Freese and Nichols Intern Competes for Miss Texas Crown
When Jewel LeBlanc reports to work as a marketing and events intern, she leaves her crowns and sashes at home.
A reigning beauty queen, she’s accrued quite a collection of titles: Miss Fairview, Miss Grand Prairie and Miss Allen – twice. All week, Jewel has been competing for Miss Texas 2019, and a winner will be crowned during the pageant Saturday night.
The opportunity for scholarships first caught her eye when she saw a Miss America pageant commercial.
Jewel used her scholarship money while earning her bachelors in marketing from University of Texas-Arlington, and she’s currently a full-time graduate student there earning a master’s in communication research.
Although still quite competitive, she said the women who compete on the stage also work together alongside each other serving their communities they represent, which she really enjoys.
“Nowadays, community service is viewed as a punishment rather than a privilege,” Jewel said. “I’m blessed to help other people. With the title comes more credibility. I tell people, you’re going to be upshone by a beauty queen.”
Her platform is partnering with Camp Hope, which fosters children of incarcerated women through a day camp and weeklong activities. She also mentors other young women, being active in the community through volunteering at 5Ks, hospice visits and community cleanups.
“Role models nowadays are so virtual,” she said. “Giving them something they can interact with that promotes unity and community is really important to me.”
She’ll compete through on-stage questions, personal interviews, evening-gown segment and a talent competition where she’ll dance.
“We’re all there for the same reason… serving our communities,” she said. “It’s not Toddlers and Tiaras – it’s more of a sisterhood than anything.”
Jewel is one of the hundreds of Freese and Nichols employees who donate their time volunteering with their communities, which is one of our guiding principles. Combined, our employees have donated more than 100,000 hours serving volunteering.
“We’re only as strong as we are connected, and if we’re not connected, then we’re suffering,” she said.