Natalie Titus, 17-year-old vocal student at Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, recently took the title of Miss Teen Jupiter and will compete for the title of Miss Florida Teen USA in October. Natalie began modeling when she was 12 and got into pageantry shortly thereafter. “My mom asked me one day, after visiting the rec center one day, if I’d be interested in doing a pageant,” said Natalie. “I was playing video games at the time and I was like, ‘No, Mom! Get out!’”
Natalie declined because she felt that here were too many negative connotations surrounding pageantry but after some careful consideration, she decided to at least give it a chance. “I thought they had fake tans, big hair, and extensions – that just wasn’t really my thing,” Natalie explained. She competed for Miss Palm Beach County two years ago and didn’t think she was going to win – as she put it, her heart wasn’t completely in it initially. “The day of the pageant I finally realized that I had put a lot of time and effort into preparing for the pageant and that I might as well give it my all,” Natalie said.
She did – and she won. After that, Natalie was hooked. And she learned a lot about the true world of pageantry. “Pageantry isn’t at all like what you think it is – it is such a positive experience,” she gushed. “You learn so much about yourself – figure out who you are – and it really helps build character and improve self-confidence.”
Brie Gabrielle, Miss Jupiter USA and Natalie’s “big sister,” and is an ideal role model for the path Natalie has chosen. “I feel like this year is going to be different,” Natalie said wistfully. “I want this to be my year.”
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