Teen Queen on a Mission: Jenna Beber cherishing platform pageant provides
Published 12:10 am Saturday, September 2, 2017
- Jenna Beber is crowned during the Teen Queen portion of the 69th St. John Parish Sugar Queen Pageant in Reserve.
LAPLACE — From a young age, Jenna Beber longed to compete in pageants.
Her journey to the St. John Parish Teen Sugar Queen crown, which was awarded last month, began when she entered and won her first pageant in 2016, earning the title of Teen Miss Riverside. She loves the cosmetic experience of dressing in beautiful ball gowns, but views her Sugar Queen role as an open door to new opportunities.
“I’m most looking forward to traveling as much as I can and meeting new people,” Beber said. “I get to be a role model for other girls who want to do pageants and continue to advertise my charity.”
Back in 2015, Jenna Beber stacks some of the 1,027 canned goods items she collected for people in need. They were donated to St. John Ministry of Care.
Since 2010, Beber has conducted an annual food drive known as the Souper-bowl, through which canned food items are collected from family, friends and local schools. All donations are taken to St. John Ministry of Care to support the community.
According to Beber, she was inspired to start her own charity as a third grader after watching a Disney Channel feature about giving back.
She asked her mother, Shanna Beber, to help her brainstorm ideas for charity work.
That year, they collected approximately 100 cans at the first Souper-bowl. Beber, now a 15-year-old sophomore at Riverside Academy, said the event has grown tremendously, culminating in the collection of 1,271 canned items in February.
Beber hopes to continue promoting the charity at upcoming Sugar Queen events so she can hit her goal of 2,000 items in 2018.
The upcoming year will involve traveling to different pageants around Louisiana, with Miss Sugar Queen winner Alexandra Martin, and experiencing the cultures of various parishes through pre-planned day events leading up to the competitions.
In 2016, Jenna Beber stands with Riverside Academy teacher Johnny Collins as they display the types of food recently donated to St. John Ministry of Care in LaPlace.
According to Beber, fall is the busiest time in the pageant world. She plans to attend several events in upcoming months, including the Miss Ray of Life Pageant in Reserve, held in September, and Lutcher’s Festival of the Bonfires in November.
Ali Vicknair, the 2016 teen division winner, said the Teen Queen title gave her an opportunity to become a positive influence in the community, particularly for younger girls who looked up to her. She said the best advice she could give to Beber is to “stay true to who she is.”
“The year is going to go by way quicker than she thinks,” Vicknair said. “I’d tell her to be there and take in every moment.”
Even though she is only a few weeks into her reign, Beber said she’s already dreading the day she must give up her crown.
“The entire Sugar committee is a big ol’ family, and I’m so excited to be a part of it,” Beber said. “I’m already thinking how sad I’m going to be when it’s all over. I want to be Teen Sugar Queen forever.”
She encourages other girls who want to get involved in pageants to take the plunge and start out by participating in school-sponsored events.
“I feel like I’ve been talking about pageants all day long. I’ve done a lot of recruiting,” Beber said. “I’m always encouraging people to take a shot and loaning gowns out.”
— By Brooke Robichaux
