Katee Stearns Interview
Miss Maine USA 2006 + top 15 @ Miss USA 2006
Why did you decide to compete in the Miss Maine USA pageant?
I competed in a teen program called America's Junior Miss my senior year of high school and had a blast. I wanted to do another pageant in college since I was cheering or dancing at the time and needed an extra-curricular to balance out my academics. At the time I knew that Erica Commeau had competed so I got in touch with her to ask her opinion and she put me in touch with the pageant office in Maine, helped me with my preparation and introduced me to her coach, John Reny. Everyone seemed so wonderful and enthusiastic I knew I wanted to get involved with this particular system and the rest is history.
What would be your favorite segment in Miss Maine USA and Miss USA?
I'm torn between opening number and swim suit. I know its strange, since opening number isn't really a part of the actual competition criteria, but its the first time you get to step out on stage and hear the audience cheer for you. I get caughtup in the beat of the music and the lights and find it to be such an adrenaline rush. At Miss USA I have to say swim suit was definitely my favorite segment because I worked so hard on my physical fitness and I just loved our swim suits, and ourmusic, which was a modern remake of Habonera from the opera Carmen. The East Village Opera Company gave a wonderful performance, and between their track and all of the gold and the fountain we had on stage I think it's enough to make any contestant feel like a goddess. I was absolutely dumbfounded when I was called to the top 15, but if I could have competed in any aspect of the competition at any cut of the night, I would have wanted to compete in swimsuit regardless because I thought it was
so well done and such an incredible number.
What did you enjoy most when you were Miss Maine USA?
The whole experience was phenomenal, I had a great roommate and a great group of contestants to spend the pageant weekend with, and my whole family came down to support me. I loved competing again and being on stage and of course nothing compared to the feeling of hearing my name called as the new Miss Maine USA.
When did you start dancing and how did this passion kindle for you?
I started dancing when I was 3 or 4 and it was something that really allowed me to express myself since I had such an vivid imagination. It also has been a great way to meet people, travel, make friends and stay in shape. I love music and I love creating.
You were one of 26 models in Deal or No Deal, tell us a bit about your experience.
Deal or No Deal was great, it was my first trip to LA and it felt so surreal! I flew into LAX mid afternoon (California time, something that was hard for me to get used to with a 3 hr time difference) we met a bunch of the models who are regulars on the show and had a dress rehearsal that night. They taught us the power walk we did down the steps and how to open the cases. They let us sleep in the next morning because it was a long night the next night. We started taping at 8pm after a few hours of hanging out in the green room and in hair and make up. It was great that they gave us some down time too because we were able to get to know half of the contestants that we'd be spending three weeks with that April at Miss USA (who were
all FANTASTIC). It took us almost four hours to film the show that they cut into 45 minutes, add in commercials and air for the public. Standing under the heat of stage lights in 3 or 4 inch heels with a smile glued on your face is much much harder than it looks when you account for that amount of time. Not to mention most of us had 7am flights out of LAX the following morning so we slept probably 3 hours or less by the time we got back to our hotel. I didn't even sleep on the plane ride home because I sat next to the reigning Miss USA Chelsea Cooley and picked her brain about being Miss USA, life on the go, and what to expect at the national pageant. I have to say she is one of the sweetest and most genuine girls I have ever met, in pageantry or otherwise. It was really icing on the cake for my trip to LA.
What emotions were you going through when you gave away your title as Miss Maine USA?
I have to say it is a very bittersweet moment as you reflect and are proud of all you've done as a title holder, but then realize its time to move on as all things come to an end at some point. I was ready to move on, I had had a very fulfilling
year and couldn't have been any happier with my performance at nationals as part of the top 15. I had much more to look forward to and I knew that I would keep in touch with all of the wonderful people I had met throughout my reign. Furthermore, it helps when you know that the girl you are crowning will work just as hard and become a wonderful title holder in your place, and I would have been happy crowning any one of the top five that year, confident that they would fulfill all of their duties and have a blast at nationals, and I think Erin Good executed just that. It was really strange the next morning waking up and realizing that my time was over and I was just Katee again, but I know in my heart I'll always be Miss Maine USA
2006.
