Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 6-15-18

Feature
Miss Florida Legacy — Chanel Dean Competes For A Cause
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
For some, competing in beauty pageants can be a entry into acting or profes- sional modeling.
For Chanel Dean, don- ning exquisite gowns and strutting down a runway has a much more noble purpose.
“I started competing to give C.O.D.E. Rett Founda- tion a platform and a bigger following,” she said.
Dean – who was crowned Miss Florida Legacy last November – hopes to expand the non- profit’s exposure even more when she takes the stage next month at the Miss Legacy U. S. pageant in Or- lando.
From there, Dean hopes to go on to Jamaica to partic- ipate in the Miss Legacy In- ternational pageant.
Rett’s Syndrome is a rare genetic neurological and de- velopmental disorder that causes its victims to slowly lose the ability to use mus- cles for eye and body move- ments and speech. Dean’s cousin suffers from the dis- ease.
Helping others – espe- cially the disabled – is im- portant to Dean, a Chicago native and graduate of Florida A&M University.
“I want to empower them to be active in the commu-
Tampa resident, Chanel Dean is Miss Florida Legacy.
school and continued through high school, where she was the first African- American student to win Miss (Nathan B.) Forrest High School.
Her win caused a sensa- tion at the school, which was named for the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. The school’s name was changed in 2014 to Westside High School.
“It was a big deal that I won,” she said. “That opened doors for me.”
Dean continued to com- pete through college and after graduation, snapping up titles Miss Brandon and Miss Georgia U. S. Legacy.
While Miss America and Miss USA are household names in the United States, pageants like Miss Legacy are well-known overseas, Dean said.
Dean’s preparation for the upcoming competition in Orlando has been months in the making and includes a “very disciplined” exercise and diet routine, the latter of which consists of lots of water and no carbohydrates.
Dean, who has acted in the TV show “Chicago Fire” and modeled in New York Fashion Week, also works with a pageant coach to help her ‘walk and poise’ stay
sharp on stage.
“Even the greats can get
better,” she said. “No one is perfect. There’s a lot I can improve on.”
She also practices inter- view questions by staying on top of current events.
“There’s nothing off lim- its,” she said. “Anything they (judges) want to ask, they will ask.”
Lastly, Dean’s glam team ensures that her hair, makeup, and wardrobe are impeccable.
“It takes a lot of people to get to the stage,” she said.
Competing in pageants has its perks, but there’s also some challenges, Dean said.
“You’re always being judged,” she said. “You have to be more aware of what you’re saying, what you’re doing. I try to keep myself surrounded by people who can protect me.”
Someday, Dean hopes to trade in her crowns for a stethoscope. The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. member said her ultimate goal is to become a trauma surgeon.
In the meantime, Dean said she’s enjoying all of the thrill and pomp of pageantry.
“I’m an athlete so I like the competitive edge,” she said.
nity and have a better quality of life,” said Dean, who moved to Jacksonville as a child and now lives in
Tampa. “I want to help them live out their dreams, too.”
Dean’s pageant experi- ence began in elementary
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