Among the students at Plant High School there are two queens who reign above the rest.

Seniors Lauren Watson and Olivia Fiss have both held titles under Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Program throughout high school.

“When I was little I never really did the glitz and glamour pageants, I just did little ones here and there,” Watson said. “But when I got to when I was 14 I found out about the Miss America Organization and that’s when I hit the age of eligibility to compete in it.”

Fiss had similar misconceptions that many have about pageants before she began competing. “When I was 13, my aunt asked me if I wanted to start competing in a pageant and I was kind of like ‘I don’t know it’s kind of dumb’ because obviously I was uneducated about pageants, but then I started it and it has shaped me into becoming the person that I am today,“ Fiss said.

“I don’t have to wear my crown and sash to hang out with the Best Buddies kids, I think its just who I am,”

Throughout their pageant careers Watson and Fiss have dealt with peers who don’t understand the world of pageants and their misconceptions.

“I think there’s the stereotype behind it all, it’s definitely something that people get wrong like they think that people are only in it for the crown or for money,” Watson said. “But in reality there is absolutely no money behind the Miss America Organization or really in pageants in general. The money comes in scholarships, but you can’t go buy shoes with what you win.”

“I think the most common misconceptions [about pageants]  is that the girls who are competing and that they’re just surface level girls…but there’s always meaning behind it.” Fiss said.

Watson is currently on a break from pageants in order to focus on applying to colleges and future careers, but has received scholarships to Auburn from winning Nevada’s outstanding teen.

“It’s not just like pageants are all about winning money, you don’t get a cash prize, everything goes towards your education,” Watson said. “A lot of people can get that mixed up because they see Miss Congeniality or they think you have to be blonde hair and blue eyes or really tall and really skinny but that’s definitely not the case.”

Fiss plans to compete in the Miss division for the first time at Miss Pasco on Jan. 21.

“I don’t allow pageants to make me who I am. If I’m going to compete in a pageant I’m going to prepare for that pageant but I’m not going to let it take priority over school, or my faith or my family, it’s always going to be towards the end of the list,” Fiss said.

If it weren’t for meeting through pageantry, Fiss and Watson would have never developed such a strong friendship.

“We met via facetime actually and I met her mom and I facetimed Lauren and I was like “Hey you’re going to come to Plant, I’m Olivia, can’t wait to meet you, and then she came spring break of last year and we hung out a little bit and I was like telling everyone about her and then she came- [sings to lauren] that’s my best friend go best friend,” Fiss said.

Fiss and Watson agree that pageants have shaped them into the people they are today and are a key part of their lives.

“I do think it helps when you’re a young teen- I was 13 when I started- I think it does help shape you into being presentable, caring about your image as far as having a clean reputation. I feel like that’s what its helped me the most,” Fiss said.

“You have to educate yourself, you have to watch the news and current issues, you have to figure out what your opinions are on things, I think its like a learning experience for me, constantly improving myself and constantly learning what my opinions are—that helps a lot, but yeah you definitely have to be centered on who you are,” said Watson.