NEXTonSCENE Mrs. North America Hemisphere 2017 and Former Mrs. Massachusetts!

We had the fabulous opportunity of connecting with Mrs. North America Hemisphere 2017 & Former Miss Massachusetts, Janelle Woods-McNish!

Crowned Mrs. Massachusetts 2013, Janelle represented the Bay State at the nationally televised Mrs. America pageant held in Arizona. She is currently Mrs. North America Hemisphere 2017 and will compete for the international title of Mrs. Transcontinental in May 2017!

We had the fabulous opportunity of connecting with Janelle to ask her a few questions about her background and how she got to where she is today.

How did you fall into the world of pageants? What was the first pageant

you ever participated in?

"I grew up watching Miss USA and always wanted to grace that stage in a

beautiful, flowing gown. I always wanted to compete but never had the

opportunity or finances to do so. I finalized realized my dream when I

competed in the Miss Dallas Galaxy pageant while I was in college. This was

my first ever beauty competition and surprisingly I won! It was a whirlwind

experience. I got bit by the pageant bug and have been competing ever since."

What was it like to win Mrs. Massachusetts in 2013?

"Winning Mrs. Massachusetts was a life changing experience. Not only was it

the first state title I ever held but it also propelled me to a national level. I went

on to compete in the Mrs. America pageant where I won the Best State

Costume award. More importantly, I gained lifelong friends from the Mrs.

America pageant who I still keep in contact with to this day. During my reign

as Mrs. Massachusetts I traveled the state making appearances, supporting

fundraiser and speaking at various events. To this day people still ask me to

participate in their events. I fondly hold on to the title as a “former Mrs.

Massachusetts”.

What are you currently working on now?

"I am still competing in pageants. Most recently I was awarded the title of Mrs.

North America and will compete for the international title of Mrs.

Transcontinental this May. The winner of this competition will go on to

compete for the title of Mrs. Universe in South Africa this summer.

As Mrs. North America, I am a national spokesperson for the nonprofit

Children of the Night, a national organization that is rescuing America’s

children from prostitution. Through a social media campaign and upcoming

fundraiser I am raising awareness and much needed funds to combat child

prostitution and sexual exploitation of young people."

What are you goals as a business women?

"It is important for me to be a principled leader, one who leads with integrity

and moral courage. I strive to create paths and opportunities for other women

in the business and philanthropic community. Ultimately, I want to lead a

national corporate foundation."

What do you like to do for fun when you aren't working?

"Traveling is one of the loves of my life. I don’t do it as often as I like but

whenever I can I love to visit places within New England, across the United

States and abroad. One of my absolute favorite places is Puerto Rico; it’s my

second home."

What would be some words of advice you would give to someone who is

interested in going the pageant route?

"Pageants are a great way to learn more about who you are while also growing

and developing. I learned how to speak extemporaneously in front of large

audiences, how to walk into a room and own it, and how to advocate for

things that are meaningful to me. In order to get the most out of your pageant

experience, you have to be self-aware and know who you are and what you

stand for. Inner beauty will always shine brighter than external beauty so

spend time discovering who you are and what you are passionate about.

Beauty pageants can only enhance the beauty that already exists within."

#GETSOCIAL with Janelle:

IG: @mrsmass2013

FB: @Janelle Woods McNish