Just in case you missed it, the 2020 Miss Florida Citrus Pageant successfully carried on its long tradition — but in a whole new way (thanks to COVID-19). The first virtual running of the Miss America preliminary event in the Sunshine State took place via Zoom. Through the unique format, a new titleholder was chosen among a pool of talented contestants to represent Florida’s citrus industry. Meet Leila Sabet, Miss Florida Citrus 2020.

Before the 24-year-old from Ponte Vedra Beach got off and running with her new duties, she took time to answer a few questions.

What inspired you to compete in the Miss Florida Citrus Pageant?
Sabet: Brenda Eubanks Burnette (the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Executive Director and former Florida Citrus Queen) is well known in the Miss Florida organization for making the year of service for her titleholders unique and value-added. She also is invested in her titleholder’s personal success. There is a rich history behind the Miss Florida Citrus Pageant going back to 1924, and I am immensely proud to be part of it.

How do you plan to connect with and represent the citrus industry amid the challenges posed by COVID-19?
Sabet: Fortunately, we have technology to utilize as a resource to connect during these social- distancing times. I had the chance to check out a webinar with the current and past Citrus Achievement Award winners, virtual seminars are coming up, and a Family Fun Shoot has been scheduled for early September. I hope we will return to the industry activities we previously enjoyed. Meanwhile, I plan to visit a few farms that I am familiar with, as well as get creative with educational content on social media. Florida’s Natural Growers CEO Bob Behr mentioned that the years there were federal campaigns promoting oranges, orange juice sales were at their highest. So, my ability to connect to both the citrus industry and the general public through my social media skills allows me to promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle of citrus, fruits, and vegetables.

What’s one thing you’re hoping to accomplish in the next year?
Sabet: I am really excited to be kicking off an Agriculture and Nutrition Education Program to be presented in schools throughout the state. We need to bring agriculture education to schools so future generations can learn the challenges of meeting the world’s food needs and how to become a part of it. If we can create awareness about emerging agriculture technologies that are combining the art and science of farming, we can show young people there is so much more to agriculture than they may think.

What are you most looking forward to learning during your reign?
Sabet: I am an advocate for women’s voices being included in rooms where their voices will have influence because I believe — and research has proven — that diversity is the key to corporate economic sustainability. With only about 14% of the nation’s farmers being women, I want to learn more about the business aspects of agriculture to educate others who may own a unique skill set and have interest, but not have awareness about the industry. Especially with the growing importance of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, the fact that agricultural technology is having quite an impact within the industry, there is now a need for individuals with skill sets that agriculture hasn’t had a need for before.

What is your pageant platform?
Sabet: My platform is Lift & Be Uplifted: Increasing Women’s Influence in the Professional World. I want to make the world better by making workplaces better. Founded on support and empowerment, I have created a community of mentorship by spotlighting successful women of influence to share their stories of resilience and to stand as role models for young women through the Inspiring Women Blog featured on my website (leilasabet.com).

Can you tell us something about yourself that others might not know?
Sabet: I am a first-generation American. My father immigrated to America from Iran. As you can imagine, post 9/11, public perceptions of Middle Eastern people have not always been positive.  To challenge this, I want to give assumptions and biases surrounding Middle Eastern people a third dimension, as a form of cultural diplomacy. I plan to perform an act of radical beauty by performing a traditional Persian dance on the Miss Florida stage.

by: Sarafina Brooks
Posted: Jun 26, 2020 / 08:06 PM EDT / Updated: Jun 26, 2020 / 08:06 PM EDT

​TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The coronavirus pandemic has forced people to become creative and rely heavily on digital platforms like Zoom.

So, it was no surprise when 24-year-old Tampa resident, Leila Sabet, found herself competing in the first-ever, virtual Miss America preliminary pageant in Florida.
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“I competed virtually through Zoom for Miss Florida Citrus 2020 on June 13,” Sabet said. “I did have to use my garage for that space. It was so interesting. Preparing virtually for this looked a lot different than how I usually prepare for a local pageant. So, this time it was less about my spacing on a stage and more about how I was going to space myself through a screen from a two-dimensional standpoint.”

