Pageants don’t just have to be for tweens and teens, moms can do them, too! And no one knows that better than Brittany Lorio, the Executive Director of the Pelican Organization and the 2019 Teen, Ms., and Mrs. Pelican State Pageant.

Brittany lives in Prairieville with her husband, Aaron, and their three dogs. She has held numerous pageant titles, and she is the reigning Ms. Louisiana Cattle Festival Queen.  She is also a former New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Hornets cheerleader. After the winners were crowned, we sat down with Brittany to get an inside look at why she started the pageant.

J&K. What made you decide to direct a pageant?

B. After years of competing as a contestant myself, I wanted to do something that would allow me to be involved in helping others grow and develop into better versions of themselves. I truly feel that pageants have developed me into the person I am today, but I wanted to do something more than just what a coach could do. I aspired to be a mentor, and I wanted to be a part of guiding those onto the next step.

J&K. How does the pageant empower women, especially mothers? What can mothers take away from the competition?

B. Providing the Mrs. and Ms. category for mothers is an opportunity for those to focus on something for themselves and to work toward a goal. The division for single and married women is a great way to continue living out your dreams and to show others that anything is possible. Motherhood and marriage are two great things to be proud of, and the Pelican State Pageant wants to honor them.

J&K. What was your favorite part of the pageant?

B. Getting to meet all of the contestants for the first time. During the orientation, I was able to brief them on how the weekend was going to go. My main focus for the pageant was to ensure that everyone was relaxed, knowledgeable of what to expect, and more importantly, they had a good time.

J&K. What do you want all contestants to take away from the competition?

B. One thing I stress more than anything for all girls competing is to soak up the time throughout the competition and have fun. 

Enjoy yourself, meet a new face, and help another contestant with anything they may need–offering advice to newer contestants, etc. With or without winning the crown, it’s who you met along the way, and the attitude you approached the weekend with will allow you to grow and improve for your next competition.

The Pelican State Pageant Organization is an Official Preliminary competition for girls working to compete for the Miss Louisiana USA & Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageant. For the Mrs. Division, it is also a preliminary for the Mrs. Louisiana America pageant, a pageant honoring married women. All winners receive free entry to their state pageant. Throughout their year reign, they are active in appearances throughout the community to represent the Pelican State name and to give back and serve as role models to others.

This year, the winners of the Teen, Ms., and Mrs. competitions included Savanna Crawford, Kelsey Wilkes, and Angela Melle, respectively.

We were given the honor of presenting the first ever Influencer Award to the one contestant who had the most positive influence on her peers, family, and friends. The winner was Savanna Crawford.