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02/03/2018
March 2, 2018
Logan Lester, Miss Texas USA 2018 continues her message of compassion and humility
Photo by Select Studios
A Wonderful Moment
Logan Lester (center) overcome with emotion after being named Miss Texas USA 2018. She is the eldest daughter of Rick and Jennifer Lester of Greatwood and a graduate of Lamar Consolidated High School and Texas A&M.
Legacy Ford The Well Pet Center
Posted: Thursday, March 1, 2018 11:57 am
By Marquita Griffin mgriffin@fbherald.com | 0 comments
Surreal. Absolutely surreal. That’s the best way Logan Lester can describe the feeling of winning.
Lester, who is originally from Greatwood but now lives in Houston, was recently named Miss Texas USA 2018 following a pageant competition at Hilton Houston Post Oak Hotel.
The recently-turned 23 year old beat out 97 other contestants and succeeded Nancy Gonzalez for the coveted title and will now represent Texas at Miss USA 2018. The titleholder from Miss USA will then compete for Miss Universe.
“It was very surreal,” Lester said recalling that magical moment. “It has been [weeks] and it still doesn’t feel real but I am honored to represent Texas, Fort Bend County and Harris County.
“Hopefully I can bring home the [Miss USA 2018 title] and make it the tenth award for my state,” she added.
At the time of publishing, neither the date nor the location of Miss USA 2018 had been announced.
“All of the contestants work hard and we all had that dream [of winning] in our hearts,” said Lester of the Miss Texas USA 2018 pageant. “But to see my hard work come to fruition is humbling.”
REFUSING TO GIVE UP
Lester began competing in pageants when she was 15 years old and in 2016 she was crowned Miss Houston and named in the Top 15 for Miss Texas USA.
Her goal was a simple one: Become Miss Texas USA. But after making it as third runner up in 2015 and Top 15 in 2016, Lester admitted she almost gave up, considering this attempt for Miss Texas USA would be her fourth one. She wasn’t bitter, though. She just wanted to embrace wherever her journey was taking her.
“I felt that I may have received everything I was going to get from pageantry, that I went as far as I was meant to go,” Lester said. “Pageantry has given me so many skills that if I had decided not to compete, it wasn’t like I was leaving with nothing ...”
“But I couldn’t give up, so I didn’t.”
A FULL-TIME GIG
In addition to holding the title, being Miss Texas USA carries more responsibilities than most people realize.
“It is like I have two jobs because being Miss Texas USA is a full-time job,” said Lester, who is also a buyer’s specialist with Team Sansone RE/MAX Fine Properties, which she was recently honored for during Houston Association of Realtors’ eighth annual Young Professionals Network 20 Under 40 Rising Stars in Real Estate Awards.
As a title holder, Lester is responsible for advocating for sponsors — those who helped prepare her for competition — and a range of organizations around Texas. Community service is also a cornerstone of holding such a title.
“It’s about setting a good example and serving your community,” Lester said. “ I like to ‘get my hands dirty.’ I like making this about others, not about me.”
Logan Lester (@lololester)
‘BECAUSE NICE MATTERS’
Always living in her personal motto — “Because nice matters”— the role of a title holder comes easily to Lester.
Saturated in pomp and circumstance, pageantry offers competitors a chance in the spotlight, to be seen and easily admired, but that is not what piqued Lester’s interest in pageantry. What Lester had recognized was the opportunity to grow into the woman she wanted to be: someone would make a positive difference in the lives of those around her.
“When I was in high school I was picked on by people who I thought were my friends, and I get it, that’s a part of life,” she said. “But I felt really alone and it consumed me. I remember coming home crying. I remember thinking my life was over, that I didn’t have any friends.
“And I know there are so many kids who feel like that, especially with all of these pressures of today,” Lester added alluding to the popularity of social media.
“I wanted to be their voice,” she said.
MORE THAN GOWNS AND CROWNS
Pageantry is what gave Lester her voice. As a teenager battling bullying, pageantry provided Lester with confidence.
“It changed my entire life,” she said, stressing each word. “I know my life would have gone in a completely different direction had I not started pageantry. It gave me confidence, which is something I didn’t have in the time of my bullying.”
Pageantry, she noted, is more than dressing in beautiful attire to show off a beautiful body. It is much more than gowns and crowns.
“This is work, 365 days a year,” she said. “It’s a way to live your life in a positive and healthy way. You’re advocating for organizations, you’re in your community using your voice, you’re volunteering.”
That relationship is also a two-way street.
“I can’t tell you how many times I volunteer, trying to touch people’s hearts, and they end up touching mine,” she said.
One of the organization’s Lester volunteers at is the Ronald McDonald House in Houston and that is where she met a little girl who told Lester she had dreams of being a photographer.
But the girl was sick and any money her family had went to medical care, so she accepted a harsh reality of life: dreams aren’t always easy.
“She was giving up on herself,” Lester said, recalling the conversation she and the girl had about goal setting. “So I got her this photography book. She eventually got well enough to return to her hometown. And guess what? She started taking photographs. Then she found me on Facebook to show me her work.”
This, Lester stressed, is what makes pageantry vital in today’s society. There are a plethora of opportunities to encourage a dream, spread uplifting messages or just spark a smile.
Pageant contestants demonstrate what they can do in and for a community, Lester said.
“Not everyone has the support they deserve,” Lester said. “I have a very supportive family who pushes me. But for those who don’t have that, that is what [title holders] can do. We can push them. We can encourage them.”
ONTO MISS USA 2018 AND THE FUTURE
Following the Miss USA 2018 competition, no matter the results, Lester has solid plans for her future.
“Have a goal to chase every year,” she advised.
Her current goal: win Miss USA. Her long-term goal: grow in the real estate business and finish a book she’s writing. Most importantly, however, is her drive to continue being a woman who lives by and demonstrates her “Because nice matters” motto.
“I want people to know I’m the same LoLo,” Lester said. “I know where I came from. I know all the people who have supported me. It’s like that song ‘Jenny from the Block.’ I’m the same old me.”
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