​Sabet competed in various stages including presenting her social impact initiative, Lift & Be Uplifted: Increasing Women’s Influence in the Professional World and her on-stage talent, traditional Persian dancing.

“As far as my personal social impact initiative goes, my organization is called Lift & Be Uplifted: Increasing Women’s Influence in the Professional World. So, I work in a male dominant field for the number one fastest-growing company in the world. So, I see the direct effects of how influential women’s voices can be from that leadership standpoint. And I’m traditional Persian dancer. So, I’ve been able to represent not only young females in the professional world but also Middle Eastern Americans,” said Sabet. 

Sabet, a manager in operations for an Amazon fulfillment center in Tampa, ultimately went on to win Miss Florida Citrus 2020. She was virtually announced the winner with her family by her side.
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“It was definitely quiet, especially when they announced my name. Usually, there’s an audience. So, I had my sister and my mom and my dad, and they were kind of like, ‘go Leila!’” Sabet said. 

Next June, the Florida State University graduate, and Real Talk Ambassador will compete in the Miss Florida Pageant, the preliminary pageant to Miss America. But first, Sabet tells WFLA.com, she has big plans as Miss Florida Citrus 2020. 
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“I will represent the citrus industry of Florida,” said Sabet. “I’ll actually be piloting a program with the Nutrients for Life Organization throughout the state of Florida with the current Miss Florida, Michaela McLean, who’s a good friend of mine. We will partner this year to go into schools and hopefully reach hundreds of thousands of students and educate them on the nutrients that orange juice can provide.”

To learn more about Leila Sabet and to follow her journey, visit her on social media. ​

Leila Sabet, 24, of Ponte Vedra Beach was crowned Miss Florida Citrus June 13 in the very first virtual Miss America preliminary pageant in Florida.

Due to COVID-19, “the country closed down just two weeks prior to when this year’s pageant was scheduled to take place” so it was delayed and rescheduled as a virtual event, said Miss Florida Citrus Pageant Executive Director Brenda Eubanks Burnette.
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“With the help of Todd Dantzler and Jonathan Barreras of SVN Saunders, Ralston, Dantzler Real Estate in Lakeland, a plan was mapped out to use their boardroom and Zoom conference capability to create a virtual judging center that each candidate could sign into for their various stages of competition,” explained Burnette.

Pageant candidates had several stages of competition — personal interview, on-stage question, talent and red carpet/social impact statement. Burnette said the 17 contestants were the most in the six years she’s been running the event.
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Sabet is a manager in operations for Amazon Fulfillment in Tampa. She graduated cum laude from Florida State University in 2019 with a bachelor of science in psychology and a certificate in advanced leadership studies.  She plans to pursue an MBA degree.

During the combined Miss Florida Citrus/Miss Winter Haven pageant, Cassidy Goldman of Jacksonville was selected as the new Miss Winter Haven. She is a 20-year-old senior at the University of North Florida, where she is pursuing a bachelor of science in multimedia journalism.

Sabet and Goldman will both compete in the Miss Florida pageant, which will take place in Lakeland in June 2021. The winner of the Miss Florida pageant will compete in the Miss America pageant.

First, second and third runners-up in the pageant were Sarah Sarver, Bethany Worley and Gracie Dyer, respectively. The two winners and three runners-up won a total of more than $3,000 in cash and prizes.  

The Miss Florida Citrus pageant has its root in the Florida Citrus Queen pageant, first held in 1924. Burnette said she and some other past pageant winners agree that the year following their pageant wins “was one of the best years of our lives and one that impacted our future for years to come.”

Visit www.MissFloridaCitrus.net to see all of the candidates and the video from the pageant.

