Harley Earl crowned Miss USU Eastern

This archived article was written by: Emily Manley

Six of USU Eastern’s best and brightest young women displayed their talents as they competed for the title of Miss USU Eastern. The contestants were Harley Earl, who was crowned Miss USU Eastern, Samantha Jones, who was awarded first runner up, Bonnie Blackburn, who was awarded second runner up and Miss Congeniality, Caitlin Hensley, Madison Woodward, and Morgan Verdi. All of the participants were competing in their first pageant ever and performed with great skill.
Shala Osborne put the pageant together with the help of Terry Johnson, ESA, the SUN Center volunteers and many community sponsors. Miss USU Eastern is awarded a scholarship and will serve with the recruitment department to be the face of USU Eastern. Earl is looking forward to this new opportunity and hopes to continue service in leadership positions next year.
Because this pageant was affiliated with The Miss Utah Pageant, the winner automatically earns a spot to compete for the title of Miss Utah. Earl is working 10-20 hours a week to prepare for the upcoming Pageant held on June 16-21, 2014. The Miss Utah Pageant is different from the Miss USU Eastern pageant. Not only is it larger, with 48 contestants, there is also more paperwork, meetings, technicalities and higher expectations of all competing.
Earl doesn’t think of herself as the “typical pageant girl type” and she never thought she would be competing in The Miss Utah Pageant. “I was really overwhelmed at first, but now I’m excited.” One of Earl’s main focuses is building her wardrobe for the event. Each contestant must have several outfits, and it is important to choose apparel that is flattering and shows the unique personality of each competitor.
Earl’s platform is to create a healthy generation of children by promoting an active lifestyle through involvement in sports. Earl has always been involved in sports and is passionate about the positive role they have had in her life. She believes that encouraging youth to play sports will not only help them live a healthy lifestyle but teach them how to work as a team and build meaningful friendships.
Although she does not have much experience competing in pageants, Earl believes that her personality, confidence, physical fitness and passion for her platform will set her apart from other contestants. She says this experience has taught her how important personality is and strengthened her public speaking and communication skills.
Earl is excited to compete in The Miss Utah Pageant because she knows she will make many new friends and learn from the experience. She says “If I am going to be there and have this opportunity, I’m going to work my hardest and make the most of it.”