Meet the Sisterhood
- Feb 7, 2018
- 3 min read
The rich history of the Miss America Organization has influenced American culture in countless ways from fashion to politics; and almost everything in between. What outsiders to the organization do not often realize is the program itself does not begin and end with a state and/or national telecast. As a matter of fact, that's only a very small portion of what Miss America is. I decided to become involved in the organization after, on a lark, attending the Miss North Carolina Scholarship Pageant in 2014. It just so happened I drove past the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts and saw the marquee advertising the Miss North Carolina Scholarship Pageant the week of competition in June. Having known a number of sorority sisters who competed in the program in a number of states, I decided to look into what Miss America was all about. In doing so, I decided I would purchase tickets to the pageant finals for my mother and myself and see if the onstage aspect of the pageant appealed to me.
My research on the organization led me to feel the program developed a sisterhood; a Rolodex of personal and professional contacts for lifetime encompassing young women who cared about the health of their communities, their selves, and each other. As it turned out, I did find the stage just as appealing as the opportunity to join this sisterhood and develop this Rolodex.
In 2017 I had the distinct privilege of serving as Miss Randolph County and joining the sisterhood in North Carolina as well as having an unparalleled experience of community leadership in the greater Asheboro community. It was an honor to serve and becoming a member of this sisterhood forever changed my life. I was so enriched and humbled by that experience, I chose to compete again and am now honored to serve the greater Charlotte metropolitan area as Miss Metrolina 2018. Through these experiences I have met leaders in two of North Carolina’s most progressive communities, industry leaders in many different field, business owners who have developed an appreciation for what the Miss America Organization does for young women, volunteers who give selflessly of their time to ensure its continuation and success, and, most importantly perhaps, a sisterhood of young women like myself who seek the best for communities across the state and nation as they prideful represent them in the role of a public relations practitioner while donning their sash and crown.
There’s a lot more to Miss America than what meets the public eye. A glamourous telecast, of course, is what comes to many minds. But to those of us who know and live it, the Miss America Organization is a sisterhood and a FAMILY! And just in case you are wondering about my favorites in the sisterhood, my favorite Miss Metrolina is Caroline McMurry, my favorite Miss North Carolina is Jessica Jacobs Marquardt, and my favorite Miss America is a flatfooted tie between Gretchen Carlson and Heather French-Henry. Why? All of these women are successful, vital, and vocal business women; the type of young woman I desire to be and am becoming through the Miss America Organization. And for those who still follow me from the Asheboro community I last served, my favorite Miss Randolph County is your current Miss Randolph County who I had the distinct honor of crowning last October, Shyquel Allison. I look forward to sharing time with her on and off stage in June as we both compete for the title of Miss North Carolina. She is an amazing young woman who poured her effort in winning the title and who has developed an applaud-able social media and community presence. More than meets the eye…that’s the FAMILY that is MISS AMERICA!
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