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Age is but a number: resident takes home Ms. Senior America Crown
Photo courtesy Kim Carroll : Newly crowned Ms. Senior America, Debbie Carroll Boyce waves at the crowd in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
By Elizabeth Knighten, eknighten@acnpapers.com
On Oct. 6 Ms. Texas Senior America, Debbie Carroll Boyce, made history as the first Frisco resident to earn the crown as the 2011 Ms. Senior America at Harrah's Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Boyce said she was "shocked, ecstatic and honored all at the same moment" when she heard that she had won the national title.
"It was a very close race as there were so many wonderful and talented women in the competition," Boyce said. "These were all very special women in the Ms. Senior America Pageant."
On the first day, Boyce said the contestants were divided into four groups and had an orientation and their first practice secession.
"One day I had to perform my talent, one day had to perform my philosophy if life and my evening gown, and then one day I had to interview with five judges, and so they had to do that for all of the contestants so they split us into 4 groups ... that way they would get us all through the pageant," Boyce said. "On the Thursday, the sixth [of October], they brought us all back that afternoon and we all came out on stage and then they announced the top 10."
Boyce said only the top 10 contestants were invited to perform their talent for a second time.
"We all had to come back out on the sixth and re-do our talent again for the second time," Boyce said, "it was the professional stage at Harrah's Casino ... and it was a beautiful theater, and a great big professional stage where they bring in top performers and the audience was just packed."
The competition included 42 contestants, some of which, Boyce said were competing for their second or third time at the national level.
"Being at the national level was a step up because each state had selected their best -- what they felt or what the judges felt like was their candidate that would be able to take the national crown," Boyce said. "Everyone there was just extremely talented and very prepared, and some of the contestants had been in it before."
Boyce said the competition is not based off of the contestant's physical beauty, but more on their accomplishments.
"It's not a beauty pageant it's more about your whole person ... it's more about your inner beauty, your accomplishments," Boyce said. "What you've done with your life, how you're able to serve and help others, what will you do with this opportunity to encourage and influence ... women of all ages, to be a good role model for healthy living."
For her talent, Boyce performed a song and dance routine from the movie "For the Boys", which she said she worked on several times a week with her choreographers, David and Tami Conner.
"David [Conner] and I worked twice a week on that dance, [and] at least once or twice a week on the singing and the dancing right up until the day before I left," Boyce said.
As a child, Boyce said she dreamed of performing.
"I had always had a dream since I was a little girl that I wanted to be on Broadway -- I wanted to be a singer and dancer on Broadway," Boyce said. "So this was a great opportunity to get to sing and dance on a Broadway type stage there in Atlantic City. It was exciting, very, very exciting."
During the competition, Boyce said she was given several seconds to recite her philosophy of life.
"We had 35 seconds to speak our philosophy of life and if we went over that ... we would be penalized points," Boyce said. "To say so much in 35 seconds was so difficult for me."
Boyce said she finished her philosophy of life with a quote from Zig Ziglar, which she used as a life long, professional motto as an educator: "I'll see you at the top."
"That's one of the reasons I have taken that motto 'I'll see you at the top', because I believe Zig Ziglar is not only known nationally, but he's know internationally for his service, so I'm hoping that I can take that around the United States of America and influence women of all ages."
Boyce said she had the support of her mother and cousins in the audience.
Since taking home the crown, Boyce said she is already filling up her schedule with public appearances.
"Right now we're lining up the calendar, we're already getting calls and emails for people wanting me to come and speak ... I've already been invited by three of the state pageants to come and to speak with their organization, so things are happening already," Boyce said. "One thing we are in preparation of right now ... we're meeting together with the state director [Mary Frances Hansen] and we're going to develop our marketing and we're working on things."
Boyce said she will be preparing a queen's walk, which will include some of the local queens from the Ms. Senior Texas Pageant for the Alzheimer Association Greater Dallas Chapter walk on Nov. 12. She also said she will help to raise awareness on mental health issues "for all ages, and especially the young" and swill speak at several assisted living facilities in Plano and Frisco including, Sunrise of Plano and The Lodge on Preston Ridge.
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