I competed in a teen program called America's Junior Miss my senior year of high school and had a blast. I wanted to do another pageant in college since I was cheering or dancing at the time and needed an extra-curricular to balance out my academics. At the time I knew that Erica Commeau had competed so I got in touch with her to ask her opinion and she put me in touch with the pageant office in Maine, helped me with my preparation and introduced me to her coach, John Reny. Everyone seemed so wonderful and enthusiastic I knew I wanted to get involved with this particular system and the rest is history.
What would be your favorite segment in Miss Maine USA and Miss USA?
I'm torn between opening number and swim suit. I know its strange, since opening number isn't really a part of the actual competition criteria, but its the first time you get to step out on stage and hear the audience cheer for you. I get caughtup in the beat of the music and the lights and find it to be such an adrenaline rush. At Miss USA I have to say swim suit was definitely my favorite segment because I worked so hard on my physical fitness and I just loved our swim suits, and ourmusic, which was a modern remake of Habonera from the opera Carmen. The East Village Opera Company gave a wonderful performance, and between their track and all of the gold and the fountain we had on stage I think it's enough to make any contestant feel like a goddess. I was absolutely dumbfounded when I was called to the top 15, but if I could have competed in any aspect of the competition at any cut of the night, I would have wanted to compete in swimsuit regardless because I thought it was
so well done and such an incredible number.
What did you enjoy most when you were Miss Maine USA?
The whole experience was phenomenal, I had a great roommate and a great group of contestants to spend the pageant weekend with, and my whole family came down to support me. I loved competing again and being on stage and of course nothing compared to the feeling of hearing my name called as the new Miss Maine USA.
When did you start dancing and how did this passion kindle for you?
I started dancing when I was 3 or 4 and it was something that really allowed me to express myself since I had such an vivid imagination. It also has been a great way to meet people, travel, make friends and stay in shape. I love music and I love creating.
You were one of 26 models in Deal or No Deal, tell us a bit about your experience.
Deal or No Deal was great, it was my first trip to LA and it felt so surreal! I flew into LAX mid afternoon (California time, something that was hard for me to get used to with a 3 hr time difference) we met a bunch of the models who are regulars on the show and had a dress rehearsal that night. They taught us the power walk we did down the steps and how to open the cases. They let us sleep in the next morning because it was a long night the next night. We started taping at 8pm after a few hours of hanging out in the green room and in hair and make up. It was great that they gave us some down time too because we were able to get to know half of the contestants that we'd be spending three weeks with that April at Miss USA (who were
all FANTASTIC). It took us almost four hours to film the show that they cut into 45 minutes, add in commercials and air for the public. Standing under the heat of stage lights in 3 or 4 inch heels with a smile glued on your face is much much harder than it looks when you account for that amount of time. Not to mention most of us had 7am flights out of LAX the following morning so we slept probably 3 hours or less by the time we got back to our hotel. I didn't even sleep on the plane ride home because I sat next to the reigning Miss USA Chelsea Cooley and picked her brain about being Miss USA, life on the go, and what to expect at the national pageant. I have to say she is one of the sweetest and most genuine girls I have ever met, in pageantry or otherwise. It was really icing on the cake for my trip to LA.
What emotions were you going through when you gave away your title as Miss Maine USA?
I have to say it is a very bittersweet moment as you reflect and are proud of all you've done as a title holder, but then realize its time to move on as all things come to an end at some point. I was ready to move on, I had had a very fulfilling
year and couldn't have been any happier with my performance at nationals as part of the top 15. I had much more to look forward to and I knew that I would keep in touch with all of the wonderful people I had met throughout my reign. Furthermore, it helps when you know that the girl you are crowning will work just as hard and become a wonderful title holder in your place, and I would have been happy crowning any one of the top five that year, confident that they would fulfill all of their duties and have a blast at nationals, and I think Erin Good executed just that. It was really strange the next morning waking up and realizing that my time was over and I was just Katee again, but I know in my heart I'll always be Miss Maine USA
2006.