Stephanie Guerrero Interview
Miss Texas USA 2004 + top 15 @ Miss USA 2004
Why did you decide to compete in the Miss Texas USA pageant?
My mom and drill team director encouraged me to compete in pageants when I was a junior in high school. I entered and won a couple of local pageants before actually competing in my first preliminary to the Miss Texas USA Pageant. I entered Miss Rice Belt USA in 1999 when I was a freshman in college. I was nervous but excited. I was most nervous about competing because I watched the Miss Texas USA Pageant on TV and saw the contestants as “women” and I still felt like a girl! It’s funny because now when I hear young girls tell me this as they are about to embark on their first time competing in the Miss pageant, I giggle and give them a ton of encouragement!
You competed in the Miss Texas USA pageant 6 times before taking the title, what motivated you to compete year after year for the title?
I competed 5 times, actually, and loved every single moment! The first year I competed with several women that were aging out or it was going to be their last year. They were beautiful, poised, classy and totally awesome! I cried after that pageant when I placed in the Top 12. I cried not out of disappointment, but I felt like I didn’t even deserve to be in the finalists. I worked hard as far as working out, and I prepared for interview, but I felt there were so many other beautiful and deserving girls that didn’t make the cut. From that point on, I was hooked! I competed for a few years with the drive to win the crown and get the car and recognition, but the year I actually won I wanted to BE MissTexas. I wanted to be a role model, go into schools and share my message of goal setting and determination. I knew I could be an unbelievable Miss Texas USA!
What was going through your head when you were announced as the new Miss Texas USA?
I just felt peace and excitement! I knew it was my year. I looked at Tyler Willis and her beautiful eyes and just hoped I wasn’t wrong! When I had been the first runner up two years prior to that moment, I was standing in the same place, but with Kasi Kelly (one of my favorite people at the time!) and I knew it was her year. I knew she was going to win, and I accepted it immediately in the moment we stood there holding hands waiting for our names to be called. You just know when it’s your time to win!
What would be your most memorable moment at Miss USA?
Wow, just being there! It was awesome! My roommate was from Ohio, and she was an absolute doll! My most memorable moments were having my parents there with me and my best friend Connie who came all the way to LA to surprise me! She was there to pray for me and give me encouragement.
What would be your first thought when you were called into the top 15 at Miss USA?
I was thrilled! I think I was the third finalist to be called out, so I was excited to be called early! I was having a bad hair day the day of the telecast though, I remember that being on my mind!
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Texas USA?
There are so many! I really enjoyed speaking to kids in schools. They made me so happy. They were just star struck which I loved because I knew they would listen and hopefully remember the positive message I had to share with them. I really enjoyed all of my appearances with Miss Texas Teen USA at the time, Magen Ellis, who is still one of my very best friends.
Lastly, what have you been up to since your reign as Miss Texas USA ended?
Wow!! So much has happened! Shortly after my reign, I finished up college. I re-connected with a friend who would end up being my husband! The timing was so perfect because I was all done with my Miss Texas USA reign and could be selfish and focus on myself for a while! I debated moving to LA to model and try to work in hosting, but I decided to stay in Houston. I worked for a boutique public relations firm for a year and really enjoyed working with various types of businesses and helping them meet their goals. Miss Texas USA opened up so many doors for me. I was featured in a Ford Motor Co. commercial campaign that I am still being paid for, and because of that I am now the spokesperson for Ford dealerships in Corpus Christi and Laredo. I am still modeling and I really enjoy being a pageant judge. I am now married, and I have a three year old daughter. I am still benefitting from all of my pageant experience! The self-discipline, poise, goal-setting, confident…all of the skills that you develop and craft as you compete stay with you. I do not train girls professionally for pageants, but I really enjoy encouraging them and talking with them about my own wonderful experiences in order to help them.
My mom and drill team director encouraged me to compete in pageants when I was a junior in high school. I entered and won a couple of local pageants before actually competing in my first preliminary to the Miss Texas USA Pageant. I entered Miss Rice Belt USA in 1999 when I was a freshman in college. I was nervous but excited. I was most nervous about competing because I watched the Miss Texas USA Pageant on TV and saw the contestants as “women” and I still felt like a girl! It’s funny because now when I hear young girls tell me this as they are about to embark on their first time competing in the Miss pageant, I giggle and give them a ton of encouragement!
You competed in the Miss Texas USA pageant 6 times before taking the title, what motivated you to compete year after year for the title?
I competed 5 times, actually, and loved every single moment! The first year I competed with several women that were aging out or it was going to be their last year. They were beautiful, poised, classy and totally awesome! I cried after that pageant when I placed in the Top 12. I cried not out of disappointment, but I felt like I didn’t even deserve to be in the finalists. I worked hard as far as working out, and I prepared for interview, but I felt there were so many other beautiful and deserving girls that didn’t make the cut. From that point on, I was hooked! I competed for a few years with the drive to win the crown and get the car and recognition, but the year I actually won I wanted to BE MissTexas. I wanted to be a role model, go into schools and share my message of goal setting and determination. I knew I could be an unbelievable Miss Texas USA!
What was going through your head when you were announced as the new Miss Texas USA?
I just felt peace and excitement! I knew it was my year. I looked at Tyler Willis and her beautiful eyes and just hoped I wasn’t wrong! When I had been the first runner up two years prior to that moment, I was standing in the same place, but with Kasi Kelly (one of my favorite people at the time!) and I knew it was her year. I knew she was going to win, and I accepted it immediately in the moment we stood there holding hands waiting for our names to be called. You just know when it’s your time to win!
What would be your most memorable moment at Miss USA?
Wow, just being there! It was awesome! My roommate was from Ohio, and she was an absolute doll! My most memorable moments were having my parents there with me and my best friend Connie who came all the way to LA to surprise me! She was there to pray for me and give me encouragement.
What would be your first thought when you were called into the top 15 at Miss USA?
I was thrilled! I think I was the third finalist to be called out, so I was excited to be called early! I was having a bad hair day the day of the telecast though, I remember that being on my mind!
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Texas USA?
There are so many! I really enjoyed speaking to kids in schools. They made me so happy. They were just star struck which I loved because I knew they would listen and hopefully remember the positive message I had to share with them. I really enjoyed all of my appearances with Miss Texas Teen USA at the time, Magen Ellis, who is still one of my very best friends.
Lastly, what have you been up to since your reign as Miss Texas USA ended?
Wow!! So much has happened! Shortly after my reign, I finished up college. I re-connected with a friend who would end up being my husband! The timing was so perfect because I was all done with my Miss Texas USA reign and could be selfish and focus on myself for a while! I debated moving to LA to model and try to work in hosting, but I decided to stay in Houston. I worked for a boutique public relations firm for a year and really enjoyed working with various types of businesses and helping them meet their goals. Miss Texas USA opened up so many doors for me. I was featured in a Ford Motor Co. commercial campaign that I am still being paid for, and because of that I am now the spokesperson for Ford dealerships in Corpus Christi and Laredo. I am still modeling and I really enjoy being a pageant judge. I am now married, and I have a three year old daughter. I am still benefitting from all of my pageant experience! The self-discipline, poise, goal-setting, confident…all of the skills that you develop and craft as you compete stay with you. I do not train girls professionally for pageants, but I really enjoy encouraging them and talking with them about my own wonderful experiences in order to help them.