My very first competition in the Miss America System was when I was 18. I was in my first year of college and was ready to enter the world of Miss America. There was so much to learn and I will never forget the hands that helped steady me as I made my way into the organization. That’s one of the beautiful parts of MAO, so many of the women have such kind hearts and will cheer you on even as you compete against them. When my name was called as Miss Garden Grove 2022 my jaw dropped and my world changed. I couldn’t be more grateful for the impact this local title had on my life.

A year later I was ready to compete for another title. I won’t lie, I was really nervous and felt like I had to prove to myself that the first title I won wasn’t a fluke. Even confident women falter occasionally and I was working on believing in myself even when it was hard. I lost a competition in fall of 2022 and I remember feeling embarrassed and a little defeated. But what I learned through that experience is you won’t always win the title and get the crown. But the lessons you learn along the way are the real prize. There’s always more at stake than just a crown. It’s about getting up on a stage and putting yourself out there. It’s about learning where you can improve in an interview. So that loss pushed me to prepare even more, and I was ultimately crowned Miss Fountain Valley 2023.