World Class Beauty Queens Magazine would like to welcome amazing Queen Keyace Sims Elite Miss Earth USA 2018.
Full name: Keyace Sims
Title/Year: Elite Miss Earth USA 2018
Pageant System: Miss Earth USA
Age: 34
Hobbies: Dancing, Reading, Planning for the future
Platform: Beauty in Biodiversity
Years competed: 1
Countries visited: Bahamas, Thailand, Puerto Rico
Likes: Pink & gold everything, inspirational quotes and traveling the world.
Dislikes: Negativity
Status: Enjoying Life
World Class Beauty Queens: Please tell us about yourself.
I am a 3-degree holding college graduate, with my BA in Economics, AA in Accounting and AS in Financial Management. I am currently pursuing my second bachelors’ degree in International Relations, in which from there, I will be on to graduate school to pursue a masters’ degree in Economics. My goal is to one day work as the Chief Economist for the White House. Additionally, I work as a performer in Miami, dancing in various choreographed shows around South Florida.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your pageant history.
I haven’t had much experience in pageants. I once decided to join my High School pageant at the age of 15, with a couple of girlfriends, but it was nothing that I took seriously. I just did it because we all thought it would be a fun thing to do. I only got to the semi-finalist round and then that’s where I struck out (or should I say, learned a “valuable lesson”. What was that lesson, you may ask?... Although it’s pretty cool to do, double-dutch rope is not the best talent to do when competing in pageants.
A few years later, I started a family early with my high school sweetheart, which cancelled me out of the Miss category in pageants rather young (by the age of 20). So, I thought that I had missed the boat, and wouldn’t be able to have the opportunity to compete in pageantry since I didn’t see much opportunity for girls in my situation. Thankfully, a couple years later, the “Ms.” category came around, so I decided to give it a try last year with my first pageant being the Ms. Woman Art Deco 2018. I ended up winning that pageant and therefore moved onto the Miss Earth pageant system. However, I didn’t win the state title that I competed for (rumor has it that I lost by a point), but thankfully I was granted the opportunity to go “at large” to nationals under the title of Elite Miss Gulf Coast. In which, I decided to go for it. A little nervous, because I never competed on a national level before, and if I couldn’t even win a state title, how in the heck was I going to win a national pageant! But nonetheless I decided to go for it, and give it my all in every category, and then… let the chips fall where they may! And thank goodness I took on that attitude because not only did I win my national title… I also got the Director’s Leadership Award, and the Highest Point Swimsuit Award! It ended up being a great night and an even better year!
World Class Beauty Queens: What inspired you to do your first pageant?
What inspired me to start competing came from a curiosity from years ago, of wanting to do it but couldn’t (at least I didn’t see a pageant opportunity for me to do so). After putting the desire to the back of my mind, one of my newest friends was actually a current beauty queen for the Miss Art Deco system, and I see several pictures of her doing things throughout the community. She looked like she was having so much fun, and the experiences seemed so rewarding that I felt that desire again, but still didn’t see the opportunities. Until one day, she sent me the information for a pageant casting. In looking at it, I was already over the age limit and didn’t think I could participate in this one either, but she said ‘just go’. So, I went, and they ended up waiving the age limit so that I could participate, and that’s how my first official pageant experience started.
World Class Beauty Queens: Why did you choose to compete for your current title?
I chose to compete for my current title because I hope to one day make a difference in the world. I know that there’s so many things you can do to make a difference, but I haven’t had much success at getting my voice heard on a larger level regarding my passions for change. I learned that holding a title, especially a national title, can open so many doors for you to get your message out there to the world. More people are willing to pay attention to what you have to say when you have an organization backing you as their representative for positivity. The Miss Earth USA organization provides a great platform for one to voice their love, concerns and solutions for Earth preservation. This system aligns very well with the changes I am fighting for.
World Class Beauty Queens: To those unfamiliar with your pageant system please tell us what is it about?
The Miss Earth USA pageant system is all about female empowerment, encouraging women, around the nation, to voice their concerns about environmental responsibility. Our aim is to, at the very least, promote environmental awareness, while also maintaining a strong sisterhood among each of the wonderful women that participate in the pageant. Win or lose, you are still able to come with us, on our journey, throughout the year and participate in some of the same activities that the queens participate in. Why? Because we believe in sisterhood, and because we believe that no one should be shut out of advocating for the environment just because they didn’t win a title. We take our mission seriously, and any lady that is willing to help us achieve our goals, we gladly bring them along wherever we go.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are you being judged on during the competition?
You are being judged on your environmental efforts, how photogenic you are, how well you utilize your social media account, public speaking, interview, runway, swimwear and evening gown. Throughout the pageant, you’ll have various events to attend. Although these are not judged categories, there may be judges in your midst, so make sure you put your best foot forward, all the time.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your experience during the competition.
