THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 7, 1994 TAG: 9410050100
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02B EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY NEWSOME, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Pandora Johnson never thought about beauty pageants when she was a child, but this mother of five now finds competing for a crown is another part of growing.
Johnson, 35, was named first runner-up at the Mrs. Virginia Pageant this summer. It was her third try at that crown. She placed third in her first pageant in 1989 and was one of 15 semifinalists in 1993, the year she also won that pageant's Amity Award.
She never considered entering any pageant until she was carrying her second child in 1987. That's when she saw a similar contest on television and wondered how she would fare in competition. ``The first year was very exciting and new to me because I really had no idea of what was involved or what judges were looking for,'' she said.
However, after that first pageant she knew she ``wanted to shoot for that crown.''
The arrival of twin boys in 1990 delayed her plans. Her children range in age from 4 to 8 with a 20-year-old stepson.
Exercise, weight training, and watching videotapes of other contests were part of how Johnson prepared for competition.
Personal growth was an additional result. ``My self-esteem hasn't always been high,'' said Johnson. She was an athlete in high school, but because sports came easy to her, she sometimes lacked confidence in what else she could do.
The pageants improved her self-image, she said, ``and it helped me develop a lot of my good qualities, like leadership.''
The Teen Talent Search, an annual competition held by Rock Church in Kempsville and its affiliates, is one example of Johnson's leadership skills. She created the program with the church's youth pastor, and they continue to write and produce the show together.
Johnson said the competition attracts between 100 and 150 teens each year from different states. More than one gold medal can be awarded in each of the 10 categories. ``It goes back to what I saw in the pageant,'' she said, ``that competition should be encouraging.''
``Parents should look at their kids, really observe them, and see what they're good at,'' said Johnson, whose husband, Rob, is a lineman for Virginia Power. ``My kid does Picassos on the walls, but by putting him in an art program, we're channeling a negative into a positive. It's not pushing a child that's important, but encouraging, and the time you spend helps with their self-confidence.''
Johnson said money is not an issue when it comes to encouraging a child, noting that her children and many others participate in city-run programs. But time is an issue, she said, ``and it's a sacrifice, but we have to make it if we want to see less gang violence in the future.''
Johnson said this was her last year competing in beauty pageants. ``I've proved what I wanted to prove.'' She plans to concentrate on part-time modeling, acting and writing.
She began modeling after graduating from Hampton University in 1981 and had a lead role in ``What My Parents Did Right,'' a video produced by ``The 700 Club.'' She's also thinking about getting a master's degree and teaching.
``I'm very fulfilled, because how I determine success is doing something with my life and setting the best example for my kids,'' she said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY NEWSOME
Pageant contestant Pandora Johnson, 35, is mother and stepmother to
five children ranging in age from 4 to 20 years old.
by CNB