By Liv Gardner

The 2019 Miss USA crown contained 500 diamonds and pearls with a value of over $250,000. When the previous year’s titleholder passed the jewels to Cheslie Kryst, winner of the 2019 pageant, she pinned one pound of gems on top of her curls and the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Cheslie Kryst, two and a half years after being crowned, committed suicide on Jan. 30, 2022.

Kryst, 30, jumped from the 29th floor of her Manhattan apartment building at 7:15 a.m. Earlier that morning, she posted a photo to Instagram with the caption “May this day bring you rest and peace.”

Kryst is not alone as the official 2021 report from Mental Health America found that “…mental health in the U.S. continues to get worse,” recording that 47.1 million people in the United States are now living with a mental health condition.

Since her passing, competitors of all ages from pageant circuits across the country are honoring Kryst while using her actions to shed light on the true effects that competing can have on one’s mental health.

Kiersten Khoury, a junior at High Point University, is the newest titleholder of Miss American Coed and a friend of Kryst. She has competed in pageants since she was four years old.

“If you don’t come home with the crown and banner, you’ve failed,” said Khoury.

Throughout her 16 years of competing, Khoury has experienced it all. She described the “surrealistic highs” of being crowned a winner and the overbearing questions of self-worth when her efforts came up short. No matter the outcome, Khoury noted one factor that played a role in her performance every single time she stepped on stage: pressure.

“The worst thing that I used to experience was coming off stage and feeling like I didn’t do my best,” said Khoury. “That’s when I start to mix outside pressures into my own.”

Dr. Michelle Peacock, a licensed clinical psychologist, elaborates on this idea.

“Stress very much affects your physical body, not just your emotions and your thoughts,” said Peacock.

Peacock cited fatigue, anxiety and cycling depression as the most frequent consequences of extensive amounts of pressure.

“If somebody is feeling very anxious or depressed, one of the things that they often do is withdrawal,” said Peacock. “They want to be alone.”

According to Peacock, increased isolation can create “a cycle” for those struggling with mental health. Without proper treatment and a solidified support system, the possibility of suicide is likely to increase.

This repetition of ups and downs can easily be exacerbated by social media and the comments posted by both public and anonymous users. Maddie Faggart, a High Point University sophomore and former International Cinderella Teen, described social media as an escalator of both the pressure and mental health issues felt by pageant competitors.

“You have people praise you for every single thing that you’ve done and that’s all that you’re known for,” said Faggart.

While it is no secret that users of social media can use their platforms to share hateful and demeaning comments, it was the adoration that struck Faggart most.

“The second you win a title you become that title,” said Faggart. “It doesn’t matter if you’re Miss USA or Miss Southern whatever, it becomes your identity.”

When winners of pageants are thrown into the spotlight, external stressors like the media report simply on what they see, which may not always be a true or accurate depiction of a person.

Increased publicity, especially for those like titleholders, can result in winners feeling unseen and unheard for more than their accomplishments, a problem referenced by Kryst in an article for Allure in March of 2021.

Dr. Sadie Leder-Elder, a professor of psychology at High Point University, sees a connection between this self-perception and Peacock’s comments on isolation.

“When we talk about being isolated, we have trouble putting things into perspective,” said Elder. “We are thinking about the things that we’re not doing as compared to the things that we are doing and the people who love us unconditionally.”

While competing in pageants can bring negative effects on one’s mental health, there are ways to prevent some of the repercussions that follow. Elder, an expert in relationship studies, says that people who hold strong relationships “live happier, healthier, and more successful lives.”

At the end of the day, whether or not someone takes home a crown and banner does not mean that their mental health will not be affected by the journey they took when competing in pageants.

This year, $250,000 worth of diamonds and pearls will be passed and pinned to the next winner. Because of Cheslie Kryst and her lasting message, there is hope that future successors of the crown will wear it proudly on their heads without bearing its weight on their shoulders.

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Liv Gardner is a sophomore at High Point University double majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Spanish with a minor in Legal Studies. For contact inquiries, please email ogardner@highpoint.edu.