She dispels the age-old myths which label participants in beauty pageants anything other than absolutely brilliant and hard-working. Simone Vaughn, Miss Saginaw 2019, is indeed beautiful – her smile lights up the room. Then she speaks. She speaks with wisdom and experience far beyond her 23 years and it is evident that she will succeed in her efforts to offer and provide hope to individuals and families facing life challenges which may seem insurmountable. She shares her life experiences with transparency and a sense of confidence in having achieved success against the odds.
Simone has participated in pageants since she was fifteen years old. She very quickly realized that she would be at a disadvantage – in some pageants the entry fee alone was $1,000.00. Then there were gowns, swimsuits, coaching lessons, transportation, overnight stays, the list goes on. Some of the larger, more prominent pageants can easily exceed $10,000.00 in costs with no guarantee of winning! The majority of the entrants had the resources to compete – she would have to work to earn hers. At a very early age she would learn the value of working hard and saving to achieve a goal. She did work and save but did not win in those early competitions. She continued to work and develop in areas she learned were lacking. She asked for critiques and focused on delivering noticeable improvement each time she set foot on stage. She mastered the walk, the smile, the speech and the talent but found that the most challenging area to strengthen is one’s confidence. As in any competition, the entire process is designed to compare yourself to other women all of whom bring amazing skills to the stage. As she developed confidence, she began to place and eventually to win.
Prior to being crowned Miss Saginaw, Simone was crowned Miss Bay City, MI. As a student at Delta Community College, she was an official resident of Bay City and eligible to participate in that pageant. Now a senior at Saginaw Valley State University majoring in Communication, Simone speaks highly and with fondness of her two years of learning at the local Community College. She says that she saved tons of money because there is no astronomical student loan debt to be repaid, she lived at home so was able to focus on coursework and pageantry, and perhaps most importantly, she was surrounded by family, community and church which help to keep one grounded. She credits one of her favorite Delta College instructors, Barb Handley, with supporting her in ways that she may not even realize. As Simone gave speeches in the Communication class taught by Ms. Handley, she did well – very well. Ms. Handley, however encouraged her to ‘dig deeper’. She felt that there was a story to be told which would cause Simone to share with passion – a passion that would be necessary for Simone to achieve her future career goals. That story was one of such significance that it led to the creation of what was to become Simone’s platform – the cause for which she now shares at every speaking engagement and has developed a non-profit to provide service to families in need.
With permission from her mother Diane, with whom she has shared a podium on more than a few occasions, Simone shares that as a small child, her family experienced homelessness. It was long, long ago and for a very short period of time but families who have had this experience understand the stigma associated with the challenge of being without housing and often choose to maintain silence when giving it a face and voice may help others to overcome similar trials. Simone has given her experience a face, a voice and a name, ‘THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME’. This new non-profit organization is designed to provide scholarships to graduating seniors who stayed the course in spite of tremendous odds against them. With sufficient funding, the organization will eventually partner with existing service providers to assist individuals with securing permanent housing during their transition period.
In addition to being a full-time student, for the past three years Simone has been employed as an Auto Show Host with Ford Motor Company (based in Detroit, MI). This requires a very detailed working knowledge of each of the vehicles she shows and, of course, a great deal of confidence. Since the on-set of the COVID 19 pandemic, the shows have been done virtually which is even more of a challenge. She now does shows for Audi, Chevrolet and General Motors. She was hired to perform with the Detroit Tigers Energy Squad, again before the onset of the pandemic so is looking forward to the 2011 season when hopefully, there will be fans in the stadium to motivate. To further dispel the myths surrounding the pageantry business, Simone would like for young women to know that it is so much more than a pretty face and that the competitions should be a means to an end. She shares that Miss Michigan USA is an attorney in the Detroit area; Miss Michigan is a 1st grade teacher in Bay City; Miss USA is an attorney in North Carolina; and Miss America is a scientist.
Simone cites her resolve to succeed as a driving force in her life. She learned and embraced a marketing tactic, ‘Go for No’, in a class years ago. The strategy is basically one that encourages individuals to go for the no (the impossible) but not to stop there. Improve in the necessary areas and go again and again – that level of grit has served her well. She shares that she is succeeding because of her faith and sheer determination – turning her obstacles into willpower and motivation to work harder. It is working well for her. Moving forward, Simone plans to use her now very well-honed public speaking skills in the talent segment of competitions. Miss Saginaw 2019 is both beautiful and brilliant – a true front-runner in every aspect of her life.
