What does it feel like to be a beauty queen and wear a crown?
Every time I put the crown on it still feels surreal, I competed for the title of Miss Kentucky United States for three years. So when I put it on it symbolizes the amount of hard work and dedication I have put into this organization, and I use it to show others that no matter what you have gone through in life and how many times you have fallen. If you have a dream and aren’t afraid to go after it, it will come true.
What qualities of a queen do you believe you have always had in you?
I have always had the drive to want to work hard, inspire others and succeed. Being the third child out of seven children, I’ve seen how hard my parents have had to work to provide for our family, which motivated me. In high school, I worked several jobs at once and saved my money because I always had an end goal of becoming an entrepreneur.
Some people say beauty pageants are degrading to women, same with fashion magazines. How can you convince them that they’re wrong?
I would tell those people that pageantry saved my life. During my senior of high school, when I was severely cyber bullied and lost all my confidence; my mother desperately looked for something that would help me gain my self-confidence back. She thought pageantry would be the excellent outlet to help me love myself again and it did just that. Furthermore, I always encourage parents to have their daughter enter a pageant at least once in their life because it will have a forever-positive impact on them.
What do you expect to gain by competing in pageantry?
Every single time I enter a pageant, I expect to become a better version of myself. Win or lose, I expect to learn and grow more as a woman. Of course, another perk of pageantry is that you get to meet such intelligent, successful and talented women who all have similar dreams and aspirations.
You choose to compete in the Miss United States Organization. Why this one?
I decided to compete in the Miss United States Organization because it empowers and encourages all women to be active participants in their community while promoting a cause that is near and dear to their heart. This organization truly does celebrate the diversity, achievements, and talents of all women across the country.
Who is your favorite beauty queen and why?
My favorite beauty queen is Olivia Culpo. I think it is so inspirational that she had never competed in pageants and decided to compete for Miss Rhode Island USA and won on her first try, and then went off and won Miss USA and Miss Universe. She proved that if you truly are yourself and love who you are, you can achieve your dreams.
What are your career goals?
As of now, I am focusing on expanding my studio. I have been open for three years now and I am planning on using my degree in Physical Wellness Management to open a gym next to my studio. I am so excited to see what the future holds for me, and will continue to work hard and let God lead me to where I need to be!