For more information or to schedule a Miss Florida Citrus appearance, contact Burnette at 561-351-4314 or MFCitrus81@gmail.com.
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Source: Brenda Eubanks Burnette

In this day and age of coronavirus, almost everything is taking place virtually. Add to that list the long-running, tradition-rich Miss Florida Citrus Pageant. The very first virtual running of the Miss America preliminary event in the Sunshine State took place via Zoom and saw Leila Sabet of Ponte Vedra Beach earn the title of Miss Florida Citrus 2020. Runner-up Cassidy Goldman of Jacksonville was crowned the new Miss Winter Haven.

​Both titleholders will now go on to compete in the Miss Florida Pageant, the winner of which will compete in the Miss America Pageant. Both pageants were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and exact dates have yet to be announced.

Miss Florida Citrus 2020 candidates participated in various stages of competition, which included their Personal Interview, On-Stage Question, Talent and Red Carpet/Social Impact Statement — all from their laptops or phone.

The top five finalists won more than $3,000 in cash and prizes.

Sabet, who is sponsored by Intense Ink Graphics, graduated Cum Laude from Florida State University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Certificate in Advanced Leadership Studies. She plans to pursue an MBA degree and become a Senior Executive for a Fortune 500 Company.

She is currently a Manager in Operations for Amazon Fulfillment in Tampa. Her social impact statement is “Lift & Be Uplifted: Increasing Women’s Influence in the Professional World.” For her talent, she performed a Persian dance to the song, “Golzar” by Bijan Mortazavi.

Sponsored by Florida’s Natural, Goldman is a Senior at the University of North Florida, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Multimedia Journalism and plans to be a creative entrepreneur. Her social impact statement is “#BreakTheCycle: Human Trafficking Awareness.” She has held several leadership roles and earned numerous awards for her talent. She performed an opera vocal called “Mein Herr Marquis” from “The Magic Flute” as her talent in the pageant.

The new titleholders attended a luncheon last week where they were greeted by Winter Haven Mayor Brad Dantzler, Miss Florida 2019 Michaela McLean, 1954 Florida Citrus Queen Ann Daniel Adams, Kelly Bailey, Pageant Coordinator, and Brenda Eubanks Burnette, Executive Director of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame and past Florida Citrus Queen.

The Florida Citrus Queen Pageant began in 1924 and has been part of the Miss America Organization off and on throughout the years, with the name changing to Miss Florida Citrus in 1984.

Miss Tallahassee Leila Sabet was chosen as the 2018 Lifestyle, Fitness and Swimsuit winner following the first of three preliminary rounds. Miss DeSoto Heritage Lauren Nielsen was the Talent winner.

LAKELAND — In what will be the last time contestants take a walk around the stage in swimwear — under the lights and in front of the eyes of a live audience — Miss Tallahassee was chosen as the 2018 Lifestyle, Fitness and Swimsuit winner.
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Leila Sabet, 22, of Ponte Vedra, won a $300 scholarship as this year’s swimsuit competition of the 83rd annual Miss Florida Pageant first of three preliminary rounds Tuesday night.
On June 5, Miss America Chairwoman Gretchen Carlson announced the swimsuit portion of the nearly 100-year-old pageant would end, effective Sept. 9. But that portion of the program was intact Tuesday in the two-hour Miss Florida preliminary which leads up to Saturday’s final, when the top 11 of the 40 entrants vie for the title of Miss Florida.

The Miss Florida Pageant continues Wednesday night and runs until the 2018 Miss Florida takes the crown from the 2017 winner, Miss Heart of Florida Sara Zeng.

In the Youkey Theatre of The RP Funding Center, Sabet joined Miss DeSoto Heritage, Lauren Nielsen, 24, of Sarasota as the Talent winner and recipient of a $300 scholarship.
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Beginning at 7:30 p.m. and hosted by David Lang — a Lakeland native and owner of Regalia Magnificent Apparel in Orlando — a question-and-answer segment regarding the contestants and their causes was followed by the swimsuit competition before heading into the talent competition.

