Mandy Schendel Interview
Miss Washington Teen USA 2008 (became Miss Washington 2012 after this interview was done)
Why did you decide to compete in the Miss Washington Teen USA pageant?
I had been competing in pageant since I was 7 and becoming Miss Teen USA was always a goal. I knew that becoming Miss Washington Teen USA was just the first step in achieving my goals!
You competed once before winning the title, what motivated you to come back and compete for the title again?
It was actually my 3rd time competing for the title of Miss Washington Teen USA. The first year I competed I was 15 years old and won Miss Congeniality and placed 1st Runner up. I was very excited that year and became very confident with how I had competed. The following year I came back to win Miss Washington Teen USA. I had everything in place and was very confident. However, I ended up only placing in the top 10. It was the first time in my life I had not placed in the top 5 in a pageant and it was the most humbling experience of my life. It was God’s way of showing me how to be grateful for everything I am given and it gave me the chance to take a step back and really remember how to be gracious and flexible. In 2008 when I went back to compete for my 3rd and last time I truly went to just have a good time. I went in more prepared then I had ever been and with my head in the right mental place. I was there to give it my all but to really just enjoy the girls. Winning the title was truly icing on the cake and after having worked so hard for it I was able to truly feel blessed and realize how wonderful of an opportunity I had.
What was going through your head when your name was announced as the 1st runner up at Miss Washington Teen USA 2008?
When I was announced 1st runner up it was my first year and I was only 15. I was ecstatic because I really did not do very much to get ready. It was a last minute decision to compete and to get that far at such a young age was an amazing feeling. I remember being very excited as I was called 1st runner up because the girl who won was my roommate as well as a very good friend.
Tell us about your experience at Miss Teen USA.
I competed in Miss Teen USA in August of 2008. It was truly a remarkable experience. I spent the entire summer (after I graduated high school) preparing for the pageant. I was working out a lot, eating right, and working on designing the perfect gown. The experience I was most looking forward to was the week as a whole in the Bahamas. It was my first time to go there and I felt so blessed and honored to be able to represent Washington at the Atlantis Resort.
What has been your most memorable moment as Miss Washington Teen USA?
My most memorable moment was absolutely being at Miss Teen USA. It was the first time I really got to experience life as a “celebrity”. When walking through the Atlantis resort you honestly could not make it more than 20 feet without there being a line of people wanting your picture or your autograph. It was so wonderful to see that many people support you and be there for you as you compete. However, as fabulous as it was to have all of the remarkable fans, it was really nice to have a bodyguard there to help get me through the crowds!
Would you please tell us a bit about winning the “Macy’s Follow A Leader” contest in 2007?
Winning the “Macy’s Follow a Leader” contest was an essay contest that I had done through my high school. We were asked to write an essay and given multiple topics to write about. I was blessed enough to be choosen as a finalist and received a $1000 savings bond because of it.
Would you please tell us a bit about your non-profit organization “The Difference Maker”?
The Difference Maker Organization is a non-profit company when I started when I was 11 years old. It has now become a nationwide organization with state directors and local ambassadors all over the United States. It is an organization which focuses on how to teach kids to become leaders through volunteer service. We also award individuals with the Outstanding Difference Maker Award for making a difference in the lives of their communities. This is an organization that I have had the opportunity to nourish and see grow to bigger heights then I had ever anticipated. We are always looking for new volunteers and blessed to continually have new people become a part of the Difference Maker Team! If anyone is interested in joining all they have to do is go to www.thedifferencemaker.org and fill out the volunteer form!
Who would be your favorite pageant winner and why?
I honestly cannot say that I have one past winner who is my favorite. There have been many different title holders in many different pageant systems that have strongly impacted my life. I have many role models and I have seen many pageant girls make huge impacts in the lives of their community. I believe that anyone who uses her title to impact the world for the better is an excellent pageant girl!
Who would be your role model and why?
I have many role models today but to pick a single person I would have to say my mother, Kandy Schendel. She has instilled countless things in me that have made me the person I am today. She is an outstanding mother, wife, and friend. She always puts mine and my little sister’s needs above her own and is a true example of how to be selfless. She puts others needs above her own in every situation, works hard for her family and community, and still has a humor that can make you cry laughing. That is my idea of a true hero and that is a reason my mother is my role model.
