Saturday, January 18, 2025
AZLE — Most little girls dream of being a princess. For one incoming Eagle Heights Elementary first grader, that dream has come true.
Just one year after competing at her first National American Miss event, Vanessa Webb now represents her state in the 4-6 age category as Texas Princess. On top of her win, Webb balances her time between competitive cheerleading at Encore Championships, the TCC Cheer Connection, tumble, dance and Primrose Summer Adventure Club.
“She has a very busy schedule as a 6-year-old,” the child’s mother said in a family interview with the Tri-County Reporter.
Webb beat 60 other girls in her division to take home the coveted Miss Texas sash and tiara at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Houston on June 15. This fall she will compete at the National American Miss contest in Orlando, Florida, where she will also visit Disney World. The Webb family has lived in the Azle area for four-and-a-half years, moving from Keller. Her time at home is spent choreographing dances to Taylor Swift songs with her dad, rooting for the Oklahoma University football team, where she hopes to one day be a cheerleader, swimming and spending time with her dogs, cat and rabbit. Her favorite subjects in school are math and reading.
Webb’s pageantry journey began last year after she was anonymously invited to a contest and decided she wanted to try it.
“I was excited to jump into it,” Vanessa Webb said.
In her first year she placed in the top 12 at the state contest. Her parents, Don and Tracie Webb, while immensely proud, never expected to be in their position.
“We are not pageant people,” Don Webb said. “There were some moms up there, you see them schmoozing with the judges and the people that run the thing and here we are, don’t know anybody, so we were trying to prepare and say, ‘you may not, but hopefully top three.’ We definitely got some bad looks after she won.”
Along with winning a $100 bet with her dad, Vanessa Webb also got to eat rolls at Texas Roadhouse, her favorite food and restaurant, every day for a week after claiming the Texas Princess title.
“I bet her $100 she couldn’t win; I owe her $100,” Don Webb said. “The easiest way is to tell her she can’t do it. She’ll be like, ‘I’ll show you.’ She likes to be the best. If she’s going to do it, she doesn’t want anybody else being better than her.”
While Webb’s mother had initial concerns about pageantry, she eventually found that the contest was a great way to build her daughter’s skills and confidence. Along with an opening walk and dance, National American Miss contestants are judged on their resume writing, public speaking skills, interview skills and community service projects.
“As a mom you always think beauty pageants, stigmas, things like that so I wasn’t super excited about it,” Tracie Webb said. “While they are all very beautiful, they also focus more on their confidence, life skills, things like that. So, it’s pretty well rounded. She really wanted to go back after seeing last year how much it really was about self-esteem building and just trying to create well rounded adults as little girls. She begged to go back again this year. She set some goals for things from last year that she felt she needed to work on. She went and worked hard on that and went back and took home the crown. So, we’re really excited that she won.”
Vanessa Webb has big plans for her national showing in Orlando. For the community service aspect of her performance, she would like to collect school supplies, create free book boxes, or write letters with her class to residents at Azle Manor in the fall.
Don Webb works at Azle Manor as therapy director and Tracie Webb works as a regional manager of a therapy company. Don and Tracie Webb said one thing that sets Vanessa apart from other 6-year-olds is that she’s always excited to speak in front of crowds.
“Most kids get shy, she blossoms on stage,” Don Webb said. “Put her on a stage in front of people with a microphone and a plan (and) she goes to town. Even with her cheer and dancing and stuff like that, you put her in front of people and she’s going to tear it up.”
For Vanessa Webb, it’s hard for her to choose a favorite part of pageantry. She enjoys being nice to people and hopes other girls consider competing in National American Miss to be just like her.
“I’m really excited to go on the stage and talk in front of all the people,” Vanessa Webb said. “It was very fun. I like doing my opening dance and walking on the stage. I like all of it. I liked how I met new friends, and I liked doing the opening dance and I liked getting a lot of trophies.”
Vanessa Webb looks forward to working on her community service projects, improving her speeches and giving it her all at the contest in November where she and others representing each state will vie for the National All-American Miss Princess title. Next year, Webb hopes to continue competing in pageants in the National American Miss Junior Pre-Teen category.
