Finance, Investment & Risk student set to take the stage at Miss Great Britain Glasgow Final

A GCU student is set to take the stage at the Miss Great Britain Glasgow final, where winners gain entry to the 2024 Miss Great Britain Final.

Finance, Investment & Risk student Sophie Louise Stewart was selected as a finalist after deciding to apply back in October, only to hear within a week that she had made it to the Miss Great Britain Glasgow final in July.

The Great Miss Britain competition is designed to emphasise the accomplishments of each contestant, which includes their charity and community work. Since hearing the news, Sophie has set out to take part in a number of fundraisers, ranging from Kidney Research UK, Ardgowan Hospice and Cancer Research UK.

Sophie explained her academic journey, applying for this Great Miss Britain competition and breaking the stigma attached to beauty pageants:

Sophie’s journey to GCU

“I actually came to GCU before to study Forensic Investigation but it wasn’t the right fit for me. I really loved the university though, so when I wanted to return to my studies I only applied for GCU because I had such a good experience before.

I did enjoy the Forensic Investigation course, but I just found that I couldn’t keep up but I had such amazing support from the lecturers. I remember contacting my chemistry lecturer and telling her that I was struggling and really wasn’t sure what to do, but she set up a call with me and took the time to explain the information to me again. I was able to understand it after that because of her and ended up doing really well in that specific exam. That has always really stuck with me and I knew that if I ever needed support at the university then I would get it.”

Applying for the Great Miss Britain competition

“It was actually through the girl who does my spray tans! She had reposted a social media advert for the Miss International competition, saying ‘My clients would be really good at this!’ and I decided to go onto it to find out more. Once I read into it, I thought that it sounded like really good fun and also an amazing opportunity.

I thought to myself that I had nothing to lose by applying for it; if they say no, they say no and that’s the worst that could happen. I don’t even think it was a week later until they got back to me to let me know that they would love for me to be a finalist.”

The application form just included a few questions; how we found the competition, why we wanted to take part, if we had any fun facts, ambitions or achievements and what would make us a great title holder. I was able to mention the fact that I’m on the GCU Dance team and the Sports Council, so I think that really helped.”

Being selected for the Miss Great Britain Glasgow final

“I was so happy! I was also a bit shocked too. It’s not that I didn’t have the self belief that I could do it, but I hadn’t even gave it that much thought. When I received the news that I was going to be a finalist, I then thought ‘Wow, I really am going to be doing this’ and that I would need to start planning it now!

It isn’t a requirement, but from that point you are encouraged to start getting involved in your local community and take part in some charity work. I did some work with Kiwi & Co which is a fashion brand based in Glasgow. They held a charity event to raise money for Kidney Research UK, where I did some modelling for them. I have also taken part in the Kiltwalk to raise money for Ardgowan Hospice, and I’ll also be hosting my own fundraiser next month for the British Heart Foundation. I’ll also be taking part in Pretty Muddy for Cancer Research UK.  I’ve also been attending the events and fundraisers of the other contestants, so we can all support each other.

As I mentioned before, I’m very active with the GCU Dance Team and Sports Council, which are very important in my personal life. It’s just about doing more for the greater good.”

Getting prepared for the Regional Heat in July

“The regional heat will involve an interview round, which will only last for a couple of minutes long! In that time, we need to try and tell the judges everything that we have done and why we should be selected – a lot of information in a small space of time! After that, there is the stage rounds which include the swimwear and eveningwear rounds.  The Top Five will be selected at that point, where they will be asked some more questions on the stage. After that, we will find out who the winner is!

I’m so excited for it! I’m trying not to think of it in the sense of ‘Oh, what if I lose?’ because at the end of the day, we’ve all had such a good experience. I’ve made friends for life with a lot of the other contestants, so even if I don’t win, it means someone I really like will win instead!”

Breaking the stigma attached to beauty pageants

“I think opportunities like these are really important, especially in times like these where feminism is more important than ever. For women, you can sometimes be pressured to be very good at one specific thing when really you should just be able to do what you want. I can take part in pageants like this and show that I have beauty, can carry myself gracefully and have confidence. Why can’t I do that and also be studying something like finance and be intelligent? It’s really important to show that you can do more than one thing or fit yourself into something that’s expected of you.

There’s a lot of misconceptions towards beauty pageants that we’re being judged based on our looks and that’s not the case at all. Most of the points that we can get are from the interview and when we’re on stage, it’s now about how we look; it’s how we present ourselves and our confidence that is judged.  It’s a lot more about what is beneath the surface.”

By Rachael McAlonan

Got a SCEBE or GSBS story? Email me at Rachael.McAlonan@gcu.ac.uk or connect with me on social media