The 2009 International Junior Miss Scholarship Pageant has recently passed, and Executive Director Nikki Clark now has to shift her focus and leadership to a new royal court. Her recently crowned 2009 International Miss, International Teen, International Jr. Miss, International Pre-Teen, International Princess and International Jr. Princess are about to launch their respective years of service and representation as the faces of this exciting, young scholarship program.
But what goes into selecting these winners of various ages, and, just as importantly, what goes into selecting the people who choose the winners? Nikki’s job is to help gather and prepare a panel of judges that are diverse enough to see every aspect of the girls at the International Junior Miss competition. And based on her process and qualifications, it’s pretty certain that she knows just what this competition is looking for.
Pageantry magazine: What kind of process do you use when selecting the judges for the International Junior Miss Pageants?
Nikki Clark: Through the first few years of the International Junior Miss Pageants, I have selected judges based on experiences and recommendations from exceptional leaders in the pageantry industry. Beginning with our upcoming 2009–2010 season, we will be taking a new approach to selecting our judges by establishing an official judges’ committee that will seek and interview pre-screened candidates for our state and international competitions.
PM: Describe your perfect panel of judges. How much of a factor is diversity in determining your selections?
NC: Diversity is very important, not only to the pageant itself but to the contestant’s confidence since our contestants come from all walks of life. This year, we are proud to announce that we have five contestants coming from neighboring countries. Our perfect judges’ panel will also come from all walks of life including various age groups, cultures and career backgrounds.
PM: What do the International Junior Miss contestants know about the judges heading into the competition, and what do the judges know about the contestants?
NC: Upon arrival, each judge will receive a complete packet of information including an interview questionnaire and photos of each contestant. This gives the judges the opportunity to prepare questions specific to the contestant’s experiences and goals. Printed judge’s bios are made available to contestants upon their arrivals.
PM: Do you find that it’s advantageous to use repeat judges from pageant-to-pageant or do you prefer to incorporate new judges for each competition?
NC: I believe that incorporating new judges gives the pageant a fresh new voice each year.
PM: How do you prepare a first time judge with no competition experience?
NC: We spend a moderate amount of time preparing our first time judges for the upcoming competition. We have dedicated a judges training web site that allows first time judges to read about the areas of competitions and participate in online mock scoring.
PM: Who ultimately decides on the questions that your contestants must answer for the interview portion, and how are the questions drawn up?
NC: Our judges are given the authority to ask contestants questions during the interview portion of the competition. We do ask the judges to use questions related to the interview questionnaire provided in their judges packets and to stay away from political and religious questions.
PM: Do the contestants receive any preparation for the interview portion from you or anyone else from IJM, or are they left to their own preparation for the sake of spontaneity?
NC: We like to see spontaneity in the interview process so we don’t offer any question and answer preparation. We do offer a workshop on basic skills such as introducing one’s self, sitting properly in interview and the overall interview presentation.
PM: How many judges do you typically use? What is the perfect amount for your competition?
NC: The ideal judges’ panel for our pageant competition is five individuals coming from diverse backgrounds, age ranges and life experiences. Our ideal judge’s panel for optional competitions (modeling, talent and spokesmodel) is three individuals also from diverse backgrounds in talent, modeling and the entertainment industry.
PM: What is the overall message you try to convey to your judges when preparing them for the IJM competition?
NC: Once our girls are crowned, they immediately become spokesmodels for the International Junior Miss Scholarship Program. The judges should look for the girl that is well-rounded, confident, poised and stands out in a crowd. It’s important to find a girl that is true to herself and one that they feel will best represent the IJM for the entire year.
PM: Having been a judge at pageants yourself, what do you think are some of the hardest decisions that judges can face in choosing a winner?
NC: One of the hardest decisions a judge is faced with is choosing the contestant that looks good “on paper” and/or choosing the girl that they know in their heart deserves the title. This is one of the biggest misconceptions in pageantry. The audience picks their winners based on what they see both onstage during the competition and encounters off stage. The judges only have the opportunity to meet or see the contestant a few short times, and the decision comes from who impresses them in that given amount of time.
PM: Describe the breakdown in scoring for the International Junior Miss Pageants. Which events weigh more than the others? Is it ever a concern that a judge could be greater influenced by one portion of a competition, despite the scoring dictating otherwise?
NC: At International Junior Miss, all phases of competitions are equal. International Junior Miss looks for the well-rounded individual with consistency in all phases of competition.
PM: Why do you feel that competing in pageants is a worthwhile endeavor for girls?
NC: As a former contestant and title holder, I can speak first hand about the worthwhile endeavors for girls competing in pageants. I’ve taken every aspect of pageant knowledge with me on job interviews, career presentations, and speaking engagements. Contestants have the opportunity to meet other young ladies with similar interest as themselves. Friendships are built and strong bonds are made through pageants.
PM: Having judged for several different pageant systems, how do you adapt to the differences between each system? If you recruit a judge with a background in judging other systems, are you concerned that past experiences could conflict with the International Junior Miss experience?
NC: I don’t worry about judges with experiences from other systems. In fact, that is a part of our search for the best judge’s panel. As for myself as a pageant judge, I carefully read the information that is provided by the pageant system to make sure that I clearly understand what that particular system is looking for in its winners each year and try to leave my personal preferences out of the scoring.
PM: What is the most enjoyable experience that you’ve had as a pageant judge?
NC: Every experience that I’ve had as a judge was truly enjoyable. Outside of the stage competitions, I love to see the girls and families having a good time at the host venue. I love to see the smiles on their faces and hugs they share with fellow contestants. And I especially love to see the winners’ eyes glisten when their names are called.
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