With A Little Help From IGIGI, Sarah Hays Went From Winning the 2007 Miss Texas Plus America Onto Being The New Miss Plus America! Read on to find out what she has to say about her victory.

How does it feel to be Miss Texas Plus America?

I feel very honored to be Miss Texas Plus America 2007. The entire experience of competing and winning the prestigious title has already made me a better person and I know that I will be accomplishing great things for my platform with the Miss Plus America organization. I will wear the Texas state crown and banner with pride and I will be a memorable leader and role model to everyone I meet. I truly feel as though my dreams have come true!

What is your platform?

My platform is "Raising Awareness and Support for the Cure of Juvenile Diabetes." I was diagnosed with Juvenile, or type 1, Diabetes at the blossoming age of just eight years old. I am also an advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The JDRF specializes in innovative and life-changing research methods for possible prevention and hopefully one day, a successful cure.

How many pageants have you competed in?

In my pageant career, I have competed in a total of nine beauty pageants. In 2004, 2005, and 2006, I competed six times with National American Miss at both the state and national level. In 2005, I also competed in the Miss Junior Texas America Pageant. My plus-size pageantry career began in 2006, when I competed in the Texas Plus America pageant. I decided to reenter the Texas Plus pageant in 2007, and ended up winning the competition! Now, I am preparing to compete at the national level for Miss Plus America, which will be held July 4-7, 2007 at The Fairmont Dallas, in Dallas, Texas.

How has IGIGI contributed to your success?

I actually contacted Igigi for sponsorship for a formal dress for the 2006 National All-American Miss Teen competition. I immediately received a very supportive and welcoming reply from the director at Igigi stating that the company would happily and willingly sponsor me. After wearing the beautiful formal dress at the National All-American Miss Teen pageant, I received so many warm compliments about the color and style of the dress, and how my confidence seemed to shine while I wore the dress. After those wonderful comments, I knew that I had found a winner in Igigi apparel! Therefore, I decided to compete in the same dress at the 2007 Texas Plus America pageant. Again, I received many lovely comments about the gown from the judges, delegates, and former queens. The luxurious formal gown greatly contributed to my winning success at the 2007 Texas Plus America pageant and I know that it will continue to contribute to my success throughout my reign as Miss Texas.

What is your favorite part of competing in pageants?

My favorite part of competing is definitely the interview with a panel of judges. The interview is usually the first time that the judges see you face to face, and it is important to make an outstanding first impression. The interview is also a time when the judges have the opportunity to get to know interesting facts about your life. It is a time when the judges see what makes a certain contestant passionate, and a time for the judges to understand the quality of that contestant's inner beauty. It is important to remember to take an interview seriously because, in essence, the contestant is interviewing for the job and responsibility that comes along with being a queen.

What advice would you give to readers that may be interested in competing in beauty pageants?

I would tell them to go for it! Be sure to research the pageant system you want to compete in. Make sure that you will be comfortable competing in the required competitions (Interview, Formal wear, Cocktail wear, Swimsuit), and also check out what optional competitions the pageant offers (Actress, Spokesmodel, Scrapbooking, Modeling). Another thing to keep in mind is financial costs, or sponsor fees associated with the pageant. In pageants, I believe that above all, it is important to be yourself and have fun. Get to know the other contestants, and learn to make life long friends. If you do these things, you will walk away a winner, whether or not you have won the crown!