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Punxsy native Kunselman's pageant success helps keep her dreams alive |
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Front Page -
Front Page Story
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Written by Julie Ciaramella
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Monday, 20 April 2009 |
Autumn Kunselman participates in the Miss Presque Isle/Tri-County pageant in Saegertown March 14. (Photo courtesy of The Meadville Tribune)
PUNXSUTAWNEY -- Autumn Kunselman never imagined herself participating in pageants.
"When I first told my family that I was going to be in a pageant, I think they were very apprehensive at first -- they never saw me as a girly-girl type," said Kunselman, who is the daughter of Becky and Butch Kunselman of Punxsutawney.
Soon, though, Kunselman said, her family realized that pageants would provide her with opportunities to compete for scholarships and to share her passion for music with others.
Kunselman — a 2003 graduate of Punxsutawney Area High School and a 2007 graduate of Clarion University, where she earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in music with a vocal concentration and minored in business -- is now going on to compete in the Miss Pennsylvania pageant in June.
Her first pageant was Dec. 6, 2008, at the Pittsburgh pageants (Miss Three Rivers, Miss River City and Miss Golden Triangle), where she placed first runner-up. She then went on to compete in the Miss Presque Isle/Tri-County pageant March 14, where she won first runner-up.
Kunselman is the current Miss Jewel of the West after competing in the Miss Jewel of the West pageant, a regional pageant for Western Pennsylvania. She won the title April 4.
Many women have been competing in pageants since they were five or six years old, Kunselman said, "and I've been told it's very odd for me to come in as a newcomer and do as well as I have. I feel very fortunate."
She said that the idea to participate in pageants came from a friend, Anna Welsh, of Brookville, whom Kunselman met while they were both in the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority at Clarion University.
"I went to watch Anna a few years ago when she won the Miss Juniata Valley pageant. We're both vocalists, and she mentioned it was a great opportunity, but I never thought it was something for me," Kunselman said. "I never thought seriously about it until a year ago, when another friend contacted me and said she was a doing a pageant. We did it, not quite on a dare, but decided to go into it together."
Welsh said that Kunselman was "meant to have a crown on her head."
"I knew Autumn would be a great pageant participant because she has all of the qualities of a titleholder in the Miss America Organization. She has a beautiful voice, so I knew she would fare well in the talent competition. On top of that, she is extremely intelligent and well-spoken, and I knew she could hold her own in the private interview portion, as well as onstage," Welsh said.
Kunselman said a lot of work goes into participating in pageants -- more than most people realize. Preparation goes into everything from fitness to diet to talent to being knowledgeable about current events.
"You need to sit down and think about your opinions on controversial subjects," she said. "You have to be able to state your opinion in a respectful way without offending anybody. You need to be able to talk at a decent length about a lot of subjects, and you do a lot of examining of yourself and things around you. A huge part is that you need to develop a platform."
Kunselman's platform is promoting the importance of music education in public school systems, something she said she has always been passionate about.
"Ever since I was little, I've loved music. When I was younger, I was involved in the Punxsutawney Theatre Arts Guild, and chorus and band all through school," she said.
She added that her experience with music has shaped her life and given her confidence.
"I think my experience gave me the confidence to pursue music and my life has benefited quite a bit from having music as a fixture," Kunselman said. "Having that available to everybody is important. Music itself gives so much in the way of teaching children teamwork and logic -- music is very mathematical, and it's proven that students who have taken music classes do better on their SAT's. It gives them self-confidence and a great outlet as far as an activity to do, and gives them discipline. Those things are so key to creating good citizens of any community."
If she becomes Miss Pennsylvania, Kunselman said she would like to go to schools to advocate for music education, talk to school boards that are facing budget cuts and also hold benefit concerts and encourage children who are now in music programs to continue.
Winning the Miss Pennsylvania pageant comes with the opportunity to win scholarships, along with other responsibilities, she said.
"It's a full-time job the moment the crown hits your head," Kunselman said. "You do a lot of preparing for Miss America as well."
Kunselman said if she wins scholarship money through the Miss Pennsylvania pageant, she would like to go to graduate school at Carnegie Mellon University for a master's degree in entertainment industry management. She said that her dream since she was a child has been to be a music supervisor for film and television.
"A music supervisor incorporates musical scores to visual media, and I have always loved the idea of matching music to visual media. I know it sounds silly -- a small-town girl from Punxsutawney having such a creative job that's usually available in Los Angeles or New York City -- but I think it moves and inspires people," she said.
As far as competing in more pageants, Kunselman said she is in a "unique position."
"I think this is last cycle I can participate in because the Miss America cut-off is age 24," said Kunselman, who is 23. "If I can, I definitely look forward to participating next year. It's definitely something I'm proud of and an amazing life experience, and something I can tell my grandchildren someday."
Kunselman said that although pageants may have a bad reputation, many people do not realize the opportunities they give to the women who take part in them.
"Pageants give a lot of scholarship money to women in Pennsylvania. It's so exciting to see driven, motivated, well-rounded girls. I know pageants themselves have gotten a bad reputation over the years, but if I think people know more about the organizations, they'd see these people have wonderful things to give," she said.
The top 10 finalists and the final crowning for Miss Pennsylvania will be televised from Pittsburgh June 27 on PCN, and leading up to the event, Kunselman is working with a pageant coach, Laura King, who was the 1988 Miss Jewel of the West.
King helps Kunselman with preparation for the interview portion of the pageant, the onstage question, the swimsuit portion and evening gown competition. King also assists with helping Kunselman complete paperwork and work on her talent -- singing -- as well as fitness.
"Autumn is truly a hard worker. She is incredibly intelligent, takes direction very well, and is so passionate about all that she is doing," King said. "There are so many stereotypes that go along with pageants, and Autumn defies them all and is a role model to other young women."
Welsh, Kunselman's friend, agreed, and described Kunselman as a strong person whom others admire.
"She knows what she wants, and she goes out and gets it no matter what it takes. That is such an amazing and rare quality, and I think everyone who knows her looks up to her for that," Welsh said.
Currently, Kunselman lives in Pittsburgh with her sister, Jenna, a 2002 graduate of PAHS who teaches at North Hills High School. Kunselman works as an administrator at the Center for Young Musicians in Wexford, a private music school that teaches strings and piano.
She is also working to advocate Punxsutawney for the Miss Pennsylvania pageant by contacting local businesses and the Groundhog Club.
She said she would not have been able to accomplish all that she has were it not for her family.
"My mother has been pivotal in this whole thing. She wasn't crazy about the idea at first, but she's stood by me the whole time," Kunselman said.
"I know whatever happens, I'm proud and humbled by who's supported me so far."
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 21 April 2009 )
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