The next contestant to be featured as part of our series, The Road to Miss Delaware’s Outstanding Teen 2018, is Emma Leigh Scott, the reigning Miss Greenville’s Outstanding Teen 2018. This vibrant 13-year-old is currently at an art school, and has been a part of pageant since she was four years old. Continue reading to learn more about Emma and her journey to the Miss Delaware OT 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.
Hello, my name is Emma Leigh Scott. I am 13 years old and in the 8th grade. I currently attend an arts school where I am active in drama and dance. My favorite form of dance is tap dancing. I have been participating in pageants since I was 4 years old. This is my first time competing in a pageant at the teen level. I am excited and grateful for this opportunity with Miss Delaware’s Outstanding Teen Organization.

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 point on the crown. I think it is important for teen’s to help others. By doing this, I hope I inspire other teens to looks for ways to help those in need. I also think it is important for teen’s to advocate for each other regarding issues we face during the teen years.

Besides promoting my platform message, I have participated in multiple community service activities. My mother and I have cooked breakfast and served families at the Ronald McDonald House, helped others in need through the Caring Kids church program, created crafts and performed dance at senior care facilities, played with cats waiting for adoption for Kristi’s Cats, sponsored a family of a deceased parent at Christmas through Delaware Hospice, put together toiletries in shoe-boxes for Operation Christmas Child, and rang bells for the Salvation Army during the cold holiday season. I am always looking for ways to use my hands and heart to help others.

During Nicole Hannah’s reign, what is one characteristic you’ve seen her bring forth as Miss Delaware’s Outstanding Teen, and which do you hope to emulate if you were to win the title?
Nicole has a positive, never give up attitude, and an up-beat personality. These are characteristics I would emulate if I were to win the title.


What have you learned from our current Miss Delaware, Chelsea Bruce, that can help you be a better outstanding teen?
I have learned from Chelsea to go after your dreams and to never give up. I think these are characteristics that can help anyone grow as a person.

Please share with our readers your platform and why you’ve chosen to advocate for it.
Bullying is a major problem teens face within the United States. Statistics show one in four students are bullied on a regular basis at school and through cyber-bullying. My story and passion for my platform begins with the bullying I faced by adults within my dance studio classes. Some of the dance mothers would speak rudely about my size while I was practicing dance. I could hear what they were saying and their words cut deep. The bullying became so harsh that I made the personal decision to switch dance studios. I learned how terrible it feels to be the target of bullying and I learned how to rise up from this unjustified treatment.

If you were to win the title of Miss Delaware’s Outstanding Teen, how do you hope to better educate your generation about your platform and the importance it holds?
I want to help others cope and learn to love themselves. My message is everyone is unique and special. I plan to speak to students in grades K thru sixth on practicing kindness to overcome bullying. In February, I had the opportunity to read to kindergartners at Southern Delaware School of the Arts. Additionally, I have started my own YouTube channel to speak out against bullying. This allows others who are dealing with taunting, a safe place to share their stories. I currently have 5,000 subscribers using my YouTube channel. Whenever an individual feels unloved, it is important to befriend them, and share your love through positive encouragement.


Tell us about your talent and the decisions you made in proceeding with this talent.
I am tap dancing to “Friend Like Me” from the Disney movie Aladdin. I chose this song because it is upbeat and fun. It is also a music theater so it allows me to showcase my love and acting and dance. In honor of the Genie, I am wearing a blue sparkly costume.

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?
It’s okay to be unique and different. The Miss America Organization embraces each of us as individuals. When entering the pageant, focus on who you are as a person and how you can grow as a person. A pageant is really a competition with yourself not with others. Be confident in who you are and this will show through to the judges. The most important part of competing is being true to yourself.

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?
I don’t fit the TV or social media portrayal of pageantry. I do not wear a lot of make-up, I have on braces and often wear glasses. I enjoy performing my talent, serving my community, and being on-stage; however, at the end of the day I am a regular teenager. I think my appearance and personality alone break the barrier of the media’s portrayal of a pageant girl.

Bravura is an artistic word for exceptional. Tell our readers what make you “bravura.”
I have a lot of personality and enjoy talking with others. If I experience something sad or see someone having a hard time, I try to help turn things into a positive. I am always willing to help others in need or advocate for others.

Do you have any final words for the readers of Bravura Magazine?
My final words are Be YOU, Be UNIQUE. If you have a desire to do something or a goal, tell yourself to go for it!