Miss LI Contestant: Dana Wachter

Last week we reported on two Sachem area residents vying for the title of Miss Long Island and Miss Teen Long Island this coming weekend at the Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts. The pageant carries with it the opportunity for the winner to compete for Miss New York in Donald Trump's Miss USA pageant. 

Sachem Patch spoke with Sachem Alum and contestant for Miss Long Island Dana Wachter. Here's our Q&A with Wachter.

Hometown: Nesconset 
Age:     23
HS Attended: Sachem North High School
College Attended or Attending:  I have my Bachelors degree from St. Joseph's College were I majored in Child Study and Speech Communications.

Sachem Patch (SP): How did you enjoy your time at North? Who was your favorite teacher?   

Dana Wachter: I attended Sachem North for all four years where I was a member and Captain of the Varsity Swim Team and a member of the Symphonic Choir. I was also on the Honor Roll, a member of the National Honor Society, and a member of the National Foreign Language Honor Society. I loved North! The faculty and staff were the best of the best and did a great job preparing me for college. My favorite teacher was my American Sign Language teacher Miss Cerra. Miss Cerra was one of the most compassionate and caring teachers that I had at North. If you had any problems she would always lend an ear and try to help. I truly enjoyed going to first period because I knew I would see her smiling face. 

SP: Were you always involved in pageants or is this your first one? 
Dana Wachter: I competed in my first pageant when I was 17 years old. When I was 18 I earned the title of New York's Perfect Teen and competed at nationals that summer. I took a few years off to focus on college and my career and am finally back to doing what I love.

SP: What other hobbies or talents do you have? 
Dana Wachter: I swam competitively for 13 years and now enjoy coaching and teaching swim lessons. I'm a trained opera singer but do not perform often. In my spare time I love to bake and decorate cakes.

SP: Why did you decide to enter this pageant?   
Dana Wachter: Ever since I was a child my parents have taught me the importance of volunteering. The Miss Ling Island Queens are heavily involved in the community and are out supporting their platforms. My platform is eating disorder awareness because I have suffered with an eating disorder since I was 16 years old and was able to see first hand the effects it not only has on the person suffering from the eating disorder but on their family. If crowned Miss Long Island, I want to use my story to bring awareness about eating disorders since they affect 30 million people in the United States. 

SP: What kind of life-lessons or skills do you/did you learn from entering this pageant?   
Dana Wachter: While getting ready for the pageant I was teaching at a nursery school and coaching a swim team in the evenings, time management has been the most important skill that I have learned. Another huge thing I learned was how to interview for a job. Preparing for the interview portion has given me the skills I need when interviewing. 

SP: How do you think you will handle the fame/notoriety you'll likely receive from this, especially if you should win? How do you keep it all in check?   
Dana Wachter: I would welcome the fame and notoriety, not that I need anything for myself but it has always been a goal of mine to use the crown as a microphone to raise awareness of the effect that eating disorders have on people. I keep it in check by working with two year olds. They don't care if I'm Miss Long Island, they just know me as Miss Dana. 

SP: How do you respond to some of the criticism of pageants: that they objectify women, or they put too much emphasis on superficial beauty?   
Dana Wachter: If anything I think pageants empower women. They give you the confidence to be on stage in front of many people and show how hard your have worked. They give you the skills to know how to interview for a job. Some pageants give women the opportunity to showcase their talents that they have. 

SP: How do you feel about child pageants?   
Dana Wachter: I think that it's up to the parent to make sure that it is a good experience for their child and that they enjoy participating in them. No matter what age it's important to have fun. 

SP: What would winning this pageant mean for you, personally? What opportunities will this create for you?   
Dana Wachter: Personally it would show that my hard work has paid off. Having suffered from an eating disorder it's important for me to show that although we may face difficult times, become overwhelmed, and make poor decisions, with hard work we can put the difficult times in the past and achieve our goals. 

The Miss Long Island and Miss Teen Long Island pageant is scheduled for this Sunday, August 11.