I had been competing in pageant since I was 7 and becoming Miss Teen USA was always a goal. I knew that becoming Miss Washington Teen USA was just the first step in achieving my goals!
You competed once before winning the title, what motivated you to come back and compete for the title again?
It was actually my 3rd time competing for the title of Miss Washington Teen USA. The first year I competed I was 15 years old and won Miss Congeniality and placed 1st Runner up. I was very excited that year and became very confident with how I had competed. The following year I came back to win Miss Washington Teen USA. I had everything in place and was very confident. However, I ended up only placing in the top 10. It was the first time in my life I had not placed in the top 5 in a pageant and it was the most humbling experience of my life. It was God’s way of showing me how to be grateful for everything I am given and it gave me the chance to take a step back and really remember how to be gracious and flexible. In 2008 when I went back to compete for my 3rd and last time I truly went to just have a good time. I went in more prepared then I had ever been and with my head in the right mental place. I was there to give it my all but to really just enjoy the girls. Winning the title was truly icing on the cake and after having worked so hard for it I was able to truly feel blessed and realize how wonderful of an opportunity I had.
What was going through your head when your name was announced as the 1st runner up at Miss Washington Teen USA 2008?
When I was announced 1st runner up it was my first year and I was only 15. I was ecstatic because I really did not do very much to get ready. It was a last minute decision to compete and to get that far at such a young age was an amazing feeling. I remember being very excited as I was called 1st runner up because the girl who won was my roommate as well as a very good friend.
Tell us about your experience at Miss Teen USA.
I competed in Miss Teen USA in August of 2008. It was truly a remarkable experience. I spent the entire summer (after I graduated high school) preparing for the pageant. I was working out a lot, eating right, and working on designing the perfect gown. The experience I was most looking forward to was the week as a whole in the Bahamas. It was my first time to go there and I felt so blessed and honored to be able to represent Washington at the Atlantis Resort.
What has been your most memorable moment as Miss Washington Teen USA?
My most memorable moment was absolutely being at Miss Teen USA. It was the first time I really got to experience life as a “celebrity”. When walking through the Atlantis resort you honestly could not make it more than 20 feet without there being a line of people wanting your picture or your autograph. It was so wonderful to see that many people support you and be there for you as you compete. However, as fabulous as it was to have all of the remarkable fans, it was really nice to have a bodyguard there to help get me through the crowds!
Would you please tell us a bit about winning the “Macy’s Follow A Leader” contest in 2007?
Winning the “Macy’s Follow a Leader” contest was an essay contest that I had done through my high school. We were asked to write an essay and given multiple topics to write about. I was blessed enough to be choosen as a finalist and received a $1000 savings bond because of it.
Would you please tell us a bit about your non-profit organization “The Difference Maker”?
The Difference Maker Organization is a non-profit company when I started when I was 11 years old. It has now become a nationwide organization with state directors and local ambassadors all over the United States. It is an organization which focuses on how to teach kids to become leaders through volunteer service. We also award individuals with the Outstanding Difference Maker Award for making a difference in the lives of their communities. This is an organization that I have had the opportunity to nourish and see grow to bigger heights then I had ever anticipated. We are always looking for new volunteers and blessed to continually have new people become a part of the Difference Maker Team! If anyone is interested in joining all they have to do is go to www.thedifferencemaker.org and fill out the volunteer form!
Who would be your favorite pageant winner and why?
I honestly cannot say that I have one past winner who is my favorite. There have been many different title holders in many different pageant systems that have strongly impacted my life. I have many role models and I have seen many pageant girls make huge impacts in the lives of their community. I believe that anyone who uses her title to impact the world for the better is an excellent pageant girl!
Who would be your role model and why?
I have many role models today but to pick a single person I would have to say my mother, Kandy Schendel. She has instilled countless things in me that have made me the person I am today. She is an outstanding mother, wife, and friend. She always puts mine and my little sister’s needs above her own and is a true example of how to be selfless. She puts others needs above her own in every situation, works hard for her family and community, and still has a humor that can make you cry laughing. That is my idea of a true hero and that is a reason my mother is my role model.