Hello everyone!
I hope you're doing well! I am currently on Spring Break from Wheaton College, where I am a Junior Piano Performance major. It has been great to spend some time at home with my family. I'm also practicing for my upcoming Junior Piano Recital at Wheaton, as well as continuing to represent my Miss Northern Suburbs title and to prepare to compete for Miss Illinois this summer.
One aspect of the Miss America Organization that I love is the opportunity to share about my personal platform "Using Your Talents to Serve Others." I'm so passionate about this message, and my goal is to really live it out in my own life while hoping to inspire others to join me.
“What are you good at? What are you passionate about doing?” I believe everyone has an ability that can be a gift to the world, so I encourage everyone to think about these questions to discover what that is and how they can use it to reach out to people. Rather than measuring “success” in terms of wealth or status, or striving only for personal recognition, I believe true success is achieved when people serve others with their God-given talents and resources. When people embrace this perspective, their actions touch lives in deeply significant ways. My objective is to encourage people to do just that and to model this in my own life in hopes of being an inspiring role model.
Tonight, I am looking forward to performing for the residents of Westminster Village--a local retirement community that I have played at many times over the years. It is always a blessing to reach out to this audience, comprised mostly of elderly people who really appreciate being able to hear beautiful music and talk with visitors. Many people have come up to me with tears in their eyes to thank me for coming and sharing my music with them, which has been really moving for me. I was sad to have recently found out that a woman I met at Westminster several years ago just passed away at the age of 102. I will never forget talking with her after one of my performances and listening to what she had to say. I'm so glad that she led such a long, beautiful life. These types of experiences are enriching, and I think that when people take an initiative to reach out to others in a caring way, they will have similarly rewarding experiences.
And although I may reach out through music, each person has a different story. The beauty of this powerful message is that it is all-inclusive, yet it becomes specific to each person. Some people, like athletes or musicians, have talents that are very visible due to their performance-based nature. But in my mind, being a good listener, giving good advice, or having the ability to comfort are valuable “talents” also. A good cook might help in a soup kitchen. A singer might entertain kids in the hospital. No matter what a person can offer, they have power to make a positive impact. The way to tap into that power is by pursuing dreams but never forgetting to lend a hand to the dreamer beside us, whether they are family, friends, or members of the community.
I will post photos from this event soon!
