From Victim to Survivor: Ending Sexual Assault
I am using my year of service to address the issue of sexual assault. I myself was a victim of this crime, and after months of a seemingly unbeatable struggle with the trauma, I attempted to take my own life. Thankfully, with a strong support system behind me, I was able to heal and use my voice to bring justice against my perpetrator and empower others to speak up. Now, I want to use my voice to end sexual violence and support survivors. This crown is a microphone, and I'm ready to use it.
Join me at one of my upcoming appearances!
My Community Service Initiative
As a sexual assault survivor, I found strength in my voice. With help from Chicago's Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), I gained the resources to heal and win my case against my perpetrator. I am grateful to CAASE and proud to have shared my story as a speaker at their annual conference last year, which empowered others to do the same.
The Miss America Opportunity is my opportunity to address the issue of sexual assault, which affects almost half a million Americans each year, and increases suicide rates almost ten-fold among survivors. I aim to use the crown's resources and connections to draw awareness to the issue and fight to prevent assaults, advocate for survivors, and help victims reclaim their power and freedom.
During my year of service, I will execute the following three-prong approach:
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Awareness and Prevention: Speaking at college campuses to educate students and faculty on what consent means. I will share my personal story of survivorship to inspire others to take steps to protect themselves, and teach administrators how to hold perpetrators accountable.
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Survivor Advocacy: Partnering with the media and Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, to successfully petition the legislature to expand protections and avenues of justice for sexual assault victims. I will lead fundraising efforts to support more widely available and well-informed resources for survivors.
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Victim Support: Helping survivors of sexual assault feel heard and empowered, guiding them through reporting, medical care, and legal challenges. My goal is to create a safe space for healing, offering resources and compassion to help them regain freedom and power over their own lives.
Achieving this mission will be challenging alone, but with the leadership resources offered by the Miss America opportunity, I will have a larger platform to address sexual assault. I believe a healthy society is one free of sexual violence, and we must better protect potential victims and support survivors. Over the next 365 days, I will use my platform to turn this vision into a reality.
School Appearances
I am so grateful to have been a guest speaker at multiple Sexual Assault Awareness Month events at schools in Massachusetts, including Worcester State University's Denim Arts & Crafts Event for Denim Day and Stand with Survivors. During these appearances, I had the chance to speak with students and faculty about the meaning of consent and how to best support survivors, and to tell my own story in the hopes that doing so will help encourage people to show more empathy towards survivors and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions, and maybe even empower some survivors to speak up about their own experiences. Use the contact form below to request an appearance from me!
Local Anti-Sexual-Violence Organizations x Miss Worcester County
I am so privileged to work with Pathways 4 Change (P4C), the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC), and Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault (JDI) to help with the initiatives these organizations are engaged in to help prevent sexual assault and support survivors. I was extremely excited to be a featured speaker and walk team leader at BARCC's 19th Annual Walk for Change to help spread awareness around this issue, show support for survivors, and fundraise for BARCC, to be a featured speaker at P4C's Denim Day Community Event, and to join JDI at their 2025 Spring Into Action celebration reception. I am also looking forward to working with P4C, BARCC, and JDI on their legislative lobbying efforts, which will help make our justice system a better friend to survivors seeking justice for the crimes committed against them. Check back in for more updates!
Sexual Assault Awareness Month x Miss Worcester County
I see the Miss America Organization (MAO) is a platform, and I am using the social media connections from MAO to spread awareness around, and educate people on, the issue of sexual assault. Throughout the month of April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, I posted on various topics related to sexual assault and gave people the opportunity to ask me questions about anything related to sexual assault or my own personal experience in healing and pursuing justice against my perpetrator, in the hopes that people would walk away with a greater understanding of the issue and more empathy and support for survivors, and that survivors would feel less alone in their healing journeys. I also welcomed different speakers–including Christina Zuba, Managing Attorney, Education Advocacy, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation; Danielle Balocca, clinician Intern Program Manager and Senior Clinician, Boston Area Rape Crisis Center; Worcester Police Department; and others–to share their own survivor stories or their advice on supporting survivors. Be sure to check out my social media pages, linked above!