Meet Your Neighbor: Mrs. New Jersey 2018, Ann Pennington

FEATURED PHOTO: Ann Pennington | CREDIT: Edward Gebel

WHERE I LIVE: 

I reside in the gorgeous town of Sea Girt. It’s where the cedar meets the sea and our town sign says “Smile You’re in Sea Girt”. The minute you drive in and see that sign you can only feel happy.

WHAT I DO: 

I am Mrs. New Jersey United States for 2018. My position is about showing people that we are uniquely brave women with confidence, not only to celebrate and display our beauty and intellect, but bring light to our lives as mothers, wives, and business owners. We have the opportunity to share our platforms for helping those in our community locally and on a national level.

MY PURPOSE AND MAIN FOCUS: 

To bring light to what I find near and dear to my heart, which is bringing awareness to homeless youth. I am a product of homelessness and by holding this title it has helped shine a brighter light and open doors to show people that homelessness can end. We can help get these amazing humans off the street and help them achieve their purpose. It’s been truly rewarding teaming up with HABcore and Covenant House where I am team captain of a project called Sleepout. We literally sleep on a street to raise funds to support the programs at Covenant House. I hope some of the readers will come join my team this spring and grab a sleeping bag and help us raise funds.

WHAT SETS ME APART FROM OTHERS DOING WHAT I DO: 

Honestly there could only be one Mrs. New Jersey for 2018, and I was lucky enough to have this title bestowed upon me, but every woman I competed with is worthy of the title and would have made a remarkable Mrs. New Jersey. I am grateful the judges believed in me and gave me this opportunity. I wish I had more than one year because it has been magical. And having my son and husband be part of my journey has made this one of the best years of my life.

WHAT GOT ME STARTED IN PAGEANTS: 

Many moons ago I used to sit glued to the TV set watching Miss Universe and thinking to myself they were like princesses from a Disney movie. And then one day a women walked up to me and said I’d be perfect to compete at a pageant. I remember thinking to myself that was crazy because I didn’t see myself like those women I watched on TV. I competed a few weeks later and won a title, I was in my early 20s. A decade later I am Mrs. New Jersey 2018. So if you believe, you can achieve.

MY NEXT GOAL: 

To have a program I started called “Style with a Purpose” reach more outlets. I created this to help young women competing in pageants to be sponsored through my company, Eye for Style, and help them with clothes, photos, mentorship, and more. It’s been so rewarding working with young women and helping them achieve their dreams. I look forward  to doing this on a much larger scale in the near future.

THE BEST PART OF WHAT I DO: 

I’d have to say I love having my son be part of my journey. He comes to almost all of my appearances and sees what I am doing to make his future better. I hope he’s learning to be aware and why we need to give back.

THE MOST CHALLENGING THING ABOUT WHAT I DO:

 I wish I had more than 24 hours in my day. Balancing my work of being a fashion stylist dressing the Hamilton cast, a mother, a wife, and being Mrs. New Jersey, I have had to find the right amount of time to dedicate to each area of my life. It has taught me more about time management.

BEST TIP ABOUT WHAT I DO: 

Be kind, and have a lot of passion and a mission so fierce nothing will stop you. Be fearless, and go for it. It’s not about your outer beauty, it’s about how big your heart is and how you will be a role model in the community. We need strong women to look up to at any age. So if you are a married women in New Jersey and are passionate about helping others, reach out to our organization and bring a little more sparkle to the Gorgeous Garden State.

See this story in print here.