{ SHIFT+CONTROL } } { WOMAN WHO INSPIRES
YOUBETH AREESPADA ENOUGH. BY NICOLE PHOTOS HEROUX BY WILLIAMS I PHOTOS BY NSP STUDIO BOB SCHULTZ & SANDY ARENA
Tell us about yourself and your background.ings My name is Beth Espada and I am the Pageant Director of Eagle Wings Pageantry. I am also a mother of six, blessed through adoption, so I am constantly on the go, wearing many hats each day. By day, I run an apartment complex with 225 units in Fairport NY and help facilitate my youngest three children’s education. This involves advocating for special needs accommodations and special education programs and services. By night, I am diligently working on my 501C(3) Eagle Wings Pageantry, a program based solely on donations and fees. From ordering prizes and booking special guests, to sharing my system with the local community, there is always something to do. Because there wasn’t enough on my plate, I recently acquired my real estate license for both residential and commercial properties, furthering my education in the housing industry. With 10+ years of experience in property management and 25+ years in customer service, I have learned the art of marketing and selling while appealing to my customers wants and needs. This is a business strategy implemented into my new role as pageant director and community service advocate. Marketing my vision, the platforms I serve and the pageant community to newcomers is a top priority into building my brand and reputation. What made you decide to create Eagle Wings Pageantry? When my son Eagle died, I couldn’t function, I even lost my memory of 54
ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE : JULY EDITION 2022
those next 6 months, and most of my identity. I couldn’t function besides the day-to-day monotony of work, chores, and parenting. Unable to feel joy, I needed to grieve and wanted to put my brokenness into something for my son. I toggled with charity ideas and names and ultimately designed Eagle Wings Pageantry hoping and praying for its success. During the process of developing my program, I began to find myself again and gained direction and a clear-cut mission of purpose. I felt alone in my grief, feeling no one was
hurting like I was, like everyone moved on but I couldn’t. I needed the world to remember my son, to know his story and to honor him and his legacy. Losing my faith in God and not understanding why my son had to be taken from me, I was unable to move past the feelings of emptiness and betrayal from God. I turned my back on my core beliefs and needed a new sense of hope and spirituality. Eagle Wings Pageantry would provide that and was created to heal. What is the mission behind Eagle Wings? The mission is constantly evolving and growing as time goes on. My goal is to raise
money, awareness and to promote positive pageantry. On January 21st, 2018, my 3 daughters participated in their first beauty pageant. This non-competitive program opened our eyes to the pageant community, a whole new world to us. From there my daughters participated in 30-40 pageants meeting many new friends and gaining experience and lasting memories. Each pageant system was unique from one another, from the director’s efforts to the format and prize packages. We did not care for every system we tried and found our niche under the systems that welcomed us like family. One thing we found missing from many of the systems we participated in was positive pageantry. The emphasis on competition overshadowed the parts of the pageant that we enjoyed the most including encouragement, kindness, and respect. I decided to create my idea of the perfect pageant by focusing on the three principles of pageantry PRIDE, POISE and PRESENTATION. My mission is to host an event that is so much more than a beauty pageant. Working daily to develop my event so all may enjoy and remember. I welcome participants of all ages, sizes, and abilities. From experienced pageant queens to special needs children and plus size men and women, they all are welcome and encouraged to participate. Our day is packed with entertainment in addition to the pageant. I want to entertain my audience by giving them a themed day of remembrance and joy. Eagle Wings Pageantry’s goal is to raise money for a scholarship in Eagle’s name through Dollars for Scholars. Spreading awareness about organ donation, mental health and substance abuse are equally at the
