From shy to confident, Clearview middle-schooler says “someone is there for you”
What kinds of opportunities are offered to those participating in a pageant? To name a few: the chance to wear a lovely gown, get a new hairdo, tell a panel of judges about the importance of community service, and jump-start an anti-bullying campaign called Stand Up and Stand Out.
Shelby Ritterson, 13, of Mantua, favors the latter efforts. Ritterson is a contestant in the 2018 Miss New Jersey Teen pageant, a division of the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen system.
She gained this birth partially by becoming the first Miss Veterans Day Outstanding Teen held in Ocean County in November. Winning a local pageant is a prerequisite for earning a spot in the Miss New Jersey Teen event. Her mentor and 2016 Miss New Jersey, Brenna Weick, also recommended her.
“I participate in the pageants for my platform,” she said.
For this young teen, pageantry and anti-bullying initiatives go hand-in-hand.
“I was bullied when I was younger,” she explained. What she also said was her mother, Karen Wagner, entered her daughter in her first pageant when she was 5.
“I think she did it for my confidence. I used to be pretty shy,” she said.
Too many headlines smatter newspapers and computer screens with horror stories turned tragedy, and too many children are facing bullying at alarmingly young ages. Today, children face the titanic issue of cyberbullying. While this problem may never be fully submerged, fortunately, there are children who, with a preemptive parent, act beyond their years to help others.
“I just can’t believe she is 13. I’m so proud of her,” Wagner said.
Ritterson’s campaign is in its infancy, but she is confident her message of “standing up to bullies and standing out in your community” will blossom and help others.
“I think one of the biggest problems is that people don’t know who they are as individuals,” she said.
She continued to explain that if kids are confident in themselves and have a good self-worth early, the potential for bullying diminishes.
Part of who Ritterson is and what makes her confident is her love of helping others in the community. Some of her community service projects include volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House, summer camps and community events such as Breakfast with Santa at the Mantua VFW, Post 7679.
At the Miss New Jersey Teen Pageant, Ritterson — the youngest participant this year — will have the chance to tell a panel of judges about her platform while enjoying the more ornate aspects of the event. A long-time dancer, Ritterson will tap dance to a “post-modern version of Call Me Maybe” while sporting a “vintage costume,” the details of which she cannot divulge until the event.
Ritterson’s list of aspirations is almost as long as her resume; she hopes someday to become a psychologist, a kindergarten teacher or an actress … or maybe all three. After a quick pause and a widening smile, she said, ‘I also want to be a Rockette.”
While this teen will enjoy the Miss New Jersey Teen pageant, she is more focused on using her platform before the judges, audience and anyone else listening to spread her anti-bullying message.
“I want to talk to people about their individuality and show them that someone is there for them,” she said.
The Miss New Jersey’s Outstanding Teen pageant is scheduled for Jan. 27, at the Clayton Performing Arts Center in Clayton. Tickets are $35 general admission and can be purchased through www.showtix4u.com, or call (866) 967–8167. For more information, visit www.missnewjersey.net/miss-new-jerseys-outstanding-teen.
