Miss Teen Orland Park Competes For Miss Illinois Teen USA: Q & A

ORLAND PARK, IL — Miss Teen Orland Park is heading south on Saturday in the hopes of upgrading her already honorable title to Miss Illinois Teen USA.

The recent Carl Sandburg High School graduate, Victoria Eakins, will compete for Miss Illinois Teen USA on June 26, at the Braden Auditorium at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois.

The contest will have 30 participants from across the state. Normally, there are 70 participants enrolled, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 number is slightly less. The Miss Illinois USA pageant will take place the following day at the same location.

Before she heads out to the competition, Patch conducted a Q & A with Miss Teen Orland Park herself. Here is the conversation Patch had with Eakins:

Patch: How long have you been involved in pageants?

Eakins: For two years. Quite honestly, my mom was very hesitant to have me participating in pageants because of the common misconceptions about pageants. I convinced her to let me do my first pageant and signed up for a pageant prep workshop in 2019. There I met so many amazingly supportive and inspiring women. There were women becoming doctors, entrepreneurs, engineers, teachers and much more! Pageant women are really so much more than a “pretty face.” They are fierce advocates and public speakers. They develop non-profits, focusing on helping or educating people. In fact, I developed a non-profit called “Victorious Endeavors”. I speak to teens and young adults on overcoming various challenges and providing them with strategies. I also launched an online store called “I’mPerfect Pearl” at the age of 16, where proceeds of the sales are donated to various charities.

Patch: When did you win Miss Orland Park?

Eakins: I was accepted as Miss Orland Park in 2019 and 2020. It has truly been an honor to represent my hometown and to give back to my community by being involved in serving the community, as well as speaking to people about overcoming various challenges through my non-profit, Victorious Endeavors. Ultimately, I hope to not only represent my hometown, but the State of Illinois by being chosen Miss IL Teen USA 2021, so I can continue my work on a greater scope

Patch: Is this your first time competing in the Miss Illinois Teen USA competition?

Eakins: It is not. I competed in Miss Illinois Teen USA pageant 2020 in the fall of 2019 where I placed 4th runner-up and was honored to win the title of Miss Congeniality, which my pageant sisters nominated me for. That was my first pageant and an amazing experience all around.

Patch: What does this achievement mean to you?

Eakins: To me, it means to have the courage to challenge yourself and push through even when things are difficult or cause you to be uncomfortable. I know it sounds cliché, but it isn’t all about winning. (Although that would be great!) Achievement to me is understanding that nothing in life comes easy. You may fail numerous times at something, or you may not be the “best” at something, but you continue to persist and have the grit to succeed. I can attest to that in my own life.

Patch: I see you recently graduated from high school, do you have college plans?

Eakins: I’m attending community college to get my general education credits. My goal is to obtain my bachelors degree in business marketing and sales. I’m also taking a real estate class to get my license.

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