Our series, "The Road to Miss Virginia’s Outstanding Teen 2018," continues with the next contestant to be featured, Miss Cardinal’s Outstanding Teen 2018, Scarlett Elana Armes. This 16-year-old  sophomore is ready to take the Miss VAOT stage by storm and show the judges what makes her an outstanding teen! Continue reading to learn more about Scarlett and her journey to the crown!

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For those who may not be familiar with you, tell our readers a bit about yourself and your background within the pageant world.
I am Scarlett Elana Armes, a 16-year-old Sophomore attending Pulaski County High School. During elementary school, I was painfully shy. The guidance counselors and teachers had a conference with my parents due to being worried about how little I would look at people or talk to them. I would sit alone and I did not have friendships like the other children. My parents decided to enroll me in dance, sports, piano and in pageants.

At age 12, I entered my first Outstanding Teen competition. More than anything, pageants have helped me to break out of my shell. I am now an Honors student and a member of The National Honor Society. I also participate in the Student Council and Skills USA at school. I also founded an organization at age 12 that focuses on providing pillowcases to foster children (Sew Little Seeds on Facebook).  I am a recipient of The President’s Volunteer Service Award given by former President Barak Obama, and I received the National Leadership Award from the American Youth Foundation for community service for my platform charity “Give Kids The World”, Relay for Life, Easter Seals and others.


The four points of the Miss America crown represent: service, scholarship, style and success. Which one is the most important to you and why?
Service is the most important – being selfless and giving of your time, talents and fundraising abilities. This is important to me because making a difference in someone’s life is so rewarding. Being a teen that spends time in the community really stands out in the mind of adults because most teens are on their phone or playing video games. I encourage people my age to get out and volunteer. I always invite people to go with me.

During Isabella’s reign, what is one characteristic you’ve seen her bring forth as Miss Virginia’s Outstanding Teen, and which do you hope to emulate if you were to win the title?
She is very articulate and can speak to audiences without fear. She does an amazing job hosting events. She stands out in the crowd because of her confidence and poise.

What have you learned from our current Miss Virginia’s Outstanding Teen, Isabella, that can help you to be a better outstanding teen?
She is the total package. She has amazing grades, she is constantly out in the community volunteering, her style is impeccable and she is very successful at fundraising.

Please share with our readers your platform and why you’ve chosen to advocate for it.
My platform is “Give Kids The World” Nonprofit. While volunteering for “Relay for Life”, I met a little girl named Bella who had cancer. Bella was five years old and was granted a wish through the “Make-A-Wish” organization. She wanted to go to Disney World in Florida. “Give Kids The World” nonprofit stepped up and invited Bella and her family to Florida to grant her wish. I knew that after meeting Bella and learning about “Give Kids The World” that I could make a difference. I wanted to raise awareness about the incredible impact this organization has.

Every year over 27,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with a terminal illness or a life-threatening disease. Once a child is deemed terminal, over half of these children partner with a wish granting organization such as “Make-A-Wish” and choose to visit Central Florida and its theme parks. “Make-A-Wish” contacts “Give Kids The World” to provide the vacation for the child and their family. “Give Kids The World” is a non-profit resort located in Central Florida that provides a week-long, cost free vacation to these families. Many times, this is the last vacation the family has together due to the circumstances. The average cost for these vacations is $5,000. “Give Kids The World” covers these expenses.

Becoming Miss Virginia’s Outstanding Teen will be the channel to help reach out and communicate to unlimited audiences and organizations about my platform and my goal. My goal is to raise enough money to pay for one family to have one last vacation with their child.


If you were to win the title of Miss Virginia’s Outstanding Teen, how do you hope to better educate your generation about your platform and the importance that it holds?
As Miss Virginia’s Outstanding Teen, it will provide opportunities for speaking engagements and access to discussions with peers in my generation and leaders in the community about my platform “Give Kids The World.” My platform relates directly to the national platform, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Many of the children with terminal illnesses and life-threatening diseases are patients at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and are granted a wish and are sent to “Give Kids The World.”

As Miss Virginia’s Outstanding Teen, my marketing plan includes a press kit with a brochure detailing how to donate to and volunteer with “Give Kids The World.” My plan also includes a social media Facebook page to promote awareness online. A press release will contain a one-page document sent to local organizations, schools, non-profits, grant-funding organizations, newspapers and to reporters for television. The more people I can reach with my platform, the more children can receive their wish.

Tell us about your talent and the decisions you made in proceeding with this talent.
I began playing piano in elementary school and flute in middle school and enjoyed learning about music. I was encouraged by my friends and family to sing while playing the piano but fear held me back. In the fall of 2017, I decided to not allow my fear of singing in front of an audience hold me back any longer. I entered a Miss Virginia’s Outstanding Teen preliminary and sang for the first time publicly on stage live in front of an audience. I cannot express how proud of myself I was at that moment to have conquered my fear. Ultimately, developing a talent takes time, effort, courage, determination and perseverance. My favorite quote about talent is by James E. Faust. He said, “We develop our talents first by thinking we can.”

This summer, at Miss Virginia’s Outstanding Teen competition, I plan on playing the piano and singing a midtempo song about family relationships. I hope to inspire someone with this song.

Having been in pageants and after winning a local title, what advice do you have for those who want to start competing in the MAO system?
Find a local Executive Director listed on the Miss Virginia website and contact them! Each of these individuals has the knowledge and experience to help a new competitor to succeed. In addition, I recommend reaching out to last year’s contestants. It really is a sisterhood and these girls will embrace you.


Because of the way media and certain television networks have portrayed the lifestyle of pageantry, there is a preconceived notion of what a pageant girl is like. How do you think that being a part of the Miss America Organization you are able to break that barrier?
Barriers are often created in the mind due to a lack of knowledge. Changing these perceptions about pageantry will happen after meeting a titleholder. These women are intelligent and are quite accomplished. In order to break that barrier, meeting me or any of the girls in this organization would change their mind. Just taking the time to talk with any of us would prove that we are articulate and educated.

Regardless of who wins the title of Miss Virginia’s Outstanding Teen, what is one goal which you have for them, which you hope they will accomplish during their reign?
The one goal that we should all have is to bring in donations for Children’s Miracle Network and to make great strides in promoting our personal platforms.

Bravura is an artistic word for exceptional. Tell our readers what makes you “bravura.”
In everything I do, I try my personal best. I try to improve each time I do something. I do not compare myself to others anymore. I have realized that I am an individual, and I must focus on my own path.

Where can fans follow you on social media?
Miss Cardinal Scholarship Organization on Facebook.

Sincerely Scarlett on Facebook.

Sew Little Seeds: Pillowcases for Foster Children on Facebook. (This is an organization that I began at age 12 to provide pillowcases and toiletries to children in foster care.)

Do you have any final words for the readers of Bravura Magazine?
Thank you for taking the time to read about me, my platform and about the Outstanding Teen program. This program changes the lives of women. If you know a girl that is struggling, introduce her to this program. It can make a difference in her life!