On stage, among the talents showcased in the first of the three groups was a piano performance by Ginelle Ruffa, Miss Fort Lauderdale; a ballroom dance by Stephanie Almeida, Miss Florida Everglades; a jazz vocal by Jani-ah McCray, Miss Broward County; and Nielsen’s winning operatic vocal performance of Verdi’s “O Don Fatale.” She received a bachelor of fine arts degree in musical theater from the University of Tampa in 2015.

Following a 15-minute intermission in front of an audience of about 500, the second group of contestants took their turns on the stage, wearing evening gowns sporting a rainbow of colors, patterns and designs. No preliminary winner is selected in the evening-gown portion of the program.

The Miss Florida & Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen Pageants are being webcast for the first time in 2018. The link to purchase the webcast is at missflorida.org.

​The winner of the 2018 Miss Florida Pageant will go on to represent Florida at the 2019 Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City. Each candidate is competing for $55,000 in cash scholarships and Miss Florida 2018 gets a $15,000 scholarship. The winner also receives a prize package of more than $25,000 in services and products.

​Paul Catala can be reached at paul.catala@theledger.com or 863-802-7533. He can be reached at Twitter @pcat0226.

Posted: 3:08 AM, Jun 06 2018,  Updated: 11:11 PM, Jun 05 2018

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Miss Tallahassee weighs in on the changes the Miss America pageant is undergoing. Gretchen Carlson, a former Miss America and the new head of the organization's board of trustees, announced Tuesday that when the pageant is held this September, it will no longer have a swimsuit competition.

Instead of showing off in a bathing suit, each contestant will interact with the judges to "highlight her achievements and goals in life and how she will use her talents, passion and ambition to perform the job of Miss America," the organization said.
Miss Tallahassee Leila Sabet says she was not shocked by the removal of the swimsuit competition, adding the changes are a reflection of the time we are in.
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"I can see how they're predicting that it will be more inclusive," Sabet said. "However I think that it is going to attract a whole different group of women. I think that's okay but the competition will be different, it's going to go from a pageant to a competition
Carlson said the evening-wear portion of the competition will also be changed to allow women to wear something other than a gown if they want. The talent portion of the contest will remain.

Although she has been a spotlight in this chapter since the day that she stepped through the door, we would like to showcase our former president, Leila Sabet, as our next senior to take the #IotaSpotlight. This past Wednesday, Florida State University named Leila the Panhellenic Chapter President of the Year! We were were not surprised! Leila has blown our chapter members away to say the least. She managed to not only tackle such a difficult position, but she handled it with such grace and passion. From start to finish, Leila transformed our chapter. From the big tasks, to the little details, Leila accomplished every challenge thrown her way. As she fulfilled her presidential duties, Leila still made time for every individual sister, as well as her various extracurricular activities.

​"It is hard for me to put into words how much this position helped me grow as a woman in Leadership. I was put in so many difficult and uncomfortable positions that pushed me to improve and overcome my greatest weaknesses. I am so much more confident in my vision and mission after serving my chapter as president. I am forever grateful for how deep this sisterhood goes, and the people that believed in me every step of the way." -Leila Sabet

Besides her obvious accomplishment of being our chapter's former president, Leila has spent her undergraduate career tackling many different roles in ADPi, as she impacted the community in various ways. Within Alpha Delta Pi, Leila has also served as the Executive Vice President, where she essentially served as the right hand man to the president at the time, Olivia Martins (Leila's big!). With service being such a key value to Leila, she also served ADPi as the Community Service Chair.

Outside of Alpha Delta Pi, Leila spends her time working on her studies, and in various extracurricular activities. Leila will be graduating with a degree in Psychology, with a certificate in Advanced Leadership Studies. Throughout the last four years, Leila has been involved with FSU's Mental Health Council, The Center For Leadership and Social Change, Office of Servant Leadership, Student Government Association, Who We Play For, Dance Marathon, Eating Disorders and Body Image Psychology Research Lab, and FSU MEDLIFE. Leila has also been involved in the Garnet and Gold Key Honor Society, FSU's honor society, and has been welcomed into their Senior Hall of Fame.

