Pageantry magazine: Describe the day-to-day schedule and routines of running a national pageant, such as America’s National Teenager Scholarship Organization.
Jenny Telwar: The days during our national pageant weeks start very early. Our goal each day is to provide a positive, high energy and fun experience for every girl. That requires my staff and myself to be on every minute. We start each day around 6 a.m. and end each day around 1 a.m. Very long days! But we have a good staff team that works hard and excels in every role. And each member takes pride in his or her contribution to the overall national pageant. Our contestants are the first priority and their experience is what matters the most to us.

PM: What exactly are the duties of the national director of ANTSO?
JT: I am a woman who wears many hats. I coordinate and oversee all of my state directors and their state programs, work and plan for nationals all year, travel in promotional efforts for the pageant, secure sponsorships while working with our current sponsors and oversee all elements of budget, production and implementation. And yes, I love every minute of it. I have fun in every aspect of all I do—how more perfect of a job can you have?

PM: What goes into the judging for an ANTSO pageant?
JT: Judging for our National program is a five-day experience, on site in Nashville, Tennessee. Through our competition, our judges really get to see the girls and know them through their phases of competition. We also treat our judges to sightseeing activities, fabulous dinners and social time. Because our judging teams have so much fun together, I am asked again and again by judges who want to come back—they had such a great time at our pageant.

PM: How are the different categories weighed, and how do you determine which categories are the most valued?
JT: All categories are weighed in by their percentages. The scores are calculated accordingly and fall where they fall. ANTSO does not believe or implement in a ballot system.

Our scoring is very simple: 15 percent academics (school achievement, honors and grades); 15 percent activities/community service (volunteer work, school activities/clubs and extracurricular activities), 30 percent interview (one-on-one format, personality and ability to speak); 15 percent evening gown (poise, confidence, stage presence); 15 percent personal expression (a trademarked category—girls decorate a pair of blue jeans with things about them and model them on stage—confidence, creativity and teen spirit); and 10 percent onstage question (question about them written by the judges). Interview is the highest percentage because Miss National Teenager participates in so many high profile appearances and interviews, she must be able to articulate answers and formulate opinions.

PM: How do you select the judges for your event and what qualifications do you look for?
JT: I have a wonderful National Judge’s Chairperson, Gerald Odom, who selects and coordinates my national judges every year. I take a very “hands-off” approach with my judges. My judges understand their job is to choose the best representatives for our program. And I let them do their job. However, I do know Gerald selects judges based their experience in pageantry, knowledge of the system, qualifications and educational/job background. Judges are selected throughout the year and some are interviewed before being selected to judge at our national pageant.

PM: What do you tell a first time judge to look for going into a pageant?
JT: I tell them to follow their gut. Look for a girl that is genuine, real and a self–starter. Someone that they can meet and say, “Wow, that girl is great!” And someone they feel like they would trust and hire for their own company, since our title is responsibility and it takes a responsible person to fill it.

PM: Which do you prefer: an experienced, seasoned judge or someone with a fresh, new perspective?
JT: I think it is important to include both kinds of judges into my judging panels!

PM: What are the pros and cons of both?
JT: The pros of an experienced judge are that they understand pageantry, schedules and what it takes to be a titleholder. But sometimes an experienced judge has judged so much that they have very strong opinions about particular gowns or interview presence. They already have something they “like” and that can get in the way of an unbiased opinion. However, a fresh new judge doesn’t always understand what it takes to be a titleholder all year. They don’t always understand the schedule a titleholder must keep. But they do lend a new eye to pageantry and prove to be instrumental in the new trends that start in pageantry. A novice judge can sometimes draw attention to things a more experienced judge overlooks. So we include a mixture of both on our panel, for fairness and an all-encompassing view.

PM: What can a contestant do to differentiate herself from the rest of the pack that a judge may or may not typically be looking for?
JT: Be real. I know it is cliché but honestly, a real girl comes across as honest and secure. If you can’t be those two things, what kind of representative or role model can you be to other girls? To be effective as a teen mentor, you have to know who you are and have confidence in your presence. And once you gain those two things, you are unstoppable.