Why the Toughest Interview of My Life Was Actually My Best

By Kaili Ruth

Photo: Malea Ellett

Throughout my years competing in the Miss America Opportunity, I’ve always loved the private interview portion of the competition. I enjoy sharing who I am, what I stand for, and the changes I want to make in the world. Typically, my paperwork leads to the same questions in every interview, so I’m always prepared. I’ve learned how to guide the conversation in the direction I want, and it’s never been a problem until my most recent interview.

This time, I walked out in tears.

It felt so heavy, so serious. I was asked questions I hadn’t anticipated, despite not changing my fact sheet. I had done countless mock interviews, yet not a single one had gone the way this interview did. For the first time, I felt like I had lost control, like I was failing.

And the question that stumped me? “What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you?”

I completely blanked.

After a few moments, I admitted that I couldn’t think of anything at the moment but told them to come back to it so we could all have a laugh. I powered through the rest of the interview, but the second I got in the car, the emotions hit me. I felt like I had completely bombed it, and the weight of that was crushing—especially because this was the competition I wanted to win the most.

But interview was only one part of the competition. I still had 70% left to prove myself, so I put my best foot forward. By the time I finished my on-stage question, I felt fully confident again.

Then came the awards.

To my absolute shock, I won Best Interview.

I had been so sure I had failed. And yet, looking back, my interview was filled with depth, personality, and authenticity. I got to talk about my love for Taylor Swift, even quoting gold rush to highlight her songwriting. I spoke about integrity, what it means to me, and the power of being a woman.

And, in the end, I was crowned Miss Washington County.
This experience taught me something invaluable: just because things don’t go the way we plan doesn’t mean they aren’t working out in our favor. Sometimes, what feels like failure is actually setting us up for something even greater than we imagined.

I’m grateful for that lesson as I prepare for my first state competition this summer—because now, I know that even in uncertainty, I am more capable than I think.

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Kaili Ruth is the current Miss Washington County (UT). You can find her on her title's Instagram.

This is her first blog for Section 36 Forevers.