Karlie Hay Reveals What It's Really Like Being Miss Teen USA (Exclusive)

You think being Miss Teen USA is all crowns and beautiful gowns? Well, you’re wrong. Very wrong.

Reigning title holder Karlie Hay is here to shatter pretty much all the misconceptions about the title and the pageant.

It’s not about the gowns, or even the crown. It’s about bringing awareness to something you really believe in.

“I think people would be surprised to learn how much we genuinely love to give back and help others in any way we can,” Karlie tells JJJ. “Pageant girls are go-getters and I think it’s important for people to recognize the selflessness and hard work that goes into carrying on this title.”

We also asked Karlie to look back a year ago and give herself a piece of advice that maybe she should’ve taken at the start.

“‘You can be the sweetest ripest peach in the world and there will still always be someone who hates peaches’,” she says.

Karlie adds about the meaning for her, “I have always been a people’s person and I have always strived to make sure that everyone I met had a good impression of me. I wish going into this year, I had been more open to the concept that no one is perfect, and there will always be someone in the world that will point out your flaws.”

“Instead of striving for perfection and popularity, we should be striving to be confidently beautiful in our own way. We should embrace our personal stories and backgrounds, and we shouldn’t care about what others have to say about us.”