How I Kickstarted My Journey to the Crown and Beyond

By Amy Phillips

My Miss America journey didn’t begin the day I put on a crown—it began in first grade. My teacher happened to be the Director of Miss Cape May County, and my mom volunteered with the pageant. Most kids went to aftercare… and I went to pageant rehearsals.

I remember watching the “big girls” practice their walks and talent routines, wide-eyed. Sometimes, when someone was absent, they’d ask me to stand in. I was seven years old, in my baby high heels I asked my mom to buy me from Payless, trying to mimic every step they took. To me, they were magical. Confident. Elegant. Everything I dreamed of becoming one day.

But as I got older, I also knew there were parts of competing that intimidated me—especially swimsuit. I admired the confidence those women had, but I didn’t feel ready for that kind of vulnerability. I decided to give the teen program a try when I was old enough, since there was only a fitness component instead of a swimsuit.

I entered and won on my first try at 13 years old. My first title? Miss Cape May County’s Teen. The first step in this journey with my first grade teacher. And I absolutely fell in love with it. 

The sisterhood. The interviews. The service. The growth. The parades. The opportunities. All of it made me realize that one day, I did want to be Miss New Jersey.

And with that dream came a promise to myself: If I ever wanted to compete for Miss, I had to face the thing that scared me the most—swimsuit.

So I committed. I trained. I pushed myself to grow in healthy, empowering ways. And at my very first Miss competition, not only did I win the crown of Miss Cape May County… I won the preliminary swimsuit award.

The part of the competition I once feared became the part that taught me the most. Now, as a coach, I help other young women find confidence in the areas they feel they struggle with—whether that’s interview, body image, or simply believing they are capable.

During my competition years, the Miss America Organization also gave me something priceless: a platform with purpose. Mine was called Career Kickstart, a program focused on preparing students for career readiness—résumés, interviews, professional skills, and goal setting. I visited 80+ classrooms across South Jersey, hosted workshops, tabled at career fairs, spoke at assemblies, and even created a coloring contest for younger students to draw themselves in their future careers. My work grew so much that I was honored by New Jersey’s Governor Phil Murphy with the Governor’s Volunteer Award for Service to Youth. 

Those experiences shaped me just as much as the crowns did.

So when I aged out, got married, and closed the chapter on competing, I knew Career Kickstart was something I wanted to continue. Helping people grow—especially young women—was part of who I became through the Miss America Organization.

That’s why I created Crowning Kickstart, my pageant coaching business. It combines everything I’ve learned over decades: the little girl who watched rehearsals from the wings, the teen who found her voice, the young woman who faced her fears, and the titleholder who built a platform she believed in.

Coaching lets me give back to the organization that shaped me. It allows me to help others build confidence, step into their purpose, and chase dreams they once thought were too big.

And in many ways, I’m still that first grader in the theater—eyes wide, heart full—believing in the magic of what these programs can do.

If you’re ready to step into your own power, build confidence from the inside out, and prepare for the stage with someone who’s been in your shoes, I’d love to work with you. Whether you’re competing for your first title or chasing your biggest dream, Crowning Kickstart is the place where growth begins.

✨ Join me and start your own journey at: crowningkickstart.wixsite.com/crown

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Amy Phillips is the founder of Crowning Kickstart. You can follow her on her Instagram. 

This is her first guest blog for Section 36 Forevers.