Kate Banaszak Interview
Miss Delaware USA 2009
Why did you decide to compete in the Miss Delaware USA pageant?
I entered my first pageant, Miss Junior Teen Baltimore, when I was thirteen. I placed sixth, and cried the entire way home. I vowed that I would never enter a pageant again at that point. That was, of course, until I saw the Miss USA Pageant on tv. I caught a glimpse of Miss Delaware USA, and I knew right away that I wanted to be that girl. I competed in Delaware for the first time at the 2005 pageant, and I had the time of my life. I've been hooked ever since.
You competed 3 times before winning the title on your 4th try. What motivated you to come back and compete year after year?
I came back because I knew I could do it. I knew that at some point, it would be my turn. I spent three years of competition watching other girls live out the dream that I wanted for myself. I was always proud of my friends, and congratulated each of them on their success. After leaving the pageant, the moment I got into the car I would burst into tears. My family and I had developed a yearly ritual; after the compe tition we would go to Red Lobster and cry over surf and turf, while thinking, "maybe next year!"
What was going through your head when you were announced as the winner of the Miss Delaware USA pageant?
My first thought was, "Okay, I can wake up now." I really thought it wasn't real. I was shaking uncontrollably and thought I was going to faint. Right before I was crowned, however, you can see on the video of the pageant, I kept looking behind me at the other girls who hadn't placed in the top five. I couldn't stop thinking that I knew exactly how they felt - and I knew some of them wanted to scream, cry, or push me off of the stage due to pure frustration. I couldn't stop thinking about how lucky I was to finally get my moment in the spotlight, and I had a huge respect for all of my fellow competitors for being willing to share that moment with me.
You recently competed in the Miss USA pageant. What would be your most memorable moment at Miss USA?
Meeting Donald Trump was probably the most memorable moment for me. I could not stop staring at his hair, and thinking, "Wow. It REALLY does look like that in real life." It was crazy. I wasn't starstruck at all, and I thought that I would be. He was introducing himself to me, and my eyes were so glued to his crazy 'do I could n't think about anything else. I think about that moment just about every day, even now, and I have to laugh.
What inspired the "The Delaware Curse"?
I was so fed up with being pushed to the back for everything. I seemed to always be last, for photos, videos, everything. There was blatant favoritism for larger states - and understandably so. Delaware is not a pageant state, and viewers really don't want to see Delaware. They'd much rather see California or Texas. Delaware is always overlooked, every year. Miss USA is a game, and you need to be a bit fake to play it well. When you're tired, you need to fake energy. When you're angry, you need to fake a smile. You must be the most bubbly, "pageanty" girl there, period. I just happened to get tired of that game. I wanted to be who I was - sarcastic, goofy, and somewhat of a badass. I decided to go out with a bang, and get Delaware noticed, finally. And it worked. I was approached by nearly every girl at the pageant, telling me how much she loved the video. MUO staff, camera crew, PR reps - people that had no interest in me prior to the video - all of a sudden knew who I was, and wanted to get to know me better! The best part was being approached by Paula Shugart herself, and hearing that she really enjoyed the video and found it hysterical. I honestly feel like I did win, because I was noticed for my personality alone, rat her than my looks, And, let's face it, that is difficult to do at a pageant.
Tell us about the volunteer work you do.
I've worked with a number of different organizations, most of them before I was ever crowned Miss Delaware USA. I've worked with Faithful Friends Inc., a humane animal shelter in Delaware, Meals on Wheels, The American Heart Association, and Relay for Life. Most recently I was named an official spokesperson for Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, a cause that is very close to my heart. I've been impacted most by my work with Contact Lifeline as a Rape Crisis Advocate. I've worked with rape victims immediately following an attack, and served as a mediator between doctors, law enforcement, victims, and family members. It has been the most difficult volunteer work, but also the most rewarding. My next plan is to become certified with CASA as a child advocate for the justice system.
What would be your most memorable moment so far as Miss Delaware USA?
It would have to be going to Miss USA. But, not for the reason you may think. Being away from home, and meeting so many wonderful women from around the country, resulted in me gaining a huge appreciation for my home state of Delaware. I had a big smile on my face while competing in prelims, but I smiled more when the plane took off fr om the Las Vegas Airport. I was so happy to be going back to the east coast, because I knew that was where I belonged. I was proud to be returning to Delaware where I could continue to represent The Diamond State - it really is a girl's best friend.
Lastly, do you think you’ve made a difference so far as Miss Delaware USA?
Quite frankly, as a beauty queen, I think it's difficult to make a difference in the real world. I've found that most people, who have zero interest in pageantry, do not think highly of pageant girls at all. With the scandals coming out of the pageant world recently, I don't blame others for thinking that people like me are a joke. However, after The Delaware Curse was made public, the support came from mostly non-pageant people! They found it refreshing that I wore a crown and sash, but also had a strong, honest, unique personality. So, if I have been able to make any sort of a "difference," I hope I've made the public realize this: We're not all self-proclaimed role models, who put on a smile and spew crap about world peace - while hiding our nude photos, crack addictions, and DUI convictions. Some of us are actually, normal.
