On stage Questions

Do you think helping other girls promote their platforms, different from yours, is important as a titleholder?

As a titleholder I think that it's very important to uplift other contestants and titleholders and their goals! I think that it's one of the many responsibilities of a titleholder to promote other women and the causes that they serve.

How can you encourage your generation to get more involved in their communities?

Honestly, this is a matter of being a role model and advocating for community services. I can't expect others to become involved to help my community if I'm not doing my part. I would most definitely use my social media to share how I'm getting involved in my community and giving tips on how others my age can do the same for theirs. I think that it's all about showing up and showing others how easy it is to get involved.

Do you believe environmental surroundings play a role in future successes?

I absolutely believe that where and who you surround yourself with affects your future success. Those you surround yourself and the environment in which you surround yourself should be encouraging, uplifting and supportive.

Do you think it is right to ban an app due to censorship?

I do not think that it is right to ban an app due to censorship. The first amendment protects our freedom of speech and therefore, I believe that it also protects our right to make judgments about what apps we should and shouldn't use. While an app might not be favorable for some, it may be one that works for others.

What do you think is the most harmful thing a person can do to themselves?

I honestly think letting the judgment of others and what others say to you or about you is one of the most harmful things a person can do to themselves. I speak from experience, for years I let the thoughts and opinions of others effect the way that I lived and I started doing things that made me unhappy because I thought it would make others happy. I know now that the only thoughts and opinions that matter the most are my own.

If you were handed a microphone directly after your crowning, what would you say?

I think after I've let all the emotions catch up with me, I would thank my family for believing in me and supporting me through this entire process, because honestly, without their support I wouldn't have gotten this far!

What is an important quality of a leader? Do you have it?

I think that an important quality a leader should hold is confidence. When a leader is confident in who they are, what the goals of an organization are and how to get there, then the team will have an easier time working together towards those goals. A confident leader also creates a confident team. I think that I am on my way towards being a more confident leader. There is always room for improvement and I know that I'm still growing in my own confidence.

What industry do you think is most harmful to the planet or environment?

I think that automotive industry, while they have made great strides to improve, still has a lot of room to make changes to help improve the environment. With the amount of air pollution produced by car emissions, I think that big auto companies really have their work cut out for them in order to provide the transportation we need but to also think of ways that they can improve the amount of air pollution produced by cars each year.

How do you think you can improve yourself and your personality?

I think that one of the things that can be improved about myself is not letting what others think about me affect the way I do things. I have always been a shy person, and I feel that if I had more confidence in myself and my ability to do things, others opinions wouldn't affect me as much.

What is the best quality of your generation?

I think that the best quality of my generation is our ability to go after what we want in life no matter the obstacles or scrutiny that comes with it. We work hard towards the goals and dreams we know that will make us happy instead of following what the norm is.

What would you say to someone who thinks pageants are giving out money based on beauty?

I would first ask this person what their experience is with pageants. If they say that it's based on what they've seen on television, I would let them know that what is shown on TV is only a small part of pageantry. Every pageant girl has to be able to conduct herself in interview and be an active member of her community, which goes far beyond beauty.

How do you connect with girls of all ages?

In my experience, girls of all ages need someone that they can talk to and someone who will listen to them. It's my hope that anyone I come to make a connection with can trust that I'm someone that they can reach out to and talk to when they need a listening ear. With that in mind I definitely use my social media to help with my influence.

What is your most treasured memory?

My most treasured memory are the Christmas holidays I have spent with my family. Family has always been a big part of my life and Christmas was one of those holidays that we were all able to gather together.

Respond to this statement - Pageants exploit women.

Pageants benefit the women who compete in them so much more than what the public sees on a televised event. Through my years of pageantry, I have learned more about my confidence, my dreams and I have been given opportunities to spread awareness for causes that I'm passionate about.

What is the best piece of advice you've received about pageantry?

The best advice I've ever received about pageantry is to be my authentic self. Judges aren't looking for a cookie-cutter titleholder, but they are looking for a representative among a group of winners and this means that she is genuine and true to her heart and her goals.

What do you think volunteer service teaches people your age?

Volunteer service teaches people my age to become more involved in their city and community. It also gives us a chance to learn more about others in our community that we may not have a chance to get to know on a regular basis. The most important thing to consider is choosing a service project that you're passionate about so that you enjoy it more. When there's passion, there's less "I have to do this" and more "I want to do this," and we can really make an impact on our community.

No More Time Changes... As our bodies adjust yet again to another time change, only this time we lost an hour of beauty sleep, the debate to move to daylight savings year round or standard time has come up again. The U.S. has been in a debate on this topic since 1974 and still can't come up with a solution!

Where do you stand on this debate?