Alissa Reitmeier Interview
Miss Missouri Teen USA 2004 + top 15 @ Miss Teen USA 2004
Why did you decide to compete in the Miss Missouri Teen USA pageant?
Well not long after I got involved with pageants I met Jill Worley who runs two preliminary pageants in Missouri. She encouraged me to try the Teen USA system. I entered one of her preliminaries, won it and advanced to the state pageant.
What was going through your head when you were announced as the new Miss Missouri Teen USA?
Oh my gosh I couldn’t believe it! I had worked so hard to get there and it felt so great to have it all pay off. I couldn’t wait to start training for Miss Teen USA.
What was your first thought when you were called into the top 15 at Miss Teen USA?
Well I was lucky enough to be called fourth so I didn’t have to wait too long. It was such a thrill to be one step closer to my goal of being Miss Teen USA. All I remember is looking out into the audience and seeing my family (I had 15 family members come to California to watch me!) jumping up and down- having their support took away ALMOST all of my nerves.
What would be your most memorable moment at Miss Teen USA?
We spent close to three weeks in Palm Springs leading up to the final night. For me the most memorable moment came the day we visited a residential facility for mentally handicapped individuals. I met a young lady named Suzie who had become mentally disabled after a car accident. We had such a great time laughing and playing games and joking about our mutual love for karaoke. When I got home I mailed her a karaoke machine for her room at Angel House. Weeks later I received a handwritten thank you note from her (which I later learned took her an entire day to write and send). I keep the note posted in my room to this day. My encounter with Suzie changed my life and made me realize that what you have today could so easily be gone tomorrow.
Did Shandi Finnessey’s win at Miss USA give you pressure you to place at Miss Teen USA?
Yes and no. Shandi became a big sister to me before we even won the Missouri titles. I was at Miss USA and was so proud to see her win the title. So in a sense I felt a pressure to meet the bar she had set. But I knew that all I could do was work as hard as I could. Knowing I wouldn’t have my cell phone, Shandi called one of the Miss Universe Organization staff members minutes before the final show began and had her find me so she could talk to me and wish me good luck. It was so amazing to have her behind me and really relieved any pressure I had felt.
Before winning Miss Missouri Teen USA, you took the title of Missouri’s Junior Teen. Tell us about your experience as Missouri’s Junior Teen.
Miss Missouri Junior Teen was my first pageant and its actually a really funny story how I got involved with it. A good friend of mine got a flyer in the mail advertising the program. She really wanted to compete but is a very shy person and was really nervous. She asked me to do it with her and I agreed. A couple weeks later I received a packet confirming I would be a contestant. I called her so excited to discuss everything and she told me that she had forgotten to send in her paperwork!! Since I was already officially entered my parents told me I had to do it anyway. So I ended up doing the pageant… and I won!! My friend and I still laugh all the time about the interesting way I got involved with pageants.
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Missouri Teen USA?
I would have to say all the amazing people I met across the state of Missouri. My mom and I took road trips to towns all over the state for appearances. I was asked to do everything from judge pageants to host a tractor pull contest!! But I met the most genuine people and they really contributed to making my year as enjoyable as it was.
Lastly, what have you been up to since your reign as Miss Missouri Teen USA ended?
Going to school! I recently graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, with a degree in convergence journalism. I am currently searching for a job as a broadcast reporter at a local affiliate. My family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, two years ago so I am considering competing for Miss Ohio USA in the next couple of years but it really depends on flexibility with my job.
Well not long after I got involved with pageants I met Jill Worley who runs two preliminary pageants in Missouri. She encouraged me to try the Teen USA system. I entered one of her preliminaries, won it and advanced to the state pageant.
What was going through your head when you were announced as the new Miss Missouri Teen USA?
Oh my gosh I couldn’t believe it! I had worked so hard to get there and it felt so great to have it all pay off. I couldn’t wait to start training for Miss Teen USA.
What was your first thought when you were called into the top 15 at Miss Teen USA?
Well I was lucky enough to be called fourth so I didn’t have to wait too long. It was such a thrill to be one step closer to my goal of being Miss Teen USA. All I remember is looking out into the audience and seeing my family (I had 15 family members come to California to watch me!) jumping up and down- having their support took away ALMOST all of my nerves.
What would be your most memorable moment at Miss Teen USA?
We spent close to three weeks in Palm Springs leading up to the final night. For me the most memorable moment came the day we visited a residential facility for mentally handicapped individuals. I met a young lady named Suzie who had become mentally disabled after a car accident. We had such a great time laughing and playing games and joking about our mutual love for karaoke. When I got home I mailed her a karaoke machine for her room at Angel House. Weeks later I received a handwritten thank you note from her (which I later learned took her an entire day to write and send). I keep the note posted in my room to this day. My encounter with Suzie changed my life and made me realize that what you have today could so easily be gone tomorrow.
Did Shandi Finnessey’s win at Miss USA give you pressure you to place at Miss Teen USA?
Yes and no. Shandi became a big sister to me before we even won the Missouri titles. I was at Miss USA and was so proud to see her win the title. So in a sense I felt a pressure to meet the bar she had set. But I knew that all I could do was work as hard as I could. Knowing I wouldn’t have my cell phone, Shandi called one of the Miss Universe Organization staff members minutes before the final show began and had her find me so she could talk to me and wish me good luck. It was so amazing to have her behind me and really relieved any pressure I had felt.
Before winning Miss Missouri Teen USA, you took the title of Missouri’s Junior Teen. Tell us about your experience as Missouri’s Junior Teen.
Miss Missouri Junior Teen was my first pageant and its actually a really funny story how I got involved with it. A good friend of mine got a flyer in the mail advertising the program. She really wanted to compete but is a very shy person and was really nervous. She asked me to do it with her and I agreed. A couple weeks later I received a packet confirming I would be a contestant. I called her so excited to discuss everything and she told me that she had forgotten to send in her paperwork!! Since I was already officially entered my parents told me I had to do it anyway. So I ended up doing the pageant… and I won!! My friend and I still laugh all the time about the interesting way I got involved with pageants.
What would be your most memorable moment as Miss Missouri Teen USA?
I would have to say all the amazing people I met across the state of Missouri. My mom and I took road trips to towns all over the state for appearances. I was asked to do everything from judge pageants to host a tractor pull contest!! But I met the most genuine people and they really contributed to making my year as enjoyable as it was.
Lastly, what have you been up to since your reign as Miss Missouri Teen USA ended?
Going to school! I recently graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, with a degree in convergence journalism. I am currently searching for a job as a broadcast reporter at a local affiliate. My family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, two years ago so I am considering competing for Miss Ohio USA in the next couple of years but it really depends on flexibility with my job.