Leila has recently been crowned Miss Tallahassee! Over the years, she has fallen in love with the Miss America Organization. As an incoming freshman, Leila was Miss Northeast Florida 2014. Then, she became Miss Ponte Vedra 2015. We can't wait to support Leila as she competes for her dream job this June: Miss Florida, and hopefully Miss America after that! "With the job of Miss Tallahassee 2018, I have the incredible opportunity to represent the community that has given me so much more than I could’ve ever imagined in a span of just 4 years! I am honored to say the least." -Leila Sabet ​

​Our absolutely incredible Leila, we do not deserve you. The legacy that you will be leaving on this chapter will radiate for years and years to come. Since nearly our entire chapter has something sweet to say about you, we thought that we would leave some of their many kind words below. Happy graduation former sister prez! We hope you know just how much you're loved!

"Leila is my best friend. She has the biggest heart and everyone knows it. She always goes above and beyond to make people feel loved and confident. She is even more beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She has grace, strength, and the purest character." -Anne Marie Connor

"Leila Sabet is one of the most genuine, loving, determined, driven, humble, kind woman you will ever meet. She is a light in this chapter and she would do anything for anyone, especially her sisters. She is involved in so many different organizations and is constantly going to meetings and running around, but she always manages to carve out time for her sisters. It doesn’t matter if you’re her best friend or if you’ve only met her once, she would do anything for you. She is the perfect representation of what it means to be an ADPi and is someone I look up to and strive to be more like every day." -Abby Rice

"She is the most amazing, down to earth and inspirational person I have ever met. During recruitment, Leila played a huge role in me wanting to go ADPI. The way she carries herself is so unique and special. She's has leadership roles in so many organizations on campus and played a huge rollin motivating girls in our chapter to become a part of something outside of ADPI. She is such a great person and I will miss her so much!" -Kyra Raithel

"Leila is a shining light and sparkles so brightly in every way. Her loving heart and kind soul are just a few things that make her so special. Her work ethic to be the best leader she can be and ability to grab everyone's attention in a room full of people is incredible. Every word that comes out of her sweet soul is worthy to hear. Her beauty on the inside is just as beautiful as her beauty on the outside. She is my role model who truly amazes me. Her fun loving, hardworking, free-spirited personality inspires me." -Alexa Kaufman

"Leila Sabet was the reason that I chose ADPi. During recruitment, you could tell that everyone in the room respected her the minute that she spoke. She always lights up a room whenever she is around because of her constant positivity. I think she is one of the main reasons many girls in my alpha class wanted to be an ADPi." -Maddie Fortner

EMMA MOODY | STAFF WRITER
1:29 p.m. EDT Apr. 8, 2018

​On Friday, I had the chance to sit down with Florida State’s very own Leila Sabet. Sabet is a graduating senior at Florida State wrapping up her degree in psychology with a certificate in advanced leadership studies. Sabet is also involved in campus groups such as Garnet and Gold Key Honor Society and the Panhellenic sorority Alpha Delta Pi, where she served on the executive board and as president. However, the reason for our meeting was not to detail her many impressive on-campus accomplishments, but one of her more recent feats.

On Saturday, March 24th, 2018, Sabet was crowned Miss Tallahassee in the Miss Tallahassee pageant held on FAMU’s campus. For Sabet, this is step one in her journey to becoming Miss Florida and, fingers crossed, Miss America. Sabet and her director, former Miss FAMU, Dr. Denise Barrett agreed to sit down with me to tell me a little bit more about the incredibly complex world of pageantry which is much more prevalent on our campus than you might think. 

To be honest, before this meeting, I had a very surface level understanding of pageantry. One that came from one too many weekends spent binge watching TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras. However, it was comforting to hear Sabet say that she actually had the same surface level misconceptions about pageantry before she started competing. How did Sabet get bit by the pageant bug? A high school dare.

