LUSBY, Md. — Seven-year-old Baylee Wroten is fresh off her win as Miss Calvert at the National American Miss pageant in the Junior Pre-Teen division, but she’s not taking her eye off the prize: the national stage.
At the Maryland National American Miss pageant this month, Baylee was the second runner-up for Miss Maryland. She also won the “Miss Spirit” award and was a top semifinalist in the talent competition. Wroten also won the title for Calvert County, making her eligible to compete in the national pageant Nov. 21–28 this year in Orlando.
National American Miss isn’t a typical pageant. Baylee Wroten’s mother, Elizabeth, said she liked how the pageant was makeup-free and didn’t include swimsuit portions seen in traditional competitions. The kids participate in a judge’s interview, a talent competition and an age-appropriate evening gown segment. They also do a group dance that’s not judged. Elizabeth Wroten said she liked how the pageant was age-appropriate and focused on building the kids’ confidence and public speaking skills.
On its website, the pageant says it’s designed to help girls and women grow their confidence and celebrate individuality. The site says, “It is a program centered around helping girls and women grow and expand their ideas about who they are and what they want to achieve.”
“Her confidence has grown so much,” Elizabeth Wroten said. “To see this girl go out in front of a big audience and introduce herself and talk about who she is, her likes and dislikes, is amazing. A lot of adults can’t do that.”
“The people who run it want to teach the girls to speak for themselves and give them that skill for when they grow up,” Wroten added.
This is Baylee Wroten’s third year competing in the pageant. In 2023, she was nominated by an anonymous person and decided she wanted to try it. She didn’t place in the first two years, but her mom said she insisted on trying again, telling her, “I can do this!” and that she wasn’t giving up.
This year, Wroten has thrown all her efforts into pageant prep — she sings her talent show songs on repeat in the car and uses the family’s halls to practice her runway walk.
“If she wanted to walk away, I’d say okay, no problem,” Elizabeth Wroten said. “But as long as she wants to do this, I’m behind her all the way.”
The whole family is supportive of Baylee’s dreams of winning National American Miss. Her 9-year-old brother, Austin, escorted her during the evening gown portion of the competition and will do so at Nationals, too.
Wroten also participates in Girl Scouts and loves riding her bike. Her mother describes her as outgoing and caring, and said she loves participating in activities. She loves making friends and has built an incredible sisterhood with other contestants these last few years.
The Wrotens are prepping for Nationals and looking for sponsors to help Baylee get there. In the meantime, Wroten is waiting for her Miss Calvert County crown and sash to come in the mail, and is practicing her new talent show song — “Golden” by HUNTR/X from the show “K-Pop Demon Hunters.”
“She wants this more than anything,” her mother said. “She just keeps saying, ‘I’ve got this, I can do this!’”
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