UI first-year Charlotte Lange is set to take on Miss Teen USA competition

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Charlotte Lange, a University of Iowa, first-year student majoring in business and planning to pursue social media and marketing, was crowned Miss Teen Iowa USA on Aug. 10.

The Johnson, Iowa native is now headed for the upcoming Miss Teen USA competition in Reno, Nevada, from Oct. 18-23. 

Lange said she learned her voice is her superpower, and she can make a difference by using it because of pageants. She views her pageantry platform as a tool to carry out her initiative. “Let’s get L.O.U.D.,” which stands for “Lifting Others Up through Demonstration.”

Since Lange was a kid, she said she’s been loud and confident. People used to tell her she was too loud, but through her recently-launched YouTube channel series, “The Pageant Podcast,” she is using that trait to inform and build confidence in other women.

“It all connects together — who I am, my podcast, and my initiative — into this one big, beautiful bubble,” she said. “My initiative is to help girls feel more confident and realize, ‘I’m not going to be quiet. I have things to say, and I’m going to say them. That’s my mission.’” Lange said.

For many, the move to college is no easy feat and it poses a challenge to a number of first-years. On top of acclimating to a new environment, socially and physically, she said the addition of being heavily involved in pageant life has proven to be a balancing act. 

“I’m going to be honest, there are days where I have a hard time compartmentalizing what’s going on,” she said. “I feel like I’ve started to get a better balance now.”

Lange said if she is thinking about pageants while doing homework, she writes it down and comes back to it when she’s done.

Lange said it has been fun to talk to people on campus about pageantry, and those she’s talked to have been interested and supportive. As for the UI, the college has allowed Lange to step into Miss Teen Iowa USA while being a student, like waving to the children in the UI Health Care Stead Family Hospital from the field at
homecoming.

“The University of Iowa has helped me gain more opportunities with my crown and sash, which I really appreciate,” she said.

Lange decided to attend the UI because she is a fourth-generation Hawkeye on both sides of her family.

“I’ve been here for years and always loved the environment — the people, the football games, the city life — it feels like a big family here. When I visited it, clicked for me and felt like home,” Lange said.

In addition to being a college student and Miss Teen Iowa USA, Lange is rushing a sorority this fall and is in the Hawkeye Influencer Program. 

The path to success

Michelle Lange, Charlotte’s mother, said the journey started with Charlotte’s aunt, Maddie Weber, who competed in Miss America pageants for six years. 

“When I was younger, I watched her compete and was so inspired. I always wanted her crowns and sashes, and she told me, ‘Charlotte, you have to go and earn your own crowns and sashes. You can’t steal mine, I earned these,’” Charlotte said.

Michelle said her daughter began competing in National American Miss at six years old. She then went on to win her first pageant when she was nine, becoming Miss Iowa Junior Preteen. 

Since then, she’s been competing in pageants in many different franchises for the last 12 years, winning  state titles and one national title: Princess of America Preteen.

“I’ve gained so much experience and confidence. The interview skills I’ve learned through pageantry have helped me go for my goals and succeed,” Charlotte said.

Her mother shares that sentiment. Similar to the experience of a student starting college, parents, too, worry about preparedness and having confidence in that change. She said her daughter’s pageant experience is useful as she enters a new environment. 

“Pageants have done a lot for Charlotte as far as confidence, public speaking and interviewing goes. Those are great life skills that have gotten her to where she is and will continue to help her in the future,”      Michelle said.

Charlotte’s journey for pageantry will likely pause until college graduation, but isn’t to end after Reno. 

“I’ve learned being in pageants while being in college is difficult,” Charlotte said. “If I am able to compete for Miss Iowa USA, I will want to give it my absolute all, so I’ll probably wait until after I’ve graduated, since there is no longer an age limit  to compete.”

The competition

The preliminary competition for both Miss Teen Iowa USA and Miss Teen USA is the first round of the pageant, where contestants have two outfits: formal wear and fitness wear. Formal wear is the contestant’s gown, and they walk on stage in a pattern presented to them by the pageant’s directors. Fitness wear is an athletic set of the contestants’ choosing, and they are also in a pattern presented to them. 

Stage lights beam down upon contestants, who stand in their glitz and glamour in front of a full, captive audience to do an introduction. The introduction consists of standing on stage and saying their name and where they’re from. The other part of the preliminary competition is a private interview in front of a panel of six judges.

From there, the pageant narrows down the contestants, selecting the top eight, 10, or 15. Then, contestants recompete fitness and formal wear before they narrow it down further to a top five or three. 

Charlotte said once she was in the top five, she drew a question from a fishbowl and answered it in front of the
audience. In addition, the top five all had to individually answer the question : “Why should you win the title?” 

Then, the pageant holds a farewell for the current queen before the crowning. The crowning begins by announcing the fourth runner-up, third, second, and then the winner.

Charlotte has been preparing for the weeklong Miss Teen USA competition, designing a custom Sherri Hill gown while getting ahead on schoolwork.

“I’m bringing that Midwest nice to the competition. I want all the girls to feel welcome. I’m excited to make new friends and get to know everybody. I’m bringing my confidence — I am so proud of my preparations, and I’ve been working so hard for this,” Charlotte said.

Delaney Egert, a UI first-year and one of Charlotte’s three roommates, didn’t know her before move-in day. All four girls went into the roommate portal separately and found each other.

Egert saw Charlotte was in pageants on Instagram and was intrigued by the chance to know, let alone live with, someone with such a unique lifestyle. 

“I’m not going to lie, I had no idea what to expect,” Egert said. “It’s not every day that you meet someone that is Miss Teen Iowa USA.”

Being roommates with Miss Teen Iowa USA is something Egert has found a lot of joy in, and she’s grateful the roommate portal brought them together.

“She is such a genuine person,” Egert said. “She’s always there for me, even though we just met.” 

Reflecting on her daughter’s journey, Michelle said she wants people to know that Charlotte is really down to earth. 

“I think people see her social media first and think she is intimidating because she is so confident about herself. She has a lot of empathy for people and wants to hear all about you. She’s super bubbly and confident and can be loud. That’s just Charlotte.”