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She was shy. Her confidence was low. She certainly didn't think she'd be competing on an international stage just three years later.
Look at her now.
The 21-year-old Haymarket native is among just 30 Hooters Girls chosen from more than 18,000 worldwide to compete at the 27th Annual Miss Hooters International Pageant in Fort Worth, TX on Thursday, Aug. 22.
Meade is vying for the Miss Hooters International title, crown and $30,000 cash prize.
Inspired by her older sister, Chloe, Ashleigh began working at Hooters just after graduating from high school.
"I didn't have my footing and I hadn't found my path," Meade said on a call with Daily Voice.
But she saw how happy her sister always was working at Hooters. And so, Meade decided to join the team full time.
Which meant opting out of college.
"Hooters is a community more than a restaurant," she said. "I found my own sorority — a sisterhood."
Working at Hooters forced Meade to strike up conversation with customers, which she said was intimidating at first. But her fellow Hooters Girls were encouraging, as was corporate.
"You're thrown in the job," she said. "You have a lot of people coming in that want more than just surface-level server conversations."
While Hooters Chantilly has a lot of regulars, it's located right next to Dulles Airport, which means Meade has gotten to mingle with people from all over the world. Building relationships with customers helped Meade build her skillset and connect, she said.
Meade says it's possible to earn a living working at Hooters.
"I have a lot of coworkers who are full time, but some are part time — a lot are in nursing school," she said. "I thought it was so crazy to be there for 10 years, but I'm on the path to 10!
"It's a big stepping stone for things you want to do in the future," she said, noting on-camera, public speaking, and marketing opportunities.
Last year, Meade was chosen for the same Miss Hooters International Pageant and made it to the top 10, and became a 2023 Hooters Calendar Girl. She was featured in the 2024 edition, too.
This year, she's going for the crown.
At the pageant, Meade will participate in swimsuit and uniform rounds, along with Q&As with the finalists and judges.
"You get to connect one-on-one with the judges," Meade said. "They get to learn about who we are, we're not just serving chicken wings — who we are on a deeper level."
At last year's competition, Meade expanded her Hooters network, having met girls from around the world.
Meade knows about the misconceptions people have of Hooters Girls: "We're just pretty faces with nothing going for us," she said.
"We're so much more than that," Meade clarified. "All the girls I've met here have inspired me in a different way. They're all independent, hard-working women. Today, that's so important and I learn from them every day."
As for her future? Meade can't see herself leaving Hooters anytime soon, but is working toward her real estate license.
"I definitely feel like I’ve found my place," she said. "I thrive in the four walls of my own store. I love going to work and plus I’m lucky enough to work with the company outside of restaurant.
"Hooters brought me some of my closest friends but I love that I'm able to grow. I would’ve never thought I’d been able to have taken that step. Hooters has taught me how to connect with people and build personal connections, which is going to help me tremendously in the future.
"Being a Hooters Girl helped me go for what I want be myself."
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