MISS NM — the official website of the Miss New Mexico organization

How to Become a Contestant

To become Miss New Mexico, a contestant must first win a local competition, a process requiring personal commitment, hard work, perseverance, talent and ambition. She should be committed to public service, helping others and a role model that someone can look up to. If you become a contestant at the local, state or national level, you will demonstrate your speaking, vocal, musical, dance or dramatic abilities before a live audience.

The four categories of each Miss America local, state and national competition are: Interview, Physical Fitness (in a swimsuit – one or two piece) Talent and Evening Wear. Every Miss America State Titleholder selects a platform issue of importance to her and to society and spends her year of service advocating and being a spokes person for her issue before the public, business people, media, public officials, charitable organizations, civic groups and others.

To compete in a local a contestant must fulfill the following requirements:

• Be between the ages of 17 and 24.
• Be a United States citizen.
• Meet residency requirements for competing in a certain town or state.
• Meet character criteria as set forth by the Miss America Organization.
• Be in reasonably good health to meet the job requirements.
• Be able to meet the time commitment and job responsibilities as set forth by the local program in which you compete.

Residency Requirements:

To compete on residency a contestant must meet the requirement set by the local and provide proof of residency; a current drivers license, voters registration card, current lease, etc. If competing as an out of state student, she must have successfully completed one semester as a full time student at a bona fide college/university and be registered into her second semester. If competing as employed full-time, she must work at least 40 hours per week in New Mexico for at least six months preceding the date of the local in which you wish to compete.

Age Requirements:

To be eligible to compete, a contestant must be 17 years of age before the first date of the preliminary competition of the local pageant in which she wishes to compete, and must be a graduate of a high school by June 30th of the year in which she is eligible to compete, and can or will be able to produce a diploma as proof upon request, or has successfully completed a G.E.D. testing program for high school equivalency and show proof. A contestant can be no older than 24 years of age on September 30 of the year in which she intends to compete in the National Finals of the Miss America Pageant. A contestant must be of good moral character and have never been pregnant and is not now pregnant and has not been involved at any time in any act of moral turpitude. She must never have been convicted of any crime and does not have any criminal charges pending. She must never have been engaged in any activity which is or could be characterized as dishonest, immoral, immodest, indecent or in bad taste.

Children’s Miracle Network Fee Requirement:

Each contestant must raise a minimum of $100 for the Children’s Miracle Network to compete in a Miss New Mexico local pageant. If you compete in more than one local pageant, you must raise a minimum of $100 for each local pageant you enter.

If interested in entering a local pageant, please visit the Local Pageants, Preliminary Schedule and Contact Information pages on this website. If interested in having a local pageant in your area, please contact, Carol Henry, Executive Director for the Miss New Mexico Scholarship Organization: (505) 430-5523 or e-mail: carolh@pvtnetworks.net.

The Miss New Mexico Scholarship Pageant is the official preliminary for the Miss America Pageant