It has been a fun yet crazy week for Miss Idaho! Last
Monday, I had the opportunity to speak at an anti-bullying assembly in St.
Anthony at South Fremont Junior High. A fellow contestant and friend from Miss
Idaho 2011, Makenzie Stevens, recruited me to help out, since her older sister
Mikaela was spear-heading the event. For a senior project, Mikaela, along with
the BYU-Idaho public relations students decided to plan this assembly and a
whole week of activities focused on anti-bullying for the students at South
Fremont.
When Mikaela first asked me to speak and share my own
experiences with bullying, I thought, “What in the world am I going to say?” I
never had anyone physically push me over or threaten to beat me up. But then I
realized that the majority of bullying cases are not physical, but social and
emotional. When I was in 6th grade, I not only had braces, but a
contraption similar to headgear to fix my jaw. It was called the Herbst
appliance, and it irritated my mouth so badly that I had huge sores in my
cheeks and my face swelled like a balloon. All of the sixth grade boys in my
class called me names like “squirrel face” and “chubby chipmunk cheeks.” As I
look back on it now, it’s funny, but when you’re an insecure 6th grade
girl, those things can really hurt! After remembering that experience, I
actually thought of quite a few other cases where I was bullied in Junior High
and High School. Whether it was the mean girls that put me down with their rude
sarcasm, stole my things and turned other friends against me with their rumors,
or the emotionally abusive boyfriend that said I was no good without him, I was
bullied. Thank goodness I have always had such supportive parents and family to
lift me up and help me through those experiences.
Speaking at South Fremont reminded me how regularly bullying
occurs, especially in schools. To all those who have felt bullied, don’t be
afraid to stand up for yourself, remove yourself from the situation if
possible, or ask for help. Surround yourself with others who will lift you up
and empower you. Most importantly, don’t ever let someone else define you or
influence your self-confidence. God created each of us to be unique, beautiful
individuals. Embrace and love yourself for who you are! J This is also a good reminder
to everyone to watch our words and actions, that they are only positive and
uplifting to others around us.
After speaking to the Junior High students on Monday, I
spoke to a group of 4th graders at Sunnyside Elementary in Idaho
Falls on Tuesday. I played the piano and spoke to the group about goal setting
and perseverance, and used stories from my Miss Idaho and Miss America journeys
to illustrate how we can overcome any obstacles that may stand in our way. I
LOVE those elementary kids! Spending time with them is definitely one of the
sweetest parts of this job. There was a little boy named Alex who kept running
over to give me hugs, wanting to pose for more pictures, and even asking for my
autograph. I don’t have any pictures to post right now, but I’m hoping to get
some of the photos back from the teacher soon! J
Wednesday made for a busy day moving back down to Provo,
Utah to start 2nd block classes at Brigham Young University. Man is
that scholarship money useful!!!! I am so grateful to the Miss Idaho Falls,
Miss Idaho, and Miss America Organizations that work so hard to fundraise
scholarship money to empower women like myself to seek higher education. I plan
to get my Bachelor’s in Public Relations with a Marketing Minor. Since I’ve
been here since Wednesday, I can already see a difference in myself from April
2012 when I was last in school. All of the public speaking, walking into
appearances with unfamiliar surroundings, and emotional stamina that I’ve
learned as Miss Idaho is definitely translating over; I am much more confident
on a college campus and in seeking employment than I was before Miss Idaho. My
many trips from Idaho Falls to Boise also makes the shorter drive to Provo seem
like a piece of cake. ;) I am excited to jump back into college life and see
where my studies take me!
A huge congratulations is order for HannahSarah Davis, 1st
Runner Up at Miss Canyon County this weekend, and Kacie Bitzenburg who took
home the crown! These ladies are absolutely incredible, and are responsible for
adding to the high quality of the Miss Idaho Organization. After competing at
nationals, I can conclude that Idaho is home to some of the sweetest, most
talented, smart, and down-to-earth women in the nation, and I feel so blessed
to have become friends with these ladies like HannahSarah and Kacie.
See you all at Miss Rexburg this Saturday!
Whitney Wood
Miss Idaho 2012