At Central Catholic High in Lawrence, you can typically find me hurdling, high-jumping, or triple-jumping at the track.

When the opportunity came for me to compete in the National American Miss pageant, I was elated. I had always dreamed of participating in a pageant, but could never imagine myself as a contestant. I had no idea what to expect. Little did I know, I could win.

This is no Cinderella story - I had no help from a fairy godmother. Just my loving family, who worked with me preparing for something we had never done before. I kept my pageant preparations solely between my family and me. For the first time, I was nervous about telling my peers about something I was doing.

Two days before pageant weekend, my mother's friend framed a poem he had written for me. The title of the poem was "Foot to Foot," and as I read the poem, it gave me the encouraging words I needed to hear. I left for the pageant with my head in the sky, and my feet grounded.

The hotel where the pageant was held last month bustled with activities and events. I met amazing girls with talent and ambitions, some who had been in pageants since the age of 6, and some rookies like me.

We were able to meet last year's winners. One said to me, "Make friendships and have fun, you'll be glad you did. A crown may break and tarnish, but the friendship will always be there."

For the rest of the weekend-long event, my goal became to make new friends and enjoy my time there. My pageant experience was very positive. I learned the importance of gaining self-confidence, new skills, good attitudes about competition, and setting and achieving personal goals.

When showtime came, the lights dimmed in the ballroom - the pageant finale was moments away. After the production number, all 64 girls were introduced to the audience and we filed into our lines just as we had rehearsed that morning.

As I smiled and looked around me, I saw 63 girls who were unfamiliar faces days ago, but tonight - underneath the bright lights in beautiful gowns with smiles from ear to ear - I realized I had made 63 new friends. It was then that I felt the magic of pageant weekend.

We all looked like princesses living in a fairy tale. My fairy-tale weekend ended Aug. 14 as I was announced the fourth runner-up in the 2006 National American Miss Teen Massachusetts Pageant.

My story does not end here. The top five finalists, known as the Queen's Court, are qualified to participate in the national competition at Disneyland in California this November.

My experience at National American Miss helped me grow not only as a person, but also to courageously do what I would like to achieve. My journey has only begun, and this is only Chapter 1 of my fairy tale.

nnn

Shavely Peralta is a Methuen resident and a senior at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence.