Meet Miss HBCU Teen, Carline Boston

We recently participated as a sponsor in the 2022 Miss HBCU Teen Scholarship pageant, which provides scholarships, resources, and support to high school girls of color attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The pageant organizers want to ensure that young Black women are empowered, excel during their college years, and advance successfully into their careers. It’s time to meet the new Queen, Miss Carline Boston!

Where are you from and which school will you be attending?

I am from Brooklyn, NY and I will be attending Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee.

What will you be studying?

I will be studying Economics.

What would you like to do after completing your studies?

I am still exploring different career options, but I am leaning towards corporate law or venture capitalism.

How was your overall experience during pageant weekend?

Being that it was my first pageant, pageant weekend was initially very nerve wracking but ended up being a lot of fun! Everyone was so kind and it was nice to finally be able to see my sister queens in person after only talking online for months prior. I felt very proud of myself for persevering through all the challenges to be able make it to pageant weekend and get the chance to compete.

How do you want to have an impact on young Black girls now that you're Miss HBCU Teen?

I hope to inspire young Black girls into believing they’re the queens that they are, even when society tries to tell them they’re not. In the beginning of my pageant experience I dealt with a lot of self-doubt. I consider myself to be a very reserved person so having to campaign and put myself out there was very challenging for me. However, as the experience progressed I realized that I was a lot more capable than I thought I was. I gained a lot of confidence in myself and learned how to give myself grace for the things that I can’t change. I ended up walking away from this experience with so much more poise, grace, and kindness than I did before and truly believe that I am deserving of the queen title just as much as the next person is. Those are all skills that I hope to pass down to younger girls.

What would you say to someone considering running for Miss HBCU next year?

I would tell them to GO FOR IT! Of course I would advise them to do research and make sure that this pageant is the right fit for them, but if they’ve done that and are still feeling apprehensive about it, I would tell them to submit the application. This pageant is a life changing experience and there aren’t many others out there like this one. It will be challenging at times, but you will discover so much more about yourself and will evolve into an even better young lady because of it. Plus the sisterhood that you form with your sister queens is unbeatable and will be bonds that you have for a very long time. 

If you had to pick a color that represents your personality, which color would you choose and why?

I would choose orange because it is associated with enthusiasm, excitement, and warmth. It’s a very bright and happy color and I think I am a very happy person and tries to maintain a positive mindset everyday.

What has your experience been with nail polish over the years? 

I love nail polish and getting my nails done because it’s something that always makes me feel good. Whenever I have a special event, getting my nails and toes done is a must! My first memorable experience with nail polish was when I was in the 2nd grade, and my mom picked me up early from school so that we could have a girls day and get our nails done. It was done as a way to congratulate on getting good grades and it felt really good to be able to spend time with her. 

What's one beauty standard you wish was not used as a measurement for beauty in our society?

I wish skin tone was not a measurement of beauty in our society. When I was younger, I used to get bullied for being dark skin and that led me to believe that being light skinned was better. It took a very long time for me to unlearn that harmful belief. It’s hurtful when our community divides us even further in a world where we are already isolated. I hope that one day we can love each other regardless of our differences and understand that our difference in color shouldn't matter and it definitely shouldn't impact how beautiful we are perceived.

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People of Color wishes Miss Carline Boston much success in her next chapter as Miss HBCU Teen and starting at Fisk University in the fall.