Royal Spotlight: Kayla Adams, America’s Elite Miss 2019

The Royal Spotlight is back again for the 2019, and I already excited about the royalty I will be featuring this year. I have had an overwhelming interest in this series that I don’t have any available spot until August 2019. How exciting!! For those of you that don’t know about this series, the Royal Spotlight is an interview series where I highlight queens from a variety of pageant systems. I purposely showcase queens who come from systems that may not always get the recognition or honor they deserve. For the first month of the year, I have the pleasure of featuring Kayla Adams, America’s Elite Miss 2019.

Tell us about yourself.

I am currently studying Chemistry at Wichita State University. I plan to attend medical school and become an emergency medicine physician. I am a dog mom, and have an adorable 3-year-old maltipom puppy named Harper.

When did you start competing in pageants?

My mom entered me in my first pageant when I was just 3 years old. I was a shy little girl who hid behind my parents before I got involved in pageantry.

Why do you compete in pageants?

Ever since that first pageant my mom entered me in, I fell in love with pageantry and everything it stands for. Pageants teach girls of all ages to be confident in their own skin, stand up for what they believe in, and give back to their communities. The skills I have learned through competing in pageants as well as the connections I have made are truly invaluable. Thanks to pageantry, I am proud to say that I was able to walk into my first job interview 4 years ago with confidence. I honestly believe that pageantry played a huge role in me getting hired for that position and later being able to move up into leadership roles within that company.

How many titles have you won?

I have won 12 state and national title for various different pageant systems, including my current title of America’s Elite Miss.

Tell us about the America’s Elite Miss pageant system.

This system is truly amazing. Kerrie and Ron Juliana created AEM with the goal of making each of their contestants feel elite, and I think they have done an outstanding job. Each division is limited to only 25 delegates which makes the Julianas and their staff able to really get to know all of the delegates and treat them to what can only be described as an elite experience. While they may not run the largest pageant system out there, I think this is by far one of the best systems. You hear the phrase “positive pageantry” thrown around so often, but I think that AEM truly takes the concept of positive pageantry to a whole other level.

What have you learned about yourself through your pageant experience?

Pageants have shown me that I am enough just as I am. In today’s society, it is extremely easy to get caught up in the glamour of social media and the idealized version of what it is to be perfect and what perfect looks like. It is easy to doubt yourself and your self-worth. Competing in pageants has taught me to embrace the imperfections that make me who I am and to encourage others to do the same thing. Knowing that it is in my power to help others see the best of themselves is one of the best things I have learned through my pageant experience.

What are your future plans for your pageant career?

For this year, I am honored to serve as the 2019 America’s Elite Miss and be a part of the 2019 Elite 8. After I complete my reign, I hope to continue working with the America’s Elite Miss organization as staff, but I do plan on competing again next year in other systems.

What words of advice do you live by?

I try to live by this quote from Audrey Hepburn: “For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” While not technically advice, I think the reminder it serves is very important. While outer beauty can be alluring at first, it is inner beauty that endures.

Please provide your contact information so that others can reach out to you. Email? Social media handles?

Email: kayla.adams734@gmail.com

Instagram/Facebook: @americaselitemiss2019