Last night I had the undeniable pleasure of being one of the judges for the Miss Republica Dominicana US 2009, along with judges from NY1, People en Espanol, a Dominican Charity and current and former models and fashion designers at the NY theater and nightclub El Morocco.

Combining the swimsuit and evening gown competition with personal interviews, the Miss RDUS featured eleven girls representing the various provinces of Hispaniola.

All striking from afar, the harsh light front and center mercilessly exposed any physical imperfections (of which there weren’t many) or psychological insecurities (of which there were a few).

Browsing through the CVs I saw a wide range of interests for these young girls, from social workers to medical students and business majors.

The reality is that it is easy to dismiss many aspects of pageants, but it takes courage to compete, be judged and step into the limelight center stage and overcome one’s phobias and paranoias (phobias that are, by the way, just as common as the fear of public speaking in the financial industry or classroom).

The young women did an excellent job and while some didn’t make it to the finals, they all were rewarded with the adrenaline rush and release of endorphins as they stepped into the limelight that is so closely linked to happiness in life.

Take a look.