Q&A: 2018 Miss Stanton Contestant #1 Mary Syla
ISABELLA PUSKAS AND CLARK JONES | FEB. 22, 2018 | INTERVIEW
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (SCPDA) — With the Miss Stanton Pageant around the corner, the pressure is on for all the young women who are participating to represent Stanton. To understand their hopes for the pageant and what they have taken away from it, Devil’s Advocate interviewed them and got their side of the story.
DEVIL'S ADVOCATE: What does the title Miss Stanton mean to you?
MARY SYLA: To me, the title “Miss Stanton” means that whoever wins is the best representation of the school. The title “Miss Stanton” means that whoever wins is the most qualified. She’s not only beautiful, but she's also talented, and well-spoken and is just the overall best representation of our school.
DA: Why did you decide to run?
MS: I kind of decided to run just because I wanted to try it out. I didn't go in expecting to place or do well, but I just wanted to see, just to have the experience, and also to make new friends because a lot of the girls from last year said you make friendships you keep.
DA: How do you respond to the negative connotation that comes with pageants?
MS: I would say that it's generally overdone, because most people think of pageants as only about beauty and only about how you look and you have to be the perfect Barbie character but that’s not what it is all about. At Miss Stanton you have to have a lot of qualifications, so I would say that pageants are more than you think.
DA: Who would you say is your biggest role model and why?
MS: I would say my parents are my biggest role models because they left Albania in order to give me the American dream sort of life, so they sacrificed everything and they still keep a positive attitude.
DA: How will you make a difference if you win Miss Stanton?
MS: If I were to win Miss Stanton I would raise more awareness about eating disorders, which is my whole platform, because a close friend of mine has suffered from it, so I would just break the stereotype of what eating disorders seem like.
DA: What makes you different from the other contestants?
MS: I think I'm different from the other contestants because I have a lot of heart to give, I'll put all I have into it, I'm also a perfectionist so whatever I'll do, I'll do it to the best of my ability.
DA: What is the relationship you have with the other contestants?
MS: I would say I have a very positive relationship. I love going to rehearsal with all of them; we dance and go through our talent and everything, so it's just an upbeat environment that's overall really happy.
DA: What do you think has been the most rewarding part of the pageant?
MS: I would definitely have to say making new friends, because a bunch of the contestants... I knew their names, but I didn't necessarily know who they were and how they are as people, but throughout the whole experience I've grown close to all fourteen other contestants.
DA: If you win how do you think you'll balance responsibilities with the responsibility of Miss Stanton?
MS: I think I'd balance the responsibilities because I already do a lot, so it would just be adding one more thing. I'd say I'm pretty good at time management because I do decently well in school, and I do a lot of other activities.
DA: Is there any one specific quality you have that would really make you a good Miss Stanton?
MS: I can think on my feet really quickly so it usually helps if a situation goes wrong, like in rehearsals if there's a problem, I can usually help think of a new solution.