fairest of them all
fairest of them all Kristen Danyal wins state title By Joyce Wiswell Kristen Danyal of Sterling Heights trusts her gut. When everyone was offering advice in preparation for the Miss Michigan USA pageant, she stayed polite – and then did exactly what she wanted. Her instincts were obviously right on, as she won the state crown on October 1 at a pageant in Port Huron. Though she was crowned Miss Michigan Teen USA in 2008, Danyal wasn’t sure she wanted to enter this latest contest. She ended up deciding to go for it just two weeks before the pageant, which meant a giant scramble to find the perfect dress. She even flew to New York to look. But nothing seemed right until she decided to alter the gown a friend wore to a wedding. Danyal had a seamstress modify the hemline, add a belt and make other changes – a task completed just the night before the pageant. Even after she signed up for Miss Michigan USA, the 21-year-old tried to keep it a secret from friends and family. But with four other Chaldeans in the contest – Chanell Hana, Reem Goria, Elin Shammas and Rasha Yousif – word soon got out and the unsolicited opinions came pouring in. “People started coming up to me and telling me what to do – smile like this or walk like that,” she said. “Everyone was giving me advice that was getting away from who I really am. I said, ‘I’m just going to do it like I did it last time.’” Those suggestions included checking online to see the questions the judges would be asking. “I knew that if I knew what the questions were I would have tried to create an answer in my head beforehand and then stumble when I tried to repeat it,” Danyal said. “So I tried to void everything and go in with a very fresh mind.” The strategy worked, and when Danyal was asked the final question – what are the most important values parents can teach their children? – she nailed it. “I answered respect, because it is the foundation of every value children learn as they grow up. Treat others as you want to be treated and you’ll get very far in life.” Besides nerves, her biggest challenge at the pageant was keeping from crying and ruining her makeup when she made it to the top five. “My tears were stuck in my eyes so I just looked up to make sure the tears didn’t roll down,” she said. “And I tried to make myself laugh.” When the big moment came, hearing the names of the runners-up grew increasingly surreal as she realized she was winning, Danyal said. “I kept thinking, ‘oh my God I’m still here, I can’t believe I’m still here.’ I finally realized where this title was taking me – to Miss USA.” That Donald Trump-produced pageant takes place next summer, most likely in Las Vegas. It’s a threeweek process for the 50 contestants. Meanwhile, Danyal has plenty to keep her busy. She’s making pageant appearances, especially those for breast cancer awareness. She’s working toward a marketing degree at the University of Detroit Mercy and works part time at Nordstrom in the Somerset Mall. She hopes to one day have a career as a wedding planner. “I love chaos and I work well under pressure,” she said. But for now, Danyal is looking no Kristen Danyal reacts to hearing her name called ... and walks the runway in victory. further than graduation in May and prepping for the Miss USA pageant. “I have a one in 50 chance,” she said. “So I want to put into my head that I can win it.” Danyal said she was buoyed by her fellow Chaldean contestants, two of whom, Shammas and Yousif, made it into the top 15. She appreciates the support of her extended family – 25 to 30 people traveled to Port Huron to cheer her on – and said she’s seen nothing but enthusiasm from the community. “I love how supportive the community has been. Everyone knows it can be a really big competition between Chaldeans, but everyone has been so nice,” she said. “It has reaffirmed my faith in human nature – and in Chaldeans.” Kristen Danyal is blogging about her journey to Miss USA. Follow her at MissMIUSA2012.BlogSpot.com and on Twitter at RealMissMIUSA. 36 CHALDEAN NEWS NOVEMBER 2011
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