“I felt growing up I always lacked a positive peer mentor,” Charnae Payne said. “So I wanted to be that figure that I kind of did not have.” Payne was crowned National United Miss in July.
Charnae Payne is about to travel around the country as National United Miss after she was crowned in July at the International United Miss competition in Orlando.
“I’m excited … this is the fun part,” she said.
The Cinnaminson Sun caught up with Payne as the highs of winning settled. Back in her hometown, she discussed her journey into pageants and plans for the future.
“I first heard about International United Miss two years ago,” she shared. “I had a close friend who had competed in the system and was their national title holder.”
And that was that.
Payne competed in the United Miss state pageant, where she earned the title of Ms. New Jersey. She competed for the International United Miss title and came in as a runner-up. This year, she aged into a new division and won the national title of Ms. Garden State.
“There are four phases of the competition,” Payne explained. “There are interviews, fun fashion, evening gown, personal intro and also a community service piece worth 10% of our score.”
Payne said as part of the national title, contestants have to complete a community service log throughout their title year.
“They try to really encourage well-rounded girls as much as possible,” she noted of United Miss. “Yes, they want to see your personality and fun part on stage, but they also want to see that you can have a conversation and interact with any person that you come along with.
“The system is really about service,” Payne added. “That’s what they want to instill in young girls.”
Payne is 26 and a 2017 graduate of Cinnaminson High. She attended Wagner College in Staten Island and pursued degrees in biology and public health. For her community service, Payne works with local food banks, including the South Jersey Food Bank in Pennsauken.
“I did a lot of meal-packing events with (South Jersey Food Bank),” she recalled, adding it was a family affair as she was growing up. “I also did a lot of drives collecting food for the homeless and hot-meal drives as well during the holidays.”
Payne is the oldest of five siblings. Her family moved to Cinnaminson from Philadelphia when she was a junior in high school.
“My parents always instilled in me to give back in any facet that I can,” she acknowledged. “I also personally have my own platform, Fuze Your F.I.R.E., encouraging young girls into the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and entertainment.”
Payne also has a modeling career and is pursuing a career in medicine. As part of her mentorship platform for United Miss, she teaches young girls how to find balance and be as grounded as possible. As an undergrad, Payne was part of a Peer Health Exchange program where she taught health and sex education to high-school students. It led her to create FUZE Your F.I.R.E.
“I felt growing up, I always lacked a positive peer mentor,” she remembered. “So I wanted to be that figure that I kind of did not have. In college, I started doing that more for incoming students that were just starting and had no clue what they wanted to do career wise.”
After college and when she moved back home, Payne continued to provide mentorship at Cinnaminson High.
“One of my high-school teachers runs an after-school program and she invites me back every year to speak to her students,” she said.
As Payne embarks on a year of travel for United Miss, she’s able to reach even more young girls through her platform and encourage them to go after things that may at first scare them.
“A lot of times, that’s when you’re allowed to evolve and see your own potential,” she observed. “I’m always encouraging (girls) to be multi-faceted, to not be afraid to try new things.”
Pageants, for example, lead a lot of people to think it’s what is on the exterior that matters, Payne said, emphasizing that is not the case.
“A lot of times, I’m meeting the most educated, the most compassionate, the most well-rounded girls when I step into a pageant competition,” she reflected.
Future pageants – and continued advocacy and service work – are on the horizon for Payne as she continues her modeling and acting careers and pursues a career in medicine, with a focus on plastics and aesthetics.
“I want to have my own private practice with a focus on the external piece,” she emphasized, “but also the holistic side of medicine to provide that balance as much as possible.”
For more information on the United Miss Organization, visit https://www.internationalunitedmiss.com
