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Bailey Scheel standing outdoors in front of a bush wearing a green outfit with a sash that states America's International.
29

Bailey Scheel

B.S. in Business Administration, '29

Confidence Happens Here

As a student studying in the Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business, there’s a lot of different career paths you can choose to pursue including finance, accounting, marketing, management and professional selling. With so many options available, it can be a little overwhelming finding your path. However, I found my professional passion in not only the classroom, but also in the very unlikely world of pageantry. In the spring of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic hit the United States – which doesn’t seem like the ideal time to start competing in pageants, but it was perfect for me. Many people think pageants are simply a competition based on looks, but to be successful, you have to excel in the interview room, on stage and in your community through involvement and volunteerism. In a lot of ways, you are marketing yourself, your platform and what you stand for. Instead of selling a product to a consumer, you are selling yourself to a panel of judges. I continued working and competing until I reached a pinnacle moment at America’s International Miss pageant.

America’s International Miss is a national level pageant where girls from across the country come to compete. Every week, I had lessons for my interview, talent and walking skills. Between these lessons, I was attending UWF courses that, at the time, I didn’t realize were indirectly enhancing my pageantry skills. Going into the national pageant weekend, I felt confident that I had given it my all, regardless of the outcome. As the competition wrapped up, I found myself standing in the top two. I had set the goal of placing in the top five, so to be standing in the final round was surreal. They then called my name, and I was in pure shock. All of the hard work had finally paid off. I was officially America’s International Miss.

My education at UWF has given me a versatile skill set that can be applied in the classroom, on stage or in a professional setting. In pageantry, having a social media presence is essential in promoting your brand, and creating content has become a huge passion of mine. Upon receiving my bachelor’s degree at UWF, I will be stepping into the career world of digital marketing with the same level of confidence and expertise as stepping across a pageant stage.