*This story was written prior to the event.

Normandy Broaddus, age 15 and a freshman at Williamsport Area High School, will be representing her hometown of Williamsport as one of the youngest contestants in the Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA Pageant on April 23 and 24th in Johnstown, PA. A native Texan, Normandy’s family moved to Williamsport during the height of COVID. She has assimilated quickly and loves all things PA — the seasons, the mountains, the snow, and small-town feel. While she will always have a special place in her heart for the Lone Star State, she’s an all-PA girl now.

I had a chance to catch up with Normandy, known as Norm, by her family and friends, and I can tell you there is something special about this teen. Within a few minutes of talking to her, it was obvious that she is an old soul and carries herself with a maturity beyond her years.
Dave: What was your motivation for entering beauty pageants?

Normandy: After taking a break from 13 years of dance, I needed something to occupy my time in an exciting way. I wanted to get involved in something that would allow me to build and portray confidence and help other girls and women to do the same.
Dave: Do you enjoy competing in pageants?

Normandy: Having this be my first pageant, I cannot say whether I enjoy the competition portion quite yet. However, the lessons, practice, and time spent preparing have been nothing but joyous to me. I love any excuse to get all dolled up.
Dave: How did you get to compete in Miss PA teen? Did you have qualifying pageants?

Normandy: In order to compete, I was obligated to send in paperwork that consisted of legal questions (gender, age, education, etc.) along with both questions about myself and some of my best photos/headshots. Those documents were looked at by the host of the pageant, and I was then accepted to compete. I am so honored that they allowed me to represent my hometown of Williamsport.
Dave: Do you have any hobbies or sports?

Normandy: I’ve been a competitive dancer all my life starting at the age of two. I worked diligently in this sport, but with being a high honors student in high school, twenty-four hours of critical lessons were too much for me to continue, and that is how I got here.
Dave: What’s it like growing up with a large family? I have five kids myself, including twins — bless your mom, Jenny, she’s a saint. Shout out to Normandy’s family — Dr. Dad: Brian, therapist mom: Jenny, older sister: Brynn, younger sister: Jewel, and younger triplet brothers: Fuller, Roan, and Noble. All of whom are excited to cheer her on.

Normandy: Growing up in a large family has been my biggest pride and has taught me my greatest lessons. I’m able to stand alongside of five other kids learning and growing together. There isn’t a day where I feel alone or unwanted because there will always be at least one person willing and wanting to go through a struggle with me. I guess I love the chaos of a big family. But I’m not gonna lie; sometimes, getting your voice heard over the chaos is difficult. There were times growing up when you didn’t always get the attention you wanted. Sometimes Mom and Dad were with my brothers and sisters at a game or some other activity, and I wanted them to pay attention to me. I like attention — in a good way (Normandy laughs).
Dave: Please give me a little more information about your cause and why you feel it is important?

Normandy: I am working to remove the stigma surrounding emotional health. Names of mental illnesses are used on the daily without a true understanding of the effects the illnesses carry. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I hope to be able to teach young kids and teenagers about their feelings and emotions in order to learn the differences between clinical anxiety, depression, etc., versus the situational aspects.
Dave: How did you feel about Normandy wanting to get involved in pageants? Did you have concerns?

Mom (Jenny): Truthfully, like probably everyone reading this, prior to this experience, I had negative opinions and stereotypes of pageant queens. I’ve seen one too many “Toddlers and Tiaras” episodes. But walking through this with Normandy, I want to apologize to all pageant contestants. It is so much more than pretty girls walking across the stage in a pretty dress. Normandy has learned choreography, poised walking, interviewing skills, impromptu questions, political and social positions, and overall confidence. The growth I’ve seen in the past six months of preparation is astounding.
I was concerned that pageants would encourage a hyper-focus on outer appearance, but what I’ve seen instead is a more physically, emotionally, and socially healthy Normandy.
Dave: Was there any family sacrifice? Driving to pageants, time away from family, etc.?

Jenny: As with anything that has worth, there is always a sacrifice of something else. To excel at something always takes time and practice, but honestly, Normandy had to invest more than anyone else. We feel lucky as parents and as a family to be able to partner with her and give a little to add to what she is already doing. Our time individually with her is just as important as family time, and we relish it as so. It’s exciting to see each of our kids find their thing.

Pageants are not cheap, though, and between parent contributions, babysitting jobs, grandparents, and community sponsors, we have it covered. Let’s just hope she will re-wear that gorgeous gown to a future prom.

While not necessary, we did get a pageant coach out of Pittsburgh. An anchor for the Pittsburgh news, Elena, a previous miss PA teen USA, and miss PA USA winner, has been a great resource and guide for Normandy’s first pageant. Everything we know we learned from Elena. Much of our time investment and sacrifice came from our monthly visits to Pitt.
Dave: Is there anyone that you look up to?

Normandy: Everyone always says their mom, but it’s true that I look up to my mom. She’s sort of a supermom and is cooler than most. She’s working on her Ph.D., she has six kids, works out, cleans, and cooks. She pretty much does it all. I also look up to Sadie Robertson Huff. Being from Texas, I grew up watching “Duck Dynasty.” I like how she portrays faith, which is a very big part of who I am. She also portrays grace and beauty, inside and out. She is joyful, and I want to walk through life like she does.

After the competition, Normandy plans to continue to advocate the importance of giving children and teenagers space to recognize, understand, and embrace their authentic feelings to help reduce the stigma surrounding emotional health. “I’m grateful that this pageant experience has given me space to explore my voice.”