Good things come in small packages and no one knows this better than Monique McCarty. The soft-spoken petite sized beauty went up against queens from around the state to compete for the title of Ms. Florida Petite.

The annual Florida Petite Pageant was in Tampa Florida featuring over 40 ladies from across the state.

All categories showed off their interview skills and modeled their unique sense of fashion. Jacksonville was represented by Monique N. McCarthy and Kasha Peterson. Ms. McCarthy who holds the “Elite Ms. Jacksonville Petite,” title represented the 45 and up women. Her platform was ‘Aging To Perfection’ where she empowers women 45 and older to ‘WHINE down, build Wealth, and use their WISDOM’ to empower the next generation.

Ms. Kasha Peterson, “Ms. Duval County Petite,” represented unmarried/divorced women 18+. Her platform was “Patient Safety Movement”. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing preventable patient deaths globally.

Although the Duval Queens did not win the Florida Crown for their perspective division – they did not leave empty handed. Monique McCarthy won “4th runner up” and Kasha Peterson, won the “Social Media Influencer” titles. Both ladies agreed they enjoyed networking and bonding with other queens, and taking advantage of the various workshops getting them prepared to showcase their best self. When asked why compete, Monique gracefully responded “For so long, petite women could not compete in pageants like the “Miss America or Miss USA” because they were not 5’7 or taller, but the Petite USA Pageant gives the world a chance to see that no matter her stature or marital status – we all rock!”

Next stop for the Florida Petite Queens will be the Petite USA Pageant, then the Miss Universal Petite Pageant.  For more information on the Florida Petite Pageant, visit http://www.petiteusa.com/florida.