Imagine sharing bathrooms, food and sleeping quarters with 51 young women, all vying for the title of Miss America.
Now imagine doing that with a camera in your face 24/7.
That’s exactly the challenge that Miss Maryland 2008 Louise Schlegel took on for TLC’s “Countdown to the Crown,” a four-part reality series starting Jan. 2.
“I certainly never thought I’d ever be competing in a reality show. Getting on the plane to go out [to California] was very surreal, me wheeling my little suitcase through the airport thinking, ‘Am I really doing this?'” the 20-year-old from Silver Spring said, laughing. “It was a big lesson to me in learning to trust other people, to trust in myself, to be who I am and be genuine.”
Schlegel, who is currently studying theater at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, had zero experience with pageants when she first signed on to compete for Miss Maryland. “Actually, I was quite the pageant girl antithesis growing up,” she said. “I was in my brother’s hand-me-downs until well into my high school years.”
It wasn’t until she entered the theater program at UMBC that Schlegel started coming out of her shell. She met a woman who was competing for Miss Maryland 2007 who convinced her to check out the pageant. “I had this new sense of self-clarity and self love, it sounds so cheesy, but it’s true. The [Miss Maryland competition] seemed so new and different, I was just fascinated by it,” Schlegel said.
Her success eventually led to “Countdown to the Crown.” All 52 state title holders live together and face a series of competitions to win gold sashes, which could possibly advance them into the top 15 at the Miss America pageant on Jan. 24. Viewers at home will also have a chance to vote for their favorite girls online and via text messaging.
“For the first time ever, America has the change to be a judge and select four of the contestants they think deserve to make it into the pageant,” said Brent Zacky, vice president of development at TLC. “By giving viewers the chance to get to know the girls during [the show], we are confident that four great contestants will take the stage in January.”
Schlegel said that the experience was an eye-opening one. “It was grueling, emotionally and physically, and there was this mental element of not knowing what was coming next, but it was very fun. It made me respect this organization I’m part of even more. These girls are amazing, they’ve done some incredible things in their lives, and for the judges in my state to think highly enough of me to include me in that group of people really humbled and grounded me.”
