Published: November 18, 2009 10:26 pm      

Hello Hollywood! 10-year-old off to compete for national pageant title

Ten-year-old Anna Gregory is off to California today with hopes of bringing home the national title of National American Miss Junior Preteen.

Gregory, a student at Jonathan Jennings Elementary School, in Charlestown, qualified after winning the Indiana title over the summer, beating out more than 35 other girls in the age group for 7- to 9-year-olds, her mother, Cindy Gregory said.

“It was amazing. It was her dream come true,” Cindy said. “She just bawled and said, ‘I can’t believe this. Is this a dream?’”

The pageant has four sections, with formal wear, personal introduction and an interview each counting for 30 percent of the final score. Community involvement is the final 10 percent.

Anna is involved in her city by helping raise money for Make-A-Wish Foundation and more, her mother said.

The national competition goes on all next week, with the final winner in each age group being named Nov. 27.

When asked if she’d win, Anna simply responded, “Yeah.”

“I’m just confident,” she explained.

On Wednesday, her class celebrated with her, having juice and cake as they sent off their classmate.

Cindy said the pageant is different than the ones shown on TV. “It’s nothing like that,” she said. “Someone would have to see it to understand it. It’s teaching them to be women of the future. They are not allowed to wear makeup or hair extensions ... They want an all-American girl.”

While in California, Anna will get to take in the sights and go to Disneyland Park with girls representing the other states. Anna said if she wins, she plans on spreading the word on the pageant and all the fun she has had during the process. However, she said she is OK if she doesn’t win as well.

“I’ll just be happy that I was there and I got to be Miss Indiana,” Anna said. “I’ll be happy with anything I get.”

Cindy said this is Anna’s third time competing with this pageant. The first time, she came in first runner-up in a younger age bracket for Indiana.

Last year, she finished in the top 15 in the state, Cindy said. This is her first time going on to the national competition.