Today we’d like to introduce you to Chasten McCrary.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As a little girl, I was glued to the TV watching the Miss USA and Miss America pageants dreaming of being on such a stage. Little did I know I would walk the stage of the Miss Black GA USA pageant and win this prestigious title. Born into a military family, I learned at an early age that integrity, loyalty, and service are elements of a positive, productive life. Under the “watchful” eyes of my parents, Xavier & Angel, I thrived at Sandy Creek HS and then ventured onto Mississippi State University. In May of 2018, I graduated as a Stephen D. Lee Scholar (4.0 GPA) with my Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing.
It was at MSU where my pageantry journey began as I won the title of Miss Black & Gold 2016 representing the men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. This win propelled me to the district pageant where I was crowned Miss Black & Gold 2017 for the District of Mississippi. From there, I traveled to North Carolina to compete for the Southern Regional title of Miss Black & Gold where I placed 1st runner-up. What started as a way to help me finance my education has become an impactful part of my life.
November 2018, I competed in the Miss Black GA USA pageant representing my hometown of Fayetteville. This night was one that changed my life as I walked away with the prestigious title of Miss Black GA USA. During this time, I met so many beautiful African-American women working to make a positive impact in their communities. Each of them, like me, stand on platforms of service and empowerment. I am humbled and honored to be able to represent these ladies and the lovely state of Georgia. As Miss Black GA USA I have had many great opportunities such as addressing the Georgia House of Representatives, singing the National Anthem for the GHSA 3ABoys Championship Basketball game, serving as an Ambassador for the youth development program Diamonds In The Rough, as well as being a celebrity guest during Super Bowl Weekend for Radio One’s “Welcome to Atlanta Big Game Party” hosted by Eva Marcille and Headkrack.
This August I will travel to Washington D.C., along with my other state sister queens, to compete for the National Title of Miss Black USA. My team and I are diligently working to prepare for this “battle” as I hope to represent the state of Georgia in royal fashion. I am sure my fellow Georgians will agree that it is time for the Miss Black USA crown to reside in the Peach State and that is exactly what I am setting out to do.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Upon graduating from MSU, I was hired by my alma mater in July as an Admissions Counselor responsible for the southern counties of Georgia and the state of South Carolina. I spend much of my time traveling from county to county not to mention from state to state. This has posed quite a few struggles as I try to manage the obligations of my career as well as those of Miss Black GA USA. Not to mention, I am in the midst of preparing to apply for graduate school in the fall (fingers crossed!). This year has not been easy! Often time I have been invited to attend various events, and I find myself dressing in my car or a McDonald’s restroom. I never want to turn down an invitation as people do not have to think of you enough to even invite you, so I do my very best to be there. It can be a challenge to not only be present, but to look and sound like the beautiful, intelligent queen everyone is expecting. At one of my Diamond in The Rough sessions, a little girl asked me if I lived in a castle and it tickled me as I wanted to reply, “No sweetheart, I live out my car.” Lol, for her imagination I said yes of course.
As Miss Black GA USA there is no “pot of money” given to finance my reign and that has been a struggle. There is no wardrobe allotment, hair allotment, travel allotment, or even a simple stipend. I am responsible for all my queenly expenses as I represent the state of Georgia. I must admit I was shocked that there was no financial support at this level. However, I know not to complain as nothing worth having comes easy. I have had great support from my family, friends, Sorors (Oo-oop!), and many generous people I’ve met along the way. The challenge now for my team and I is raising the money for the trip to Washington, D.C. as well as the night of competition. It is our goal to not only compete but to compete well. Money is definitely a challenge!
Miss Black USA Organization-Miss Black GA USA – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As Miss Black GA USA I stand on my platform, “Cross-Into-College”, as there is an issue in education that needs to be addressed. The issue of little to no true guidance in what it really takes to be prepared for higher education. We all know that wanting to attend college is not enough; it takes strategic planning. It is my mission to empower Georgia’s youth with the vital insight of what it takes to “properly” prepare for crossing from high school to college. With high school counselors assigned from anywhere to 250 to 400 students, it is not surprising that students are not well informed of what it truly takes to prepare for college. I have found that students are not academically, financially, or mentally prepared for higher education and are just wandering aimlessly around without a plan of action. Crossing into college begins the day a Freshman steps foot in a classroom and unfortunately, many students do not understand this, especially African-American students.
Working as an admissions counselor has given me insight into what colleges are truly looking for in a prospective student. College fair after college fair, I have many students ask me questions such as, ‘What is the ACT/SAT”, “How do I get my transcript”, and “What is a University”. If a student is a Senior in high school asking these specific questions, it is too little, too late. A large group of students, especially African-American, are simply not academically, financially, and mentally prepared to make that high school-college transition.
As Miss Black GA USA I am pushing not only myself, but our community to find a way to better prepare our youth to cross into college.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
As Miss Black GA USA, I define success as having cultivated relationships that radiate love, respect, & accountability. As we walk this journey called life, we are faced with many situations—good, bad, & indifferent. For me, my success resides in my vertical relationship (Me & God) and my horizontal relationships (Me & Others). Like this title of Miss Black GA USA, all titles will fade away, but what will stand are the relationships I have built along the way. What will be remembered are the personal, emotional connections that I have made with people, rather at work, school, or home. I measure success by the responses/reactions of others to me. For example, my publicist Tyler Green. We attended the same high school and graduated together in 2014. I hadn’t spoken with Tyler since we graduated from high school; all I knew was that I needed help, and I wanted to make sure I was supporting other young people like myself on this journey. Tyler did not hesitate when I reached out to her about being my publicist. I would imagine that if I had been an unkind person during high school, Tyler’s response may have been different. However, she said it was an easy decision for her to make. No matter where this life’s journey may take me, my success will be determined by the relationships I have cultivated. People work is always more important than any other work!
Pricing:
- To donate to my “Road2Royalty”-:Give Me Five” Campaign -$Missblackga2019 (Cash App)
- To donate to my “Road2Roaylty”-“Give Me Five” Campaign- PayPalMe/missblackga2019 (PayPal)
Contact Info:
- Email: missblackga2019@gmail.com
- Instagram: @chasten.
mccrary @MissBlackGA
Image Credit:
Dalvin Adams
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