Last month, two Morgantown women were crowned Mrs. WV America and Miss WV for America 2023. They aim to empower and inspire the community with their respective self-made initiatives.
Austyn Skeen, Mrs. WV America 2023, is a top-performing real estate agent with a passion for helping others settle down in the Mountain State, just as she did a decade ago. Although she had never participated in a pageant before, following encouragement from a friend and her young daughter’s desire to enter the pageant’s Little Miss division, Skeen and her daughter entered their first pageants.
“When I found out they added a Little Miss division, I felt like maybe this is meant to be, and my daughter and I can do our first pageant together,” said Skeen.
To prepare for the pageant, Skeen began learning about the world of pageantry. Following the teachings of her coaches, she learned to walk the walk, efficiently and expertly respond to interview questions, and maintain health and confidence. By participating in this behind-the-scenes, she also developed a new appreciation for pageantry and what it stands for.
“Pageants have a perception that it’s all about beauty and that’s simply not the case, it’s a really positive environment,” said Skeen. “These women love their communities and want to be positive role models for the younger generation. I think that’s so important in today’s world.”
As part of the competition, pageant participants develop an initiative that will make a change in their community. Skeen’s initiative, Setbacks to Success, aims to inspire working women and mothers. The initiative stems from Skeen’s own experiences with maintaining a career as a mother in today’s world and struggling to prioritize mental health.
“[The Setbacks to Success Initiative] really focuses on empowering working women,” said Skeen. “I think in our modern-day society we have a lot of challenges and obstacles, especially as working mothers. It’s really easy to lose track of what your purpose is and fall into those setbacks.”
By using this platform to demonstrate how she has persevered through her own setbacks and grown stronger through them, Skeen hopes other women can feel supported and inspired.
Heather Lawhorn, Miss WV for America 2023, is the owner of Morgantown salon HNL Hair Studio. After spending time styling hair and makeup for contestants behind the scenes, Lawhorn felt inspired to enter herself.
Lawhorn’s initiative, Cuts for Kindness, aims to provide high-quality hair services to members of the community who may not otherwise receive them. By providing clients with confidence and comfort in a fresh haircut, they are able to put their best foot forward.
“Hair has always been so important and it’s always boosted my confidence,” said Lawhorn. “Every time that I had fresh hair, I always felt so brave and beautiful. I think that everybody deserves that feeling in their life, so I created this program to be able to provide that in my community.”
By implementing this initiative in her community, Lawhorn hopes she can inspire similar community support programs across West Virginia.
Hearing her name announced as Miss WV for America 2023 was an unmatched feeling, said Lawhorn. “It was overwhelming with so much pride and joy. The feeling of accomplishment in seeing my family and friends in the audience and stand there on the stage with my sash sisters — celebrating that moment is something you could never recreate.”
At the end of May, the pageant announced that Lawhorn scaled Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States, with an elevation of 14,500 feet.
“Climbing Mt. Whitney was by far one of the most-exhilarating experiences of my life,” said Lawhorn. “It really was such an accomplished feeling, climbing and having those moments with yourself like, ‘I can do this.’ I hope everybody can experience [this feeling] in some part of their life.”
Amber Haddix, Mrs. WV American 2023 and Bridgeport resident, aims to inspire the youth both in her role as a middle school English teacher and through her Young Minds, Great Leaders initiative. She intends to collaborate with public schools across the state in promoting youth leadership and advocacy programs.
The three women will travel to Las Vegas to compete for national titles during America Week, Aug. 24-26.
“[Pageantry] is a great platform in itself and hopefully more people begin to realize that and get involved in it,” said Skeen. “It’s a good world; I’m happy to be a part of it now.”
For more information, visit mrswvamerica.com or mrsamerica.com.
TWEET @DominionPostWV
