspect of competing is learning to not compare myself to the other contestants. It’s difficult to stand beside some of the most beautiful and accomplished young women in the country and not judge yourself! I’ve learned to be unapologetically me, and to be happy in my own skin. I’ve also learned to not be jealous because someone else looks ‘more beautiful’ than me, to not always try to prove I’m better than another girl, and to not wish failure on someone else so that I can succeed. There’s room for all of us to celebrate our own beauty, appreciate the beauty of others, and to become successful women!

 

GLITTER: What does it mean for you to represent teens across America?

K. LEE: It is such a privilege to be representing our country’s teens! There’s definitely a sense of responsibility that comes with the job, but it is also a great motivator to live a positive life and to always work my hardest. I love being able to use the position to speak out about important causes and issues that are affecting my generation.

 

GLITTER: Do you feel you are a role model? If so, how.

K. LEE: I think we are all role models. When I speak to groups about my Live Beautifully campaign, I tell them that we all have spheres of influence, people that look up to us. Because of Miss Teen USA my ‘sphere’ has grown for obvious reasons, but I still hold on to my original beliefs that we all have a  responsibility to set a positive example, to be kind to the people around us, and to be leader among our peers. For example, before I won any pageant title I remember kids that I taught in Sunday school telling me that they wanted to be like me, that they wanted to dress the same, or that they wanted to do the things that I did. And I remember being their age and thinking the same way about the teenagers I knew from church just because they were older and inherently cool! So yes, I do believe that I am a role model, and I strive to always be a positive one.

 

GLITTER: What do you like to do in your free time?

K. LEE: My favorite things to do when I have free time is to work out, try new healthy recipes, write, read books and fashion magazines, and explore New York City with my friends! Working out is one of my absolute favorite things to do. It’s such a great stress reliever and is one of the main ways I practice #selflove! For a few years I’ve been devoted to Pilates, but I also absolutely love HIIT workouts, running, resistance training, Soul Cycle, and now yoga!

 

GLITTER: What’s a typical day like for you?

K. LEE: It’s hard to outline a ‘typical’ day because every single one is different, and that’s what I love about the job! But my favorite days start with a morning workout, after which I’ll go to volunteer with one of our charities like God’s Love We Deliver, Best Buddies, or Project Sunshine. Then I might go to the office to check in with the Miss Universe Organization and get ready for a night event, possibly a gala or red carpet event with my big sister, Miss USA. As Miss Teen USA I go to awards shows, charity galas and fundraisers, fashion shows, or other events that promote the message of being ‘Confidently Beautiful’, our motto at MUO! I also speak to schools and other groups of students, volunteer with charities and nonprofits, and support philanthropic causes. But no matter what my schedule looks like, I am always having fun!

 

GLITTER: How do you juggle your education and your duties as MISS TEEN USA?

K. LEE: Before I picked up and moved to New York I made sure that all of my high school classes were finished! I ended my junior year as number 1 in my class, and I only needed two credit hours to graduate. I took those classes online and finished them in December. At the same time I was applying to multiple different colleges and scholarship programs, so it was very busy. My personal motto is that if you want something, you’ll make time to work for it and make it happen. Both my education and my job as Miss Teen USA are so important to me, so I make time for them both!

 

GLITTER: What advice can you give to teens that may feel intimidated by all of the glam on social networks today and not feeling good enough about themselves?

K. LEE: When it comes to social media, the most important thing to remember is that it is all filtered. I’m not just talking about Instagram filters, but filtered content. People put out the best moments of their lives and construct this story or timeline that only highlights the good things, so it’s easy to look at someone else and feel like your life may not measure up. But what we don’t see very often are the unpleasant moments where we are hurt, stressed, or frustrated. The moments that are not quite worthy of #goals. So don’t feel bad if you think someone’s life is 20x better than yours based on their Instagram feed, we all have our good and bad moments. Choose to be positive!

 

GLITTER: What advice do you have for girls that are competing in pageants and strive to achieve what you have with this title?

K. LEE: My best advice for success in pageantry is to stop competing and start celebrating. Too often people think that to win pageants you have to be better than the girls around you, but I find that is such a negative mindset to have. Choose instead to celebrate you and your accomplishments, as well as the accomplishments of the girls around you. Taking a more positive approach of becoming the best you that you can be lets you enjoy the experience, make amazing new friends, and exude a joy on stage that tells the judges you are ready to take on the job!

 

GLITTER: What’s your definition of self-love?

K. LEE: Self-love is learning to love my own kind of beautiful! It’s taking care of my mind, body, and heart by living a healthy lifestyle, always learning something new ever yday, and by choosing to be positive. Self-love is knowing that I am not perfect, but I am perfectly happy with who I am.

 

GLITTER: What’s next for you, where would you like to go in your career?

K. LEE: The next stop for me is college! I received an incredible scholarship to the University of South Carolina Honors College, and will be starting classes the Monday after I give up my Miss Teen USA crown! Right now I plan to major in International Business and Marketing and intern throughout college so that I can start my career in the Fashion and Beauty Industry after graduation. I’d love to own my own company one day!

 

GLITTER: How has participating in MISS TEEN USA changed your life?

K. LEE: Participating in Miss Teen USA changed my life because it helped me become the woman that I wanted to be. It’s helped me develop my character, my confidence, and my vision for the future. It’s taught me that anything is possible, and that if you work hard, believe in yourself, and treat people with kindness then you can accomplish your goals!

 

GLITTER: How can fans follow you?

K. LEE: They can follow me on twitter at @missteenusa.

 

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS:

 

GLITTER: What’s your fav, Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat or Instagram?

K. LEE: Instagram all the way! But I also love Twitter because I have tons of random thoughts that are often times just too nerdy to not share!

 

GLITTER: NYC or LA?

K. LEE: Los Angeles! I love NYC so much and plan to move back here, but LA is the land of sunshine, green smoothies, and endless summer!

 

GLITTER: Favorite beauty product?

K. LEE: Tinted Moisturizer. I love being able to give my skin a breather my just swiping on some sheer coverage and SPF with a tinted moisturizer. Add some mascara, a little blush, bronzer, and just a hint of gloss and I’m ready to head out the door for my normal daily routine!

 

GLITTER: TopShop or Urban Outfitters?

K. LEE: TopShop

 

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