Once I'd graduated from college and was asked "what are your most proud of?", when others would say that they were proud that they'd graduated and could now say that they had a degree behind their name, I chose to focus on the time I'd made history. I don't think there is ever a time in my life when I can say that I've literally made history. In the spring semester of my junior year at Albright College,
I'd been elected the first African-American female president of the Student Government Association in the history of the institution. I was told that there was another African-American president, but that it was a male. I'd done a little bit of research and searching, as I was also on the student alumni association board as well, and could not find another.
Proud? To say the least, I was ecstatic! I'd always felt that I was second best growing up and most of my life. I could never come in first, or get the highest grade, or get elected to the highest office. I'd finally had my moment. Which was also taking from me briefly; I ran unopposed. No one wanted to run against me, and the entire student body seemed to be okay with me as their next president. I was honored and humbled, yet reminded that because there was no competition, I didn't actually earn it. I struggled with that for a while but still held on to its significance. I couldn't change history, and yet still managed to make history my senior year. Until a few years ago, that was my most proud moment.
I'd become a mother since then, and you'd think that having my healthy baby boy all naturally with little to no complications would trump most things, considering I didn't have as active a life as I'd led during college. However, my next most proud moment would not come until 2014. Thanksgiving weekend that year I'd compete in my very first beauty pageant ever! After a terrible accident in January, the day after my birthday, I'd broken my right ankle and knew my life had changed forever! I wasn't very motivated to do much of anything or have any activities and even dealt with a bit of shame and depression. I felt like a helpless, hopeless single mom, who was such a loser that she couldn't even take care of herself. Thank God for my family, but I'd lost all sense of independence. Watching YouTube videos would be the beginning of a push into a new career, but I had no clue how my life would continue to change a few months later. I yearned to get back to walking and moving again but knew that it would take a lot of time to regain the level of activity I was a part of and meet the expectation that everyone had for me.
One day, I'd pushed myself to volunteer again at a women's empowerment luncheon. I'd be encouraged that day to compete in a beauty pageant. I was so fascinated. Shortly after that at another encounter, the topic had come up again and I was encouraged to sign up. I knew nothing about pageantry or what it would take to be successful, but others saw something in me that made them press the issue. By the time the third person had crossed my path to say "yeah, I could see that, you should do it," the bug had bitten me. I now wanted to compete and I wanted to try something new, and I wanted to win.
I'd taken time to study on Youtube and research as much as I could about pageantry. A few months before Miss Blessed, Bold & Beautiful Pageant, I'd volunteered at the Big Beautiful Women Pageant International. I got to finally see what a pageant was and a little bit about what to expect. I was excited! I had a group of friends who encouraged me and told me they had my back. That's all I needed. I'd even gone so far as to get my family to travel to Atlantic City with me for the weekend to experience the pageant with me and have a little family vacation as well. My dad was there.
My most proud moment came that Saturday afternoon, after Thanksgiving, in front of my mom, one of my sister's, Alana, my dad, and my son. At the same hotel where Miss America is held each year, I won Miss Blessed, Bold & Beautiful Pageant 2015. What made it so special was having my dad and my son on stage with me taking pictures and telling me how proud of me they were. My dad passed away the following year. There was no pageant held that year, and thank goodness, because celebrating my dad was all I wanted to do. I held on to my title and continued to compete in other pageants, always with the phenomenal memory of my dad telling me, after years of disappointing him, that he was proud of me. I will never forget that.
I'd become a mother since then, and you'd think that having my healthy baby boy all naturally with little to no complications would trump most things, considering I didn't have as active a life as I'd led during college. However, my next most proud moment would not come until 2014. Thanksgiving weekend that year I'd compete in my very first beauty pageant ever! After a terrible accident in January, the day after my birthday, I'd broken my right ankle and knew my life had changed forever! I wasn't very motivated to do much of anything or have any activities and even dealt with a bit of shame and depression. I felt like a helpless, hopeless single mom, who was such a loser that she couldn't even take care of herself. Thank God for my family, but I'd lost all sense of independence. Watching YouTube videos would be the beginning of a push into a new career, but I had no clue how my life would continue to change a few months later. I yearned to get back to walking and moving again but knew that it would take a lot of time to regain the level of activity I was a part of and meet the expectation that everyone had for me.
One day, I'd pushed myself to volunteer again at a women's empowerment luncheon. I'd be encouraged that day to compete in a beauty pageant. I was so fascinated. Shortly after that at another encounter, the topic had come up again and I was encouraged to sign up. I knew nothing about pageantry or what it would take to be successful, but others saw something in me that made them press the issue. By the time the third person had crossed my path to say "yeah, I could see that, you should do it," the bug had bitten me. I now wanted to compete and I wanted to try something new, and I wanted to win.
I'd taken time to study on Youtube and research as much as I could about pageantry. A few months before Miss Blessed, Bold & Beautiful Pageant, I'd volunteered at the Big Beautiful Women Pageant International. I got to finally see what a pageant was and a little bit about what to expect. I was excited! I had a group of friends who encouraged me and told me they had my back. That's all I needed. I'd even gone so far as to get my family to travel to Atlantic City with me for the weekend to experience the pageant with me and have a little family vacation as well. My dad was there.
My most proud moment came that Saturday afternoon, after Thanksgiving, in front of my mom, one of my sister's, Alana, my dad, and my son. At the same hotel where Miss America is held each year, I won Miss Blessed, Bold & Beautiful Pageant 2015. What made it so special was having my dad and my son on stage with me taking pictures and telling me how proud of me they were. My dad passed away the following year. There was no pageant held that year, and thank goodness, because celebrating my dad was all I wanted to do. I held on to my title and continued to compete in other pageants, always with the phenomenal memory of my dad telling me, after years of disappointing him, that he was proud of me. I will never forget that.
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