When it came to my state pageant, I put a lot of focus on how great my competition was, and how much experience my competition had. I learned a very valuable lesson that night… not to concern myself with anybody else’s progress in the pageant except my own. So, during the competition, although it may have been hard at times, I did my best not to focus on me and doing my very best in each and every category as it came about. I didn’t look at the staircase as a whole… I looked at it as one step at a time. Because if I just focus on one task at a time (whatever task was at hand at the moment), and I do my absolute best in that task… then I would have no regrets what the scoring comes out to be because I knew that I gave it my all. Doing this, helped me to achieve the success that ultimately came at the end of the competition. So, my advice to women who are competing would be this… do not pay attention to how well anybody else performed, because you don’t want any doubtful thoughts going to your head. Focus solely on you, and being the very best version of yourself that you can be, because at the end of the day, even if you don’t win, you won’t have any regrets about your work and performance.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your platform or what cause do you volunteer for.
The platform that I stand for is the Beauty in Biodiversity which breaks down to preservation of our biodiversity, because without it, there is no humanity. Every product you use, is sourced from somewhere, and those sourcing practices do, and will affect your quality of life, as well as those around you.
I am a Panda Ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund, which addresses climate, food, forests, fresh water, oceans, and wildlife issues to conserve biodiversity. I chose this organization as my main focus because they concentrate on the three key drivers of environmental problems (markets, finance, and governance). So, I plan to utilize my economics degree to help them in the fight of moving the world away from financial systems that favor short-term returns over long-term wealth creation, and tackling the unjust global governance system where the majority of the people who are most affected by environmental change remain voiceless and unable to influence change. Aside from this organization, I am also apart of the Citizens Climate Lobby, which is an organization that also fights for more environmental policies. I also volunteer at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center which focuses on the rehabilitation of Sea Turtles and other marine life, and I volunteer for the South Florida Wildlife Center which focuses on the rehabilitation of wildlife animals before releasing them back into the habitat where they came from.
World Class Beauty Queens: What appearances have you done with your title?
My first appearance was at the Academy of Glam during my first week back. From there I have judged the Miss Vizcaya Swimwear Pageant, walked in Pasarela Espanola Fashion Week, did a special appearance at the Hispanic Heritage Doral Art Exhibit, volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House for their Adopt a Meal event, appeared in several parades to include the Miami Beach Veterans Day parade to the Forest Ridge Holly Day Parade in Davie, FL. I walk for Fernando Wong at the Pageantry Awards Show. I did a guest appearance at the Highland Gardens event to help save their garden, in support of the youth, I attended the rally for “Let the Your Be Heard”. This past January, I went on a mission trip to Puerto Rico with my fellow Miss Earth USA pageant sisters. I walked for Pixton Designs, this past February, in NY Fashion Week 2.0 and in March, I joined the World Wildlife Fund in Washington, DC and helped lobby Congress to maintain and possibly increase the International Conservation Budget, which is a policy that benefits various ecosystems, to include our own.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are some of your achievements?
BA in Economics, with an AA in Accounting and an AS in Financial Management. I started my first company at the age of 26. Furthermore, I was able to purchase my first home before the age of 30, and a second one before the age of 31.
World Class Beauty Queens: What is your on stage strategy to win the judges over?
To have fun on stage, stay upbeat in my responses and give as much eye contact (and smiles) as physically possible! Of course, like everyone else, I get nervous before having to go out on stage sometimes. But what I say to myself before I go on stage is this… “they came for a show… so give ‘em a show!”
World Class Beauty Queens: What makes you stand out from all those other beautiful girls?
My personality for sure! I am the energetic, optimistic, and sincerity. Yes, pageantry can be hard work, but yet it is rewarding. I look at it, as I am that girl who is there to remind you not to take the competition part too seriously that you lose yourself in the process. If this begins to happen, then you need to take a step back and re-evaluate if this is the best route for you at the moment. Because in pageantry, you should find more of yourself, then lose it.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about the moment your name was called out as the winner.
Oh my goodness, it was a dream come true! When it was down to me and my first runner-up, I felt a sense of 'never did I think I'd make it this far this soon’ and told myself that it could go either way, so have confidence but don’t get too ahead of myself. When my name was called, I had this feeling off ‘OMG’ happiness and fulfillment at the same time, because I had been working at bettering myself for months and to see that it paid off… It was a blessing from God, that is for certain!
World Class Beauty Queens: What does it mean to you to be a Beauty Queen?
Beauty is a holistic quality, and to be a Beauty Queen, you have to look at more than just the outer appearance; you must look inside. You must learn what does that person stand for, what are they willing to fight for. How deep does their passion go? There’re many beautiful girls in the world, so finding beauty is not hard. A beauty is beautiful person to look upon, but a queen must be smart, diplomatic, speak well, have good etiquette, look out for others, and have good character. So to be a beauty queen, you must incorporate your inward beauty (which is everything that I just mentioned), to go along with your outward beauty that the world already sees.
