By Future Brown
Herald Democrat
“It felt like such a safe space,” 15-year-old Jordan McMahan said setting the stage for the atmosphere behind the curtains at the Miss TriCounty Organization’s preliminary pageant Feb. 1. “I was so nervous that I was going to go in and I was not going to be liked or like I was not going to feel confident.”
But, Jordan was liked, and she believes the sisterhood that formed among the contestants helped push her to be more comfortable on stage.
Jordan, one of the youngest to participate in the pageant, was named Miss Texoma’s Teen 2025.
“Every single female in there was so congratulating,” Jordan said. “They were so inspiring. They were so positive and it made me feel so good about myself. Like if they saw anything on your face that seemed like you were nervous, they asked if you were OK or gave reassurances. They asked how they could help. It was just constantly such a positive and safe environment.”
Title winners for the pageant included Miss Tri-County – AshLyn Sterling, Miss Tri-County’s Teen – Kate Sanches, Miss Grayson County – Yasmine Signey, Miss Grayson County’s Teen Ella Acker, Miss Texoma Stephanie Studdard, Miss Texoma’s Teen Jordan McMahan, Miss Sherman Andrea Padilla and Miss Sherman’s Teen Emily Mazac.
“To the young women or girls who want to do pageants…I was one of the youngest there…I am 15. I am a freshman in high school…I just want them to know that age is not going to set them back at all,” Jordan said. “No matter what age you are, your level of maturity does not make you less than the seniors or 18 year old. There was not one point in time when I felt like I was not at the same level of knowledge or maturity as them. It was so inclusive.”
Miss contestants were Catrena Ransom, Andrea Padilla, Madison Norwood, Hailey Patterson, Kayden Westfall, Yasmine Signey, Stephanie Studdard, Peyton Beavers, Eliza Mercado and AshLyn Sterling.
“I was completely surprised because when I compete or perform or anything, I am not really aware of what I have done,” Jordan said about being crowned. “I just really live in the moment type of thing. I was really focused on watching everybody else and I was really congratulating the women before me. When they said my name, my face I was really like wow because it was my first pageant. I really didn’t have that high of hopes. It was really amazing for the first time.”
Miss Teen contestants were Emily Mazac, Karlee Beavers, Chloe Loy, Laniecia Santiel, Braylee Loy, Jordan McMahan, Kate Sanches, Ella Acker and Riley Rogan.
“I think my favorite moment in the pageant was when we were all trying on our evening gowns,” Jordan said. “We were helping each other tie up our dresses and curl hair. We were doing each other’s makeup. It was during that break. We had a 10-15 minute break between the talent portion and then evening gowns the last part of the night. We were all just sitting down, talking and chilling just talking and communicating about our experience and what we can do better.
This is just one of the moments that Jordan said stood out for her. She said in that moment, she felt she was in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing.
“I knew three girls because I had previously went to Sherman,” Jordan said. “The are in the grade above me, but I was with them in middle school. We were all on the cheer team and dance team together, so it was just great meeting with them again. They are lovely women. It was just so fun. It really felt like a sisterhood.”
Though she is from Sherman, Jordan is a freshman at Rock Hill High School in Prosper.
“For the talent portion, I did a hip-hop dance to the song, “Breaking dishes” by Rihanna because my CSI (community service initiative) is about breaking standards and I felt that song is really about setting the standard for women standing up for what is right,” she said.
Jordan has titled her community service initiative “Women in Suits.”
“It is basically to recognize the process of gender equality in the workforce and in athletics,” she said. We want to highlight the achievements that set the standard for women. Like for example, recognize the hard work going on between the women that show themselves as role models for the upcoming generation and promote inclusivity.”
In the future, Jordan said she would like to inspire young women to pursue their passions through this initiative.
“Like my goal is to be reason someone wakes up with the opportunity to strive for who they want to be,” she said. “I want to be the push for someone to do the work to do the ‘hard, male-dominated’ jobs like firefighters, doctors, coaches, engineers, construction, soldiers. I want to empower women to break standards and traditions. We want to celebrate the passions in their dreams to help them turn those dreams into goals.”
Jordan saw her mission put to work by someone else while at the pageant and she hopes to pay it forward.
“There was this girl that helped me completely,” Jordan said. “She gave me multiple tips backstage, and I would just say to others that they are not alone. Pageants are kind of scary. You are on a big stage in front of everybody. But there are so many stages. There are so many outlets to look to for help. Pageants are just a way to make friends and allies for a sisterhood. There was really nothing that I did alone or by myself. There was always someone that I could refer back to.”
