Catching Up With Miss UP

Ashley Jackson will represent University Place in the 2013 Miss Washington pageant in October. She is no stranger to being onstage, as she is majoring in Theatre Arts at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C. Home in UP for the summer, she sat down with Patch to tell us about herself and her journey to hopefully become Miss Washington USA.

Brita: What’s your backstory?

Ashley: I was born in Kansas and raised in Hawaii for three years. When I was about six, we moved to Fort Lewis. I moved to University Place during middle school and went to Curtis Junior High and Senior High School, graduating in 2007. I went to Pierce College at Fort Steilacoom for two years, then I got the opportunity to work with the Disney College Program. After that I transferred to Catawba.

Brita: What was your experience at Curtis like?

Ashley: Being a Curtis High student was a life changing experience. When I went to Curtis, I was heavily involved with the arts. I was in the a cappella choir, in theatre and on the CHS Dance Team. Mrs. Julie Halpin and Mr. David Dickerson were so influential in my life. If it wasn't for their love of the arts, I have no idea what I would be doing in my life. They helped me develop my love for the arts and helped me believe in myself. The lessons of hard work, passion and dedication are what I learned as a student of CHS. I still carry those same lessons to this day. 

Brita: What was the process of applying for the Miss Washington pageant?

Ashley: You fill out the application form online. Because I was out of state, I did a phone interview, and it was intense, to make sure I was fit for the job and could handle the responsibility. If you were local, you had to go to the actual call and they interviewed you face-to-face. 

Brita: What are the different parts of the competition?

Ashley: Evening wear, an interview, swimwear, and a final interview process where the top five contestants answer questions, possibly presented by the other contestants, so that makes it interesting.

Brita: What kinds of questions would they ask?

Ashley: Gosh, it’s so random! It could be what you want to be when you grow up to what do you think is the state of the economy. You always have to be on your toes and make sure you know yourself very well.

Brita: What are you doing to prepare for the competition?

Ashley: Because this is my very first time competing in something like this, I’m soaking up as much information as I can. I’m taking care of my body and my mind, working out and eating better. Also, you have got to keep up with current events. I’m staying in tune with what’s going on and what is needed for our community… I can’t speak for everybody, but a lot of the girls, including myself, are passionate about caring for others. I think that’s a really big aspect of this pageant. When you better your community, you better yourself.

Brita: Have you met any of the other Washington contestants?

Ashley: Yes! They are so sweet. I love every person I’ve met. They have such different personalities and strong causes they’re supporting. I adore meeting new people, especially strong women who are focused on making a difference in this world. We’re friends on Facebook, so we keep each other updated on what we’re doing in our communities. We have a sisterly bond.

Brita: What do you anticipate doing after you finish school?

Ashley: I have a lot of dreams, but my ultimate dream is being an actor and a director, and I want to own my own theatre company. Another goal of mine is to create a theatre company for kids to express themselves through the performing arts. I believe that with the arts, a child will flourish in school and do significantly better because they will be more well-rounded. Before theatre, I didn’t really feel like I had a place where I belonged. When I transferred schools, I discovered theatre and thought it was fun. In tenth grade, my teacher, Julie Halpin, really made me love theatre, and I feel like I found a higher calling.

Brita: Sometimes people spread rumors that girls in pageants like this can get dramatic. How does your experience compare to this?

Ashley: The girls I’ve met have been absolutely wonderful. I have not experienced drama, and this is coming from a girl doing this for the very first time in life. The second thing is, when you’re focused on becoming a better person, you don’t notice anything else. If you focus on the positivity, the negativity will not exist. At the end of the day, everyone has her own experience. I’m having a blast!