My Year of Service

Being part of the Miss America Organization has been nothing short of incredible! I've said over and over again, I truly did not know how much more professional growth was possible for me until now. I've been stretched and challenged in the best ways possible. Servicing the state of Missouri, and specifically the Route 66 cities, has been an honor these past months. See below to check out some of my favorite highlights from this year so far, and stay tuned to see where my adventures take me next as I prepare for the Miss Missouri competition in June!

September 2021

September 19th was the day that changed the trajectory of my life so far! I competed in my first MAO local competition and won the title of Miss Route 66! The month kickstarted this journey off strong as I started speaking at events about my social impact initiative, started to get to know my amazing sister queens, and appeared in the Eureka Fall Days Parade and felt so welcomed by this iconic Route 66 city.

October has always been one of my favorite months of the year, and this one did not disappoint! The month kicked off by speaking with an amazing group of young girls from Emge Elementary about confidence and being authentically themselves. I was able to take a trip to Columbia, MO and welcome two new queens into the Miss Missouri 2022 Class. Then, I had the great opportunity to lead the Lindenwood University homecoming parade with Leo the Lion, an event that I had spent the last 3 months planning with an amazing team. The month ended with some wonderful birthday celebrations, including running my first MAO Scholarship Fund Campaign, raising over $100 in just 24 hours.

October 2021

November 2021

Even as the weather got colder, the opportunities did not slow down! In November I had the honor of joining the Inaugural Sensory-Friendly Task Force of Missouri and working with an incredible team to create more accessible arts training and opportunities throughout our state. My mentee and I entered a Thanksgiving Pumpkin Painting competition and won 3rd place. I also joined the incredible team at the Foundry Art Center in St. Charles and started volunteering at their First Friday Arts Evenings, showing young kids how exciting art can truly be! Throughout the previous three months, I had the privilege of traveling over 500 miles across our state educating students about the importance of higher education as an Admissions Counselor with Lindenwood University. This chapter of my life came to a close in November as I was offered an amazing opportunity to join the creative team at Fierce Creative Agency!

December is finally here! For the past three years I've had the incredible opportunity to work with Christmas Traditions in St. Charles, the largest free Christmas festival in the Midwest. This is always my favorite time of the year, and having the chance to bring magic and joy to the community, while supporting the small businesses of St. Charles makes the holiday season even more magical. Along with this festival, I partnered with the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce as I volunteered at the annual Santa Dash 5k. I was also invited to partner with Theater Unlimited and support their performers in The Little Mermaid during their final dress rehearsal. This show was fully sensory-friendly, and the cast was made up of incredibly talented adults with disabilities. This event meant the world to me as it aligned so closely with my personal mission and social impact initiative, and I can't wait to partner with them for their Spring musical in May.

December 2021

Welcome 2022! I jumped into this month with clear eyes, full heart, and a drive to make waves in my community. I was able to make some incredible memories with my sister queens as we celebrated Patrice J. Bridal's official shop opening in St. Louis. I love giving back to small businesses, and this event warmed my heart! This month, I was also invited to be the guest of honor at Ignite Theatre Company's Arts for All production of Newsies! This production featured sensory-friendly adjustments, ASL interpretation, and Audio Descriptions. I was invited to speak with the cast and give the curtain speech at the start of the evening. Finally, there was a moment this month that changed my life forever. I publicly came out on social media and took up the honor of being the only openly-queer contestant at this year's Miss Missouri competition. With the celebration of Miss America's 100th Anniversary, the landscape and image of this organization is constantly changing and growing. It's such an honor to show young girls that they don't need to look or be a certain way to be an empowered leader in their community.

January 2022

February is the month of love, and I'm so happy that I was able to spend this month doing what I love the most- sharing the arts with others! I was honored to be invited to be part of Visitation Academy's Fine Arts Day and spend a whole day teaching elementary and middle school girls about how we can use physical acting to increase our confidence and how we can use the arts to create inclusive and safe spaces for everyone. I was also able to introduce these girls to the Miss America Organization, and show them that this is an organization that they all are welcomed in to explore their passions and earn scholarships. I spent the rest of this month as a choreographer for Over Due Theatre Company's production of Magnificently Miscast! I had a blast bringing these characters and scenes to life on stage, and working with performers of different talents and abilities. I was able to close the month out by making an appearance at the Working Women's Survival Show in St. Charles, MO and celebrating many incredible woman-owned businesses from across our state!

February 2022

March brought some winter weather, but along with this came moments continue building connections with those closest to me. This month brought me back to First Friday Arts Fest, after a few months of cancellations from snow and sickness. The next day I drove to the mid-Missouri area to official connect with the entire Miss Missouri class of 2022 for the first time at Winter Workshop. The connections I have with these incredible ladies are ones that I'll cherish forever, and it means so much to be standing next to them as 1 of the 24 women in our state chosen to compete for the job of Miss Missouri this year. I also spent time this month with my Show-Me Sister, Madelyn! It's great to hang out with Madelyn and talk about our shared interests in performing and caring for animals, and I can't wait for the memories we'll continue to make in the years to come. March also came along with much of the administrative work that it takes to be a MAO titleholder, as I spent hours partnering with local businesses on salute pages, and preparing for upcoming appearance and SII events. I'm forever thankful for these connections, and I can't wait to continue to grow them in years to come.