Gerald Hanks
For parents who want their daughters to learn proper manners, good posture and makeup techniques, the MISS Academy in suburban southwest Houston can help with that.
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But they’re not like any other cotillion, offering a modern twist on the traditional finishing school:
In addition to teaching girls and young women not only how to eat with which fork, MISS also gives them a sense of self-confidence.
Crystle Stewart-Sebrechts, a Houston native and former Miss USA contestant, developed the MISS Academy to teach young women the skills they need to fit in with more elegant social settings.
“MISS stands for Manners, Image, Style, (and) Success,” Stewart-Sebrechts told a local TV station. “It’s a modern day finishing school.”
The MISS Academy Summer Pop program runs for one week of classes during the summer months, and fall classes entail a three-month program, where students learn how to do their hair and nails, apply makeup and select the proper wardrobe for events.
They also receive lessons on cooking, nutrition and physical fitness.
Stewart-Sebrechts applies her pageant experience toward teaching students poise and posture by showing them proper techniques for walking a fashion runway. Another facet of the class instructs young ladies on proper dining etiquette. Students learn the approved use of each utensil, as well as manners and behavior while eating, such as not blowing on hot soup.
But the former beauty queen emphasizes the program is not just about how to fold a napkin or how to walk with a book balanced on a student’s head: she markets the program as a way for young women to build self-confidence.
One class session, for instance, involves creating a “vision board,” which helps students envision their goals and dreams.
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“We’re selling confidence,” Stewart-Sebrechts said. “Having a vision and having goals and believing in yourself in being confident, and that’s what MISS Academy is all about.”