I entered my first pageant, Miss Junior Teen Baltimore, when I was thirteen. I placed sixth, and cried the entire way home. I vowed that I would never enter a pageant again at that point. That was, of course, until I saw the Miss USA Pageant on tv. I caught a glimpse of Miss Delaware USA, and I knew right away that I wanted to be that girl. I competed in Delaware for the first time at the 2005 pageant, and I had the time of my life. I've been hooked ever since.
You competed 3 times before winning the title on your 4th try. What motivated you to come back and compete year after year?
I came back because I knew I could do it. I knew that at some point, it would be my turn. I spent three years of competition watching other girls live out the dream that I wanted for myself. I was always proud of my friends, and congratulated each of them on their success. After leaving the pageant, the moment I got into the car I would burst into tears. My family and I had developed a yearly ritual; after the compe tition we would go to Red Lobster and cry over surf and turf, while thinking, "maybe next year!"
What was going through your head when you were announced as the winner of the Miss Delaware USA pageant?
My first thought was, "Okay, I can wake up now." I really thought it wasn't real. I was shaking uncontrollably and thought I was going to faint. Right before I was crowned, however, you can see on the video of the pageant, I kept looking behind me at the other girls who hadn't placed in the top five. I couldn't stop thinking that I knew exactly how they felt - and I knew some of them wanted to scream, cry, or push me off of the stage due to pure frustration. I couldn't stop thinking about how lucky I was to finally get my moment in the spotlight, and I had a huge respect for all of my fellow competitors for being willing to share that moment with me.
You recently competed in the Miss USA pageant. What would be your most memorable moment at Miss USA?
Meeting Donald Trump was probably the most memorable moment for me. I could not stop staring at his hair, and thinking, "Wow. It REALLY does look like that in real life." It was crazy. I wasn't starstruck at all, and I thought that I would be. He was introducing himself to me, and my eyes were so glued to his crazy 'do I could n't think about anything else. I think about that moment just about every day, even now, and I have to laugh.
What inspired the "The Delaware Curse"?
I was so fed up with being pushed to the back for everything. I seemed to always be last, for photos, videos, everything. There was blatant favoritism for larger states - and understandably so. Delaware is not a pageant state, and viewers really don't want to see Delaware. They'd much rather see California or Texas. Delaware is always overlooked, every year. Miss USA is a game, and you need to be a bit fake to play it well. When you're tired, you need to fake energy. When you're angry, you need to fake a smile. You must be the most bubbly, "pageanty" girl there, period. I just happened to get tired of that game. I wanted to be who I was - sarcastic, goofy, and somewhat of a badass. I decided to go out with a bang, and get Delaware noticed, finally. And it worked. I was approached by nearly every girl at the pageant, telling me how much she loved the video. MUO staff, camera crew, PR reps - people that had no interest in me prior to the video - all of a sudden knew who I was, and wanted to get to know me better! The best part was being approached by Paula Shugart herself, and hearing that she really enjoyed the video and found it hysterical. I honestly feel like I did win, because I was noticed for my personality alone, rat her than my looks, And, let's face it, that is difficult to do at a pageant.
Tell us about the volunteer work you do.
I've worked with a number of different organizations, most of them before I was ever crowned Miss Delaware USA. I've worked with Faithful Friends Inc., a humane animal shelter in Delaware, Meals on Wheels, The American Heart Association, and Relay for Life. Most recently I was named an official spokesperson for Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, a cause that is very close to my heart. I've been impacted most by my work with Contact Lifeline as a Rape Crisis Advocate. I've worked with rape victims immediately following an attack, and served as a mediator between doctors, law enforcement, victims, and family members. It has been the most difficult volunteer work, but also the most rewarding. My next plan is to become certified with CASA as a child advocate for the justice system.
What would be your most memorable moment so far as Miss Delaware USA?
It would have to be going to Miss USA. But, not for the reason you may think. Being away from home, and meeting so many wonderful women from around the country, resulted in me gaining a huge appreciation for my home state of Delaware. I had a big smile on my face while competing in prelims, but I smiled more when the plane took off fr om the Las Vegas Airport. I was so happy to be going back to the east coast, because I knew that was where I belonged. I was proud to be returning to Delaware where I could continue to represent The Diamond State - it really is a girl's best friend.
Lastly, do you think you’ve made a difference so far as Miss Delaware USA?
Quite frankly, as a beauty queen, I think it's difficult to make a difference in the real world. I've found that most people, who have zero interest in pageantry, do not think highly of pageant girls at all. With the scandals coming out of the pageant world recently, I don't blame others for thinking that people like me are a joke. However, after The Delaware Curse was made public, the support came from mostly non-pageant people! They found it refreshing that I wore a crown and sash, but also had a strong, honest, unique personality. So, if I have been able to make any sort of a "difference," I hope I've made the public realize this: We're not all self-proclaimed role models, who put on a smile and spew crap about world peace - while hiding our nude photos, crack addictions, and DUI convictions. Some of us are actually, normal.