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Ava Barnd: Miss Miami Collegiate America

9/25/2021

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BRAVE is very close to my heart because at one point in my life, I had to be brave when it seemed impossible. Like many children, I was bullied throughout middle and high school. I was the recipient of countless cruel comments and “jokes,” many of which poked fun at my red hair. I began believing everything that they were saying about me. The harassment became so overwhelming that I even considered dying my hair brown. In an effort to repair my battered confidence, I started practicing positive affirmations each morning, even if I didn’t believe them. I immersed myself in different activities and clubs that I was passionate about including student government and service club. I delved deeper into my faith and strengthen my relationship with the Lord. Embarking on my journey to self-love at such a young age prepared me for my future in pageantry. 
Pageantry itself has greatly aided in personal self-discovery since pageant preparation is a transformative experience. When preparing for an interview, you need to get to know yourself in a completely different and unconventional way. It isn’t every day that you’re asked, “If you could enact a law tomorrow, what would it be?” Once you feel prepared and confident, interviews begin to feel like conversations, and the nerves dissolve.
BRAVE is crucial in building and solidifying personal connections. My favorite part about BRAVE is the meaning behind the acronym itself, “Building Respect and Values for Everyone,” The word “building” is in the progressive tense, which shows that this process is ever-changing and constant. It is imperative that we are continuously learning and opening our eyes to the experiences of others. It’s important to not only recognize the issues others may face, but to fight for justice and become part of the solution. In order to truly respect others, we must not only treat them kindly, but uplift them as well. We must learn we are not each other’s competition, but each other’s allies, cheerleaders, and advocates.
I promote the BRAVE platform through My Brave Blog. When I was 17 years old, I created Confidence Camp: a 7-week program to empower young girls and teach them about self-love. We played games, created vision boards, and wrote letters to Suited for Success, a non-profit that provides women with professional clothing and career development services. In addition to these activities, we kept journals throughout the entire process. This allowed for daily self-reflection, documenting achievements, and outlining future goals. Currently, I post journal entries on my blog that promote confidence and self-love in hopes of reaching more people. These entries allow my readers to reserve time during their day to check-in with themselves. My goal is to inspire someone to take the first step towards unconditional self-love. When we are confident in ourselves, we are able to uplift others, and fully embody all of the core values BRAVE promotes.
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Alyssa Hefner: Miss North Carolina Collegiate 2021

9/21/2021

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Hello, my name is Alyssa Hefner and I am extremely blessed to be your Miss North Carolina Collegiate 2021! Growing up I always loved to volunteer in my community and my aunt was the director for my county's Women’s Shelter so that is where I spent most of my time giving back. But the more time I spent the more I realized it wasn't just for women, kids much younger than I was having to come to stay at this shelter due to domestic violence in the home. So when I heard, BRAVE is Miss Collegiate America’s national platform, I knew this was a perfect way to educate others on how bullies can become batterers. Studies show that 34% of children who come from domestic violence homes engage in bullying. With that, I hope to be an ambassador who speaks on BRAVE and the connection between domestic violence and bullying to all grade levels. In doing so I hope to empower children to have a voice, believe in themselves, and encourage them to reach out regarding the violence to get the help needed in order to stop the cycle. By actively listening to what they have to say I can help them bolster the power of their voices to be heard by those that can make a difference.
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    Welcome to the BRAVE Blog, I'm Carly, Miss Houston Collegiate America and I am working together with other titleholders in the MHSA organization to share the message of BRAVE and why it is so important!

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  • About Me
  • BRAVE Blog
  • Thoughtful Thursday
  • BRAVE
  • You Define Success
  • The Legacy League
  • Crisis Text Line