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Madison Leonard: Not Your Average Pageant Queen
Finally! Pageants are starting to get real. And Madison Leonard, the first-ever winner of the Distinguished Young Woman competition, is here to prove just how down-to-earth and cool the new crop of girls is. Yep, what used to be called America’s Junior Miss has undergone a makeover. It got a new name (that’d be Distinguished Young Woman) and focuses on five sharp categories: interview, talent, scholastics, self-expression and fitness.
Eighteen-year-old Madison has been involved in a variety of things from music to sports to community service. This ultra-smart (and sooo humble) high school salutatorian also raked in $50,000 in scholarships during her time competing in the Distinguished Young Woman program. Not bad, right? Keep reading to see what Madison had to say about competing with such a skilled group of girls and why she thinks it’s important to stay healthy.
Befriend the Competition
Madison said she was intimidated by the bios and resumes of her competitors before they met. But things totally worked out for the best. “I’ve met girls from all over the country now, and I know that they’re going to be long-lasting friendships and relationships, because they’re just fantastic people. Sometimes it can be hard to relate to people that seem intimidating, but it’s so rewarding in the end.” The next time you’re in a tryout or competition, see what you can learn from the girls around you—you just might be surprised.
Put Your Health First
“It’s critical to have that part in your life, no matter how smart you are, no matter how involved you are in your community. It’s most important to be healthy, because without that you can’t help anyone around you and you can’t ‘be your best self,”” Madison tells us. And she’d know…she played tennis on her high school’s team. Aces!
Tap into that Talent
The super-skilled Madison reminds us how important it is to be more than just a one-note. She sang while playing piano for her talent during the National Finals, and as a musical theater actress, cello player and self-taught guitar student. Cool, right? Just goes to show ya you don’t have to shell out major bucks on lessons—love that.
Tackling the Next Challenge
Up next? Madison is planning to major in music and vocal performance this fall at Pepperdine University. “[Music is] a really huge part of my own education, so I hope that whether I go on to perform or whether I go on to go into music education, that I can continue applying the arts in my life and others’ lives, and hopefully benefit them.”
We hope so, too, girl!
Eighteen-year-old Madison has been involved in a variety of things from music to sports to community service. This ultra-smart (and sooo humble) high school salutatorian also raked in $50,000 in scholarships during her time competing in the Distinguished Young Woman program. Not bad, right? Keep reading to see what Madison had to say about competing with such a skilled group of girls and why she thinks it’s important to stay healthy.
Befriend the Competition
Madison said she was intimidated by the bios and resumes of her competitors before they met. But things totally worked out for the best. “I’ve met girls from all over the country now, and I know that they’re going to be long-lasting friendships and relationships, because they’re just fantastic people. Sometimes it can be hard to relate to people that seem intimidating, but it’s so rewarding in the end.” The next time you’re in a tryout or competition, see what you can learn from the girls around you—you just might be surprised.
Put Your Health First
“It’s critical to have that part in your life, no matter how smart you are, no matter how involved you are in your community. It’s most important to be healthy, because without that you can’t help anyone around you and you can’t ‘be your best self,”” Madison tells us. And she’d know…she played tennis on her high school’s team. Aces!
Tap into that Talent
The super-skilled Madison reminds us how important it is to be more than just a one-note. She sang while playing piano for her talent during the National Finals, and as a musical theater actress, cello player and self-taught guitar student. Cool, right? Just goes to show ya you don’t have to shell out major bucks on lessons—love that.
Tackling the Next Challenge
Up next? Madison is planning to major in music and vocal performance this fall at Pepperdine University. “[Music is] a really huge part of my own education, so I hope that whether I go on to perform or whether I go on to go into music education, that I can continue applying the arts in my life and others’ lives, and hopefully benefit them.”
We hope so, too, girl!
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