MEET MISS TEEN NORTH AMERICA: MADY TESTA

Today on LadyCode Miss Teen North America 2018, Mady Testa chats with us about her year as a national titleholder and shares some of her secrets to success! 

Quick Facts:
Hometown: Petaluma, California
Age: 17
Occupation: High school Senior, Cheerleading coach
Song I have on repeat: Breathin by Ariana Grande
My guilty pleasure is… Chocolate
If I could trade closets with one person it would be… Kylie Jenner
If my day had one extra hour I would…See my friends more
I’m dying to splurge on… skin care products
My favorite snack is… Sushi
My favorite place in the world is… New York
My travel must-have is… my headphones
In 10 years I see myself…Happy, successful, and traveling a lot

As a cheerleader, student, a national titleholder, and so involved in your community, what is a typical day like for you?

After school I usually head straight to the gym for about 4 hours to either coach one of my teams, or practice with the teams I compete on. Then it’s homework and various projects. My big project I am working on at the moment is organizing a fundraiser for my favorite animal rescue this upcoming January. In my free time I help where needed, volunteer, and make appearances. Recently I collected supplies to aid the fire victims in nearby Paradise.   For the holidays I will be hanging wreaths at a nearby Veteran’s Cemetery.

Tell us about your experience at the Miss Teen North America Pageant:

The Miss Teen North America pageant was an amazing experience for me. It was my first national pageant and I was a bit nervous. But once I got there everyone was so warm and friendly, from registration, throughout the various parties, outings, and throughout the whole competition. I had some scary setbacks during the week, like when my spray tan turned green and my face swelled up, but my support team and my director were amazing and helped me through these glitches. I made many friends in Florida and we all still talk regularly and have some visits planned this spring. I am excited to go back in June to meet the new contestants, reunite with my friends, and crown my lucky successor. She is in for a treat!

What are some challenges you had to overcome on your journey to success? 

Gaining the knowledge and confidence to compete in my first national pageant took a lot of work and felt a bit overwhelming at times. Thanks to my amazing director Matthew Anderson I arrived in Florida feeling well prepared.

What can our readers do to get involved with your platform and help our communities?

My platform is “Special Abilities, not Disabilities”. I am one of the coaches of a cheer team with special abilities with the focus of community integration. As a team we work hard to show the world that everyone, given the chance, can participate in some form. My goal is to qualify with this team to participate at the National Championship in Florida this Season. It’s their chance to show the world that they deserve a spot on the mat. As a community, we can and should all reach out, cheer each other on, and be supportive of all abilities.

What are you looking forward to the most in 2019?

I’m so excited to finally graduate high school and start working towards my future career. I am planning on attending Sonoma State University in the fall and work towards my Early Childhood Education degree to become a teacher. I’m also excited to come back to Orlando and crown my successor.

What is one thing you wish people knew about you?

I am really super lazy….but disciplined enough to not let it take over my life.

Tell us about your favorite career highlight:

Where do I even start? Since being crowned, I’ve had so many fun appearances and opportunities. But by far my favorite has been walking in New York Fashion Week. I walked for the designer Chubiiline this past September and it was one of the best experiences of my life. And being able to experience it with my sister queen Alexa made it even better.

Lady Code is all about women empowerment and anti-bullying. Do you have any motivational advice for our readers?

In a world where you can be anything, choose to be kind.

Keep up with Mady on social media: @officialmadytesta 

Learn more about Miss Teen North America and Miss US International by visiting: https://westcoastusinternational.com/