In 2017 when Caitlin Garcia won the Miss Rockdale Fair title, she never dreamed she would be competing in a national beauty pageant much less winning it.
“When I first started, I never thought I’d end up here as Miss Teen of Texas America,” Garcia said, while studying for final exams at Texas A&M in December. “Miss Thorndale was my first pageant ever and I did it because my friends did and for the scholarship.”
She competed and won Miss Thorndale her junior year at Thorn-dale High School. The next year (2017) she entered and won the Miss Rock-dale Fair pageant.
“I still had the title when I won the title of Miss Teen of Texas,” she said.
By the time nationals came around Caitlin said she was ready for the pageant madness to end.
“Once I got (to Orlando) I was thinking I would be happy as a runner up, because I was ready to be a full-time college student,” Caitlin laughed. “Then I made the top two.”
She was crowned Miss Teen of Texas America in Orlando, FL, in November on the same day Texas A&M beat LSU 74-72 in seven overtimes in the highest scoring Division I football game in history.
It’s a day her father Eric Garcia will never forget.
Eric said he had enough frequent flier points on Southwest Airlines to get Caitlin and his wife, Becky, to Orlando for the pageant but not for the rest of the family, which meant he and Savannah and Natalie had to stay in Texas.
“I told Natalie, while Caitlin and Mom are going to have their fun, we’re going to the LSU/A&M game,” Eric said. “As we (Savannah, Natalie and Eric) were watching the game we were getting text messages and updates from the pageant. I couldn’t believe it, when she said she had won, and the game was still going on.”
He said it was a toss up as to who had a better time.
Getting started
Becky and Eric Garcia had to warm up to the idea of Caitlin competing in the pageant competitions. Caitlyn had looked into competing in the Miss America and Miss USA pageants but her parents nixed the idea.
“When she asked if she could compete in those pageants, I wasn’t sure because of the amount of time and money she would need to spend. Plus, she was about to start college. We didn’t think she had enough exposure or experience for that,” Becky said.
It took the reigning Miss Texas to convince Becky that Caitlyn should compete. When Miss Texas Morgana Wood, who met Caitlin at the Rock-dale Fair pageant, suggested Caitlyn try competing in the Miss Teen of Texas, a scholastic and achievement based pageant, both parents liked the idea.
According to Sunny Hill, the president of Miss Teen of America organization, “This pageant is not a typical beauty pageant, with 60 percent of our judging completed prior to the judges even seeing the young ladies. American Pageants Organization highlights achievement and promotes confidence in the leaders of tomorrow.”
Taking up the mantel
Caitlin is proud of her crown.
“No one in Milam County knows about this pageant. I’m using my God given talents of speaking and doing pageants for Miss Teen of America,” Caitlin said. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I’ve competed at the national level. This just goes to show we’re not restricted to county lines and small town girls can go and achieve great things.”
Caitlin received $60,000 in gift packages, which includes $5,000 for college after her 2019 reign is over.
Caitlin will be able to use the scholarship award for her Bachelor of Arts degree in communication with a minor business at Texas A&M University.
Right, Miss Teen of America 2018 Alana Castle crowns Caitlin Garcia as Miss Teen of America 2019 in Orlando, FL in November.
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