Austen Williams Mrs America 2013

Austen Williams - Mrs. America 2013

Austen started modeling and acting when she was 4. She booked her first national television commercial when she was 7. She has done work for Abercrombie & Fitch, Best Buy, Vibe Magazine, Prevention Magazine, as well as in Fitness videos, films, and television.

How did you capture the title of Mrs. America?

Austen was just herself ~ a real woman.  She wasn't trying to be someone she’s not!  She is a mom so she doesn’t have time to do some of the luxury things in life because she is so busy chasing around a 16 month old and a three year old.  She just wants to be who God made her to be.  

Highlights from the Pageant

Austen competed in the Miss USA and Miss America systems. This was her first Mrs. Pageant. Not all pageant girls are nice but she was surprised to learn just how sweet the Mrs. Pageant contestants at Mrs. America were. She loved her roommate! Her roommate was Mrs. Virginia, Erin Brown, who Austin thinks is a complete rock star! If you're friends with Austen on Facebook you can see the videos from Mrs. America. They had parties in their room where they were dancing on the bed while pretending to sing (to the readers; Girls Just Gotta Have Fun). Austen really enjoyed learning all about the ladies at Mrs. America. She felt so fortunate to have been able to compete with them because they were so supportive and kind.

The Mrs. America Interview

The interview was round-robin style. Austen really enjoyed the judges and had great conversations with them.  Austin feels sometimes ladies think the judges want to hear the "correct answer", when all they really want is to hear YOUR opinion. They want to see you and get to know the real you.

Preparing for the Pageant

Have conversations with people and take the time to get to know them. Try to really figure out who they are.  Austen stated it is better to be interested than interesting. Mrs. America is a pageant where you have to be able to interview well because 50% of your score comes from interview. You really need to know how to talk to people so they can get to know the real you. 

Austen’s Platform is Human Trafficking Awareness

Human Trafficking is happening here and now.  As a performer, Austen has been able to promote her platform through a film called, “8 Days”. She played a role in the film which wrapped up about two weeks before she left for Mrs. America. The film is a true story about a girl from Texas who was kidnapped and put into human trafficking and found 8 days later.  People have an assumption that human trafficking only happens to low-income, or uneducated people. The reality of it is that human trafficking is not just hitting one area or demographic, it is all across the board. You can be any race, most often, it is white and Asian women/girls who are being sold. As of now, human trafficking is the #2 grossing crime in the WORLD! Second only to drugs. It is projected to surpass drugs in the next five years!

The film 8 Days is due to be released in November. All proceeds from the film will go back into anti-trafficking organization to build safe houses. For more information about the film 8 Days, go to www.8daysfilm.org

Mrs. America Goals

Austen's number one goal as Mrs. America is to promote awareness for Human Trafficking.  Austen stated she is a simple girl and she wants simple things. Her heart breaks for the young girls who have been sold into trafficking. As a mother, it is heart wrenching for her to think about it.  Her goal is to serve her community, her family and her God.

In May, Austen will be travel to the Mrs. World Pageant. So, how does she get ready to compete at Mrs. World?

As a mom with small children, she doesn’t always have time to go to the gym.  She puts her baby in a baby backpack and does lunges. When she is doing the dishes, she does squats and lunges. Her workout routine has to do with entertaining her children and cleaning her house.  After she had her second baby she wanted something to do to get back into shape. She thought swimsuit competition would help her accomplish that. Her clothes fit but everything was mushy. So, she started to tone up at home and at the Mrs. Texas America Pageant she won the fitness award!

Did you know that Austen is a photographer?

She is the owner of Sugarbabe Photography and specializes in newborns, babies and children.  Her goal was to give beautiful pictures of children to families for a reasonable price. She can do all types of photography, but she really enjoys taking pictures of newborn babies. She took Mrs. Oklahoma America’s headshot and she won Mrs. Photogenic! To learn more about Sugarbabe Photography, you can visit www.SugarbabePhotography.com

Follow Austen on Twitter @Austenwill and on Facebook at Austen Williams.

Austen and her husband she still has a crush on as Mrs. Texas