Bowie's Own NAM Maryland Pre-Teen Top 10 Finalist

The National American Miss (NAM) Maryland Pre-Teen Pageant was held over the weekend at the beautiful Hyatt Regency hotel in Reston, Virginia. Girls from across the state of Maryland were there to compete for the 2019 NAM Maryland Pre-Teen crown and prizes, including Bowie resident, Malinda Eryn Barnes. Contestants competed in four overall categories including Formal Wear, Personal Introduction, Interview, and Community Service; as well as optional contests such as Top Model, Spokesmodel, Actress, and others.

While our own, Bowie grown contestant was not crowned as the 2019 National American Miss Maryland Pre-Teen Queen, she represented our community well and gave us a lot to celebrate. Miss Barnes placed as a Top 10 National American Miss Maryland Pre-Teen Finalist and was invited to compete in the All-American Miss Pageant in Anaheim, California. She also did very well in three optional contest - Spokesmodel, Top Model, and Actress. She placed as the first runner-up in the Spokesmodel competition for her dynamic speech on Esophageal Atresia; a rare birth defect that causes the esophagus to end in a blind pouch and prevents normal swallowing. This condition effects 1 in every 4,000 births. She placed as the second runner-up in the Top Model competition for her “Sassy Sunshine” themed outfit. Yes, this Bowie girl was on fire! She also placed as third runner-up in the Actress competition and was awarded a crown, banner, and trophy for “Outstanding Program Participation.”

Miss Barnes is not disappointed with the results of the NAM Maryland Pre-Teen pageant. In fact, she said she feels very proud of herself because she competed and had a platform where she was able to spread awareness about Esophageal Atresia to a lot of new people. She believes talking about the condition, which impacts her personally, will help to improve medical care for all patients who have it. States Attorney, Aisha Braveboy said, “She may not have been crowned, but she is a community gem!!!” Bowie resident, Dr. Zipporah Machayo Miller said, “She is Miss Pre-Teen Maryland to us,” and many Bowie residents agreed.

The National American Miss Pageant is dedicated to celebrating America's greatness and encouraging and equipping its future leaders with real-world skills to make their dreams a reality. Miss Malinda Eryn Barnes is definitely a future leader with aspirations of being a pediatric surgeon and Olympic gymnast. We congratulate her for her accomplishments and success in her very first pageant.