Featuring The 2014-2015 National American Miss Pre-Teen Braylin Woodard!

NAM: Tell us about yourself:

Braylin: I  am a spunky eleven year old who enjoys acting, pageants, and being involved with my community.

NAM: What activities are you involved in?

Braylin: As an energetic creative girl I am involved with dancing, acting, tumbling, and art.

NAM: What are your plans for the future?

Braylin: Action! In the future I plan to become an Oscar winning movie director by making my dreams come to life.

NAM: How would your friends describe you?

Braylin: I have so many wonderful friends, they would describe me as a fun to be around, energetic, nice, ball of joy.

NAM: What motto or quote best describes you?

Braylin: “Little things come in small packages” is one of many quotes that best describes me. I am very small for my age but I have a very big personality!

NAM: What is the best advice you have ever received?

Braylin: “Just have fun” is the best advice I have received so far in my life. It has helped me gain confidence in myself because I’m focused on having fun more than anything.

NAM: How did you prepare for the NAM National pageant?

Braylin: As they say “practice makes perfect.” While preparing for NAM, I figured that that was the thing to do. I did mock-interviews with friends and family, practiced my intro on my spare time, and practiced walking around my living room as if it were the stage for formal wear.

NAM: Where is your favorite place to shop?

Braylin: I am a total fashionista when it comes to clothes! I absolutely love to shop at Justice because they have the cutest clothes ever.

NAM: How have pageants shaped your life?

Braylin:  Ever since I started pageants, I have grown to become a poised young lady who has confidence in herself and isn’t afraid to speak in front of anyone.

NAM: What is your most prized possession?

Braylin: It all started the week before Christmas when a box was delivered to the steps of my house. As I opened the box I saw my favorite color blue and knew that it was perfect. I pulled out a blue blanket with my initials monogramed in lime green. It was from my best friend Samantha Coffey! From that day I have brought my blue blanket everywhere with me because it is so special.

NAM: What is your favorite movie?
Braylin: I love action movies and Big Hero 6 is my favorite action movie of all time. I loved the movie because Hero’s best friends and Baymax taught Hero that he should never give up.

NAM: What is your favorite TV show?
Braylin: I love fairy tale characters and Once Upon a Time is my favorite TV show because it brings my favorite characters to life and tells an adventurous story.

NAM: What is your book?

Braylin: I am currently reading the Fault in our Stars and it didn’t take much reading for me to love it. I like how even though the two main characters are diagnosed with deadly diseases they live their lives to the fullest.

NAM: What advice do you have for future NAM girls?
Braylin: As someone once told me “just have fun,” I figured that I would pass that onto other NAM girls because having fun is what really counts.

NAM: If you could be famous for anything what would it be?

BraylIn: My bubbly personality would make me famous! Everyone I meet compliments me on my spirit. So I would definitely be famous for that.

NAM: What is your dream job?

Braylin: As I have said in the future I would love to become a movie director, so that’s basically my dream job. As a movie director, I could make thousands of movies and make big stars too.

NAM: How do you plan to use your title?

Braylin: Making a difference in people’s lives is the way I plan to use my title. I could donate to the women’s covenant house in New Orleans. Or maybe, ride in parades and give out candy! Every kid loves candy, but whatever the task is I’m up for it!

NAM: How do you volunteer in your community?

BraylIn: Volunteering in my community is very important to me so to do that, I volunteer at my church to be a youth counselor! For that task I spend one week at church, in a classroom teaching about God! I also donate clothes to the Women’s covenant house! It’s very fun!

NAM: What is your most embarrassing moment?

Braylin: What could be more embarrassing than falling out of a chair in class? When that happened I could feel my face getting really red, but then I felt a smile on my face. From that day I learned to just laugh with everyone, and not at myself.

NAM: What is your favorite subject in school?

Braylin: Ms. Sigur, (my history teacher) has made history my favorite subject! She lets us watch tons of videos, arts and crafts, and even lets us eat exotic food! But the funny thing is that all of that stuff has to do with the subject!

NAM: What is your biggest fear?

Braylin: Being taken away from my family is really scary to think about. They are all so supportive and I love them. So to be taken away from them is my biggest fear.

NAM: Who is your rolemodel?

Braylin: My mom of all the people in the world would be my role model because she encourages me and supports me in everything that I do. When I mean support I mean financially and mentally. Her and my dad all ways find ways to support me! I love my mom very much!

NAM: If you could go back in time to any historical event what would it be?

Braylin: In history there are so many events that are happy and sad but if I could choose one event to go back in time to I would go to when Martin Luther king Jr. gave his “I have a dream” speech. I would want to be the behind the scene girl. The reason I would go there is because of courage. I would like to see how much courage it took to say the speech. Courage is the key to confidence is what I believe. So Martin Luther King Jr. gives me courage to have confidence.

NAM: If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?

Braylin: Dinner in the white house, with the president, or dinner at my grandmas, with my cousins. I choose my cousins because they’re my family. My grandma lives in Mississippi and so do most of my cousins. We all barely get to see each other and a nice meal together just talking would be so much fun, we could just catch up. But the president would be cool too. 

              NAM: What is your favorite part about National American Miss?

Braylin: I love NAM because of all my new friends! I go to my state pageant, and nationals without any friends at all then come back with like 20 million!! One of my friends that I have made during my NAM year is from Texas, her name is Samantha Coffey and we became very close friends. In fact, we went visit her over the Christmas break! We had so much fun and I will never forget it!

NAM: How did you get started with NAM? How long have you been involved?
Braylin: When I was 5 we got a letter in the mail about NAM. It talked about this thing called an open call so we went. Turns out, the week later we got another letter saying that I had qualified for NAM I was so excited! So I competed and I ended up winning princess. But we were new, so we really didn’t know anything, so for nationals I didn’t, but that was ok. Then when I was able to, I competed for jr. pre-teen and I got 1^st runner up 2 years in row, so that second year I won all-American jr. pre-teen. But this year I competed for pre-teen, but that was a whole different ball game, it was hard, but I did it, and then I was off to nationals. I met so many new friends, and most of my good friends were in the audience cheering for me, and then I realized that I won!!

NAM: What is your definition of a NAM girl? 

Braylin: Be yourself, is my definition of a NAM girl. When you are on stage and you give a little chuckle, being yourself. I feel like the judges like to see when you are doing your own thing! Being yourself will guide you where you need to go. So just be yourself!

NAM: What do you like to do for fun?

Braylin: Well there are many things that I like to do for fun like roller-skating, riding my bike, acting, playing with my sister, reading, and taking selfies. Exercise is very important to me so when you are outside riding your bike, or roller-skating its really fun.

NAM: What makes your state unique?

Braylin: Louisiana just the name sounds unique! But, what really makes us unique is our parishes. Other states have counties. We are also the only L state. We also really love our spice!!

NAM: What is your favorite food?

Braylin:Ground meat spaghetti is the bomb!  Especially the kind my mom makes! I love the sauce drizzled gently on the wiggly noodles!

NAM: What was your first thought you had when you captured your national title?

Braylin: “I can’t believe it” those were the words that bounced in my head when I won! I could not believe everything that was happening! Everything that I had been working on finally paid off.

NAM: People would be surprised to know what about you?

Braylin: I am double jointed in almost every part of my body. In every finger I am double jointed, also in my knees, lips, jaw, my wrist, and my ribs. It sounds freaky right? I know I can’t even believe it.

Braylin Woodard The 2014-2015 National American Miss Pre-Teen! 

               Official Headshots!