World Class Beauty Queens: How did competing in pageants helped your life?
Competing in pageants has helped me gain even more confidence than I had before (which for a girl like myself, I didn’t think was possible as I’ve always been outgoing). Pageantry has helped me push my platform forward and consistently have it in the forefront of my mind on a daily basis because while serving the crown, I have one year to utilize that platform to bring awareness to the causes that I am most passionate about.
World Class Beauty Queens: You are an inspiration to all the girls out there. How does it feel?
It's an awesome feeling to be able to inspire other girls to aspire past what they think is their limit. Sometimes I even get my inspiration from them! Knowing that I have some awesome women rooting for me, helps me to push forward and figure out new path to evolve into something more and better than before.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for learning better pageant walk?
Watch some YouTube videos on great pageant walks. Every night, practice your walk in a mirror for 15 minutes and practice your poses too. Volunteer to walk in fashion shows so that you can get some practice in front of a live audience, because let me tell ya, doing your fierce walk in front of a crowd is way different then doing it at home. You’ll find yourself nervous and uncertain if you should go all out with what you practiced or if you should take it down. To be honest, you may end up taming it down for the first few fashion shows because you’re a bit nervous at what people may think. But the more you do shows, the more accustomed you’ll become at walking in front of an audience, and you will eventually break out that infamous walk you’ve been practicing day in and day out. Once you make that breakthrough, then you’ll definitely be ready to give that fierce walking performance on the pageant stage. And remember…. chest up, backside out, shoulders down, tummy in, head up high…now walk and sway, walk and sway.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for choosing right pageant dress?
Definitely, definitely, most certainly choose a dress that you absolutely love! I made the mistake of choosing a dress that I wasn’t too happy with before and I lost. It's not to say that the dress was entire problem, but the lack of confidence that I had in wearing it did not help either. So, make sure that whatever you wear on stage, that you without a doubt, absolutely love it!
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for winning interview?
Show your personality, and be honest. If you don’t know something or if you don’t do something, then be upfront about it. As someone who has judged a pageant or two before, I definitely appreciate someone being straight-forward with me and give me their honest opinions or feedbacks. Additionally, make sure that you find a way to get across the message that you are trying to convey to the judges. Don’t wait for them to ask you about your platform; tie your platform into the answer of one of their questions.
World Class Beauty Queens: What is one mistake that you've done during competing you wish you could redo and fix it?
One mistake that I have done, that I would like to redo, would have to be from my second official pageant. I wore a dress that I absolutely didn’t love. I had a backup dress but didn’t have enough time to change into it after I saw the kinds of dresses the other girls were wearing. So, when it was my turn to go on stage, you could tell that my confidence dropped during the evening gown portion. Even one of the judges mentioned that she saw my confidence drop during evening gown, so the lesson I learned that day…wear literally everything that you absolutely love during pageant week because it does affect your performance, and if you feel beautiful and confident in your wardrobe decisions then you can focus on putting your best foot forward.
World Class Beauty Queens: What other mistakes are made by girls during the contest?
Comparisons. As I just mentioned how I looked at the other girls during a state pageant I was in, and how my confidence fell right after it, and I immediately wanted to change dresses. Part of the reason was because (aside from the fact that I was not in love with the dress) I started comparing my clothes to theirs and then their performance. It led to me losing my confidence in myself and my performance. So going into nationals, I decided not to focus on anyone else but myself and my performance, and it really helped me to succeed.
World Class Beauty Queens: Any modeling or acting experience?
Tons of modeling, acting and dancing experience! I do choreographed entertainment shows around South Florida and have also traveled for a theatre production before. I have a theatre production coming up in May, it's an inspirational production, and I'm super excited about it. I hope to get more acting experience, as I think that would be a great transition for my career.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your plans for 2018-2019 as a Queen?
My plans for my reigning year are to continue working with the World Wildlife Fund and the Citizens Climate Lobby in the pursuit to save the world. Additionally, this year I plan to release my book series geared towards educating your kids on the importance of recycling, and hopefully I can get a climate reality crash course circulated in at least one school system.
World Class Beauty Queens: What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?
The legacy that I would like to leave behind is a legacy of proof that no matter the odds, your dreams are worth chasing, and no matter the weather, the sunrise is always over the horizon.
International Director: Kristin Chucci
National Director: Laura Clark
Your Local Director: Laura Clark
Pageant website: www.missearthunitedstates.com Print Magazine Keyace was featured in: www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1604433
Keyace Sims Elite Miss Earth USA 2018, World Class Beauty Queens Magazine, Interview by Derek Tokarzewski Owner/Editor in Chief Mr United Nations 2018 Platform: Women Empowerment Ambassador to International Foundation for Orphans iffocares.org
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