“My junior year of high school we had a pageant and I was on the dance team. I had a good relationship with administration at my school, and my friends were like I dare you to do it and I said ‘Why? I’m not a pageant girl.’ I had this perception of pageantry that was inaccurate.”
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But after accepting the dare and winning the pageant, Sabet realized pageantry actually reaped benefits far beyond a crown and sash. Pageantry gave Sabet a bigger voice and greater presence in her community. A year before competing in this high school pageant, Sabet’s father was diagnosed with advanced heart disease. It was a trying time for her family and especially scary for her and her sister as they watched their father get seven angioplasty stints to unblock five of his major arteries.

“My sister and I didn't take it very well because, you know, we almost lost our father. I kind of dropped off the face of the Earth for a little bit until my friends helped me get my feet back on the ground. That’s when I started competing [in pageants]. Yes, it was a dare, but I knew that I could have that platform to speak about heart disease. I didn't know when I'd be ready to, but once I became Miss Ponte Vedra High School, I started speaking to young students about how to be healthy and live an active lifestyle.”
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With this newfound passion for pageantry and a platform near and dear to her heart, Sabet put in hours of work towards fine-tuning her image both physically and mentally. Competing on the Miss America circuit means participants must be aware of the four points of the crown: scholarship, service, style and success. It is these four points that propel contestants to continue to better themselves and contribute to the advancement of each of these areas. 

​In terms of scholarship, the Miss America organization awards millions of dollars each year in scholarships to its participants. For women like Sabet, this is of huge importance as her undergraduate and possible graduate studies have come out of her pocket. Furthermore, the organization has raised over $16 million for their charity of choice, Children’s Miracle Network, and each participant then focuses on their own platform, which usually incorporates the point of service.
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For Sabet, that personal platform is heart disease awareness and prevention through which she has spent time speaking to young students about living a healthy lifestyle. We then have the style point, which Sabet assures is the most fun. Contestants are expected to stay up to date on the latest fashion trends in order to better relate to their audience. Finally, it is success that ties it all together. Dr. Barrett explained why these four characteristics are so important for contestants to embody,

“What I love is you can have it all. You can be beautiful, you can be smart, you can be intelligent, you can be articulate, and, as Leila said, all of those four things folded in together help create a successful woman. And that’s our goal, helping women achieve their goals in life and helping others achieve their goals in society.” 

Now, as Miss Tallahassee, Sabet’s commitment to succeeding on the pageant circuit goes far beyond herself. She’s representing the entire Tallahassee community as she continues on to becoming Miss Florida with high hopes that the title turns into Miss America. 
“The amount of support I’ve gotten already is incredible. I feel so loved, it's insane, I've never received this much support as a titleholder. But I think going forward just having those opportunities to be a part of the community, speaking to people, things like this honestly; It's all preparing me for the job of Miss Florida. Getting to speak about my journey and my mission, my vision, my goals.”

If you are looking to get into the wide world of pageantry, Dr. Barrett has this advice for you,
“Step out on faith and go for it. As Leila said, you'd be surprised how things come together. We're fortunate to live in a day and age where everything is available to you. We have a number of resources. Reach out to people, ask for advice, look online, the sky’s the limit… Don't let fear hold you back. You can always find a reason not to do something; it's a matter of putting one foot in front of the next and going for your dream.”

Many Florida State University student organizations host their own pageants on campus including various Greek life sororities and fraternities as well as different cultural clubs. Florida State also has a long line of successful titleholders such as Miss Florida 2017, Sara Zengand third runner up at the Miss America pageant in 2014, Victoria Cowen.

​We hope Sabet will join this list of successors as she continues on. She will compete in the Miss Florida preliminary competition during the last week of June. The new Miss Florida will be crowned on Finals Night, June 30th, 2018. The dates for the Miss America pageant have yet to be announced, but we can expect them to occur sometime in September. We wish Leila Sabet the best of luck as she continues on! 

The morning after being crowned Miss Tallahassee 2018, Leila was interviewed on WCTV News in Tallahassee, FL. She ​shares her pageant experience and the feeling of winning this year's crown.