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Rachel Jardine, 18, needs a good interview suit (at least $300). She needs two bathing suits, an evening gown ($2,000) and numerous pairs of shoes. Then there is makeup ($200) and a pink manicure ($250).
Being crowned Miss Tampa Teen USA has been a priceless experience, she says.
Becoming Miss Florida Teen will come with a cost: $14,165, the way she figures it.
"Last year, my dad spent more than $4,000 to get me ready for the Miss Brandon Teen competition, and I only spent 10 weeks preparing for that," Jardine said. "I've been working at this all year, and my father can only do so much."
Last week, the Wesley Chapel teen sent out letters asking folks to underwrite her bid for the state title. She will compete against 60 girls in Miami in October and hopes to win a $40,000 college scholarship. You may write her at TampaTeenUSA@yahoo.com.
"I'm not just trying to impress five judges," said Jardine. "I'm training for life. I'm learning two new vocabulary words every week. I'm studying current events and practicing my interview skills. I'm bettering myself as a person and becoming my own ideal woman at age 18."
Jardine, who will enter the University of South Florida this summer, plans to be a broadcast journalist. She also wants to teach children about the dangers of bullying and "be a positive role model."
The pageant will require Jardine to pay for two stays at a hotel — one for the pretaping festivities, another for the pageant. For the big event, she'll need at least nine outfits, "plus jewelry."
Other expenses:
Hair: $250
Photos: $750
Exquisite boot camp: $1,890 ($189 per month)
Personal trainer: $2,400
At-home fitness training equipment: $100
Hotel for pretaping weekend: $750
Pageant week hotel: $1,400
Tickets for her dad to see the pageant: $150
Parking at hotel: $100
Full-page ad in the Miss Florida Teen USA program: $1,000
"The memories I'll make, the impact I can make, the lives I will touch are really worth it," she says. "I have the opportunity to really make a difference."
Lane DeGregory, Times staff writer
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