Shanel James will represent the United States at the 2017 Miss International beauty pageant to be held in Japan in November. Let’s show her some love! 

“I’ve been involved with the pageant world for about ten years. I went to a high school in Maryland that has a lot of former Miss Maryland USA contestants which exposed me to the pageant process.

I’ve done multiple photo shoots which is amazing because in the pageant world you always need to have good head-shots readily available. One particular photo shoot included hair and makeup which was provided by two women who were of a different ethnicity then me. I often choose to do my own hair and makeup although I don’t want to be perceived as a diva. Based on previous experiences with hair and makeup being  provided to me, there was no contouring or blending of the makeup, so it did not look great because my skin often appeared a little ashy. The styling process for my hair often involved wetting it first which does not work well since I typically choose to wear my hair with a leave out.

Overall, being crowned Miss US International 2017 has been a rewarding and eye opening experience.  So far, I’ve really enjoyed using my platform by working with Habitat for Humanity in DC as well as various causes that support children centered causes in the community.