I am so beyond excited to introduce you all to this weeks “Bravely BeYOUtiful” woman ... Annie Jorgensen (Miss Georgia 2018, and Miss High School America 2013). I have been following Annie’s journey for a while now. I remember watching her get crowned Miss Georgia 2018 and from that moment on I have looked up to Annie. This past year I started coaching with Annie and let me tell you my first session with her I was starstruck... I felt like I was sitting in front of the most famous person in the world .(She is probably just now finding this out after reading this but, for real guys I was starstruck). Annie is an AMAZING representation of what being truly "Bravely BeYOUtiful" stands for. She is a mentor not only I can look up to but so many other girls as well.
Love you Annie! -Kam
Tell us about your year as Miss Georgia 2018 and competing at Miss America... and something you learned from that once in a lifetime experience.
My year as Miss Georgia was a dream come true! It was a life-long goal of mine to be a state titleholder within MAO and compete at Miss America. I absolutely loved traveling all over Georgia (and the Southeast) to promote my #IGotThis program, work with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, encourage Georgia tourism through my "Sweet Georgia Finds" video series, and learn all about the different types of people and diverse communities that Georgia is home to. Miss America was absolutely incredible - and very interesting. My year at Miss America was the first year the pageant did not include the swimsuit portion of the competition and was the new leadership's first year in the role, and it was very evident that they were flying by the seat of their pants and figuring out the details of the week (and competition) as they went. (Which was confusing and frustrating, as I'm sure you can imagine). But because of the uncertainty of everything, my Miss America class became SO close! We leaned on each other and supported each other at every turn. Truly some of my best friends are women that I competed with at Miss America, one of them is actually my roommate now in NYC!
Overall, my year was incredible, and I was very proud of the work I was able to do as Miss Georgia. The year definitely had its struggles through a leadership transition at both the national and state level, but it made me a stronger person all around. I'm grateful for everything I learned as Miss Georgia (and it was a lot!), but I'm most thankful that I learned how to effectively advocate for myself.
Tell us about “I got this” (how and why you started)
The #IGotThis program was actually inspired by my work as MHSA while promoting the anti-bullying platform! As I was advocating against bullying, I realized that I could take a proactive approach to the issue and focus on teaching where self-confidence comes from. In doing so, if you're bullied, you have the confidence in yourself to believe that other people's words don't define who you are. Also by having confidence, you won't feel the need to tear others down to build yourself up (i.e. bullying). I created the program that eventually evolved into the #IGotThis program with that in mind, teaching what self-confidence is, where it comes from, how you build it, and once you establish your confidence the limitless potential you can unlock! The program has four "keys to confidence" to guide you to unlock your fullest potential, Building Relationships, Serving Others, Loving to Learn, and Setting Goals. I partnered with the Girl Scouts of the USA and developed a patch program where Girl Scouts all throughout the country and complete the #IGotThis workbook and earn their patch of confidence! If you're reading this and interested in learning more or receiving the #IGotThis program materials, feel free to email me at ajorgensen1120@gmail.com!
As a previous Miss High School America titleholder (Miss High School America 2013) what does “BRAVE” mean to you and how has it helped you grow into the woman you are today.
When I was Miss High School America, the BRAVE platform was actually called The Crown CARES (Creating a Respectful Environment in Schools), but the messages are essentially the same. Both programs are designed to combat bullying and promote more understanding and respectful spaces. The element of "respect" is what really stuck to me as MHSA and even today. I spent my year as MHSA promoting anti-bullying by teaching respect - respecting others and respecting yourself. This message has definitely helped shape me into who I am. Giving back to others and your community is the most important thing you can do. I am a firm believer that in order to do the best work for others, you have to ensure that you're taking care of yourself. You have to show yourself respect by taking care of your physical, emotional, and mental health. And you have to respect others by listening, learning, and understanding the people around you. It seems really simple when you boil it down - respecting yourself and respecting others builds the foundation for an incredible life!
What is something that you think makes you truly beautiful?
I'm innately very curious - about people, about how things work, about why things the way they are - so I'm constantly asking questions and learning new things. I think there's beauty in my open-mindedness and constant desire to be learning and growing.
If you could tell your younger self one thing what would it be?
Work hard, find the joy in every day, laugh a lot, and know that we're all just figuring it out as we go. You don't need to have all the answers right now - As long as you are trying to be a better person than you were yesterday, you're on the right track!
To keep up with Annie you can follow her on Instagram @anniejorgensen
Comments