by Simone Ripke

Taryn Tarver-Thompson already had a long résumé.

Now, in addition to being a second-year graduate student getting ready to wrap up her master’s degree in journalism, a wife, a mother of three, a graduate teaching fellow and the assistant to the chief operating officer at a local communications company, she is Mrs. Oregon International.

Tarver-Thompson, who won the Mrs. Eugene International pageant last November, competed for the Mrs. Oregon title at South Eugene High School against 17 other women.

Contestants were judged in a private interview with the six pageant judges and in proving their stage presence in aerobic and evening gown wear. The Mrs. Oregon pageant is different from Miss Oregon pageants in that it celebrates family values and the institution of marriage.

Tarver-Thompson, who is the first black woman to ever compete in the Mrs. Oregon pageant, said the event is not the stereotypical beauty contest that comes to mind when most people think of pageant competitions.

“It really breaks a lot of the traditional pageant stereotypes,” she said. “This isn’t about who’s the skinniest or who’s the prettiest. [Judges] are looking for someone who represents the whole package.”

Besides representing the state in public appearances, the new Mrs. Oregon will represent Oregon in an international pageant in Tennessee in August.

“I’m going to be competing against everybody,” she said.

But Tarver-Thompson said the contest was about much more than just winning. She said the contestants became friends over the weekend and encouraged each other to get through the stressful moments of the pageant.

“We would all stop and pray together,” she said. “It was so neat to see us come together.”
And there were nerve-wracking moments, not only during the contest, but before.

Tarver-Thompson had a designer dress made to wear at the evening gown competition, but at the last moment, the dress, which she had spent more than $300 on, just did not work out. Tarver-Thompson said it was just her luck that she happened to find a perfect replacement during a sale for only $9.99.

Tarver-Thompson said it was especially nerve-wracking not to be able to see the other contestants on the stage; contestants waited backstage and were without sound as each woman spoke to the judges.

But all the anxiety during the contest turned out to be worth it.

“It was just amazing. When they finally called me, I just raised my hands in the air and I just kept saying ‘Thank you, Jesus,’” she said.

Heidi Albertson, the pageant’s stage director, competed in the pageant in 1998. Albertson helps the women prepare for the on-stage appearances, by teaching them how to walk, turn and look at the judges.

Albertson said she had a great experience as a contestant and plans to continue to be involved in the pageant in the future.

“It’s not just based on your outside beauty,” she said. “It’s based on your marriage, your family and your community involvement. It’s not a beauty pageant.”

Tarver-Thomspon said her involvement on campus and in the community has prepared her for her new role as Mrs. Oregon.

“I’ve done a lot of stuff and that stuff has prepared me to be a spokesperson for Oregon, for the educational system,” she said.

She said a number of sponsors, including the University’s School of Journalism and Communication and Mercedes-Benz, believed in her and made her participation possible.

“I could not have done this without my sponsors,” she said.

Tarver-Thompson’s husband, Jason Thompson, was with her all weekend, escorting her onto the stage and watching her from the audience. He also got to put the crown on his wife’s head.

“It was a great experience,” he said. “I was really happy to see that she was rewarded for all of her accomplishments.” Thompson said he thought all of the contestants were great and deserving to be in the competition, making it difficult to anticipate his wife’s win.

“I really wanted to think, ‘Oh yes, she’s got it in the bag,’ but I really couldn’t,” Thompson said.

—This article originally appeared in the Oregon Daily Emerald.