From traveling with
@noeliavoigt and
@umasofias on the mission trip to Cabo for
@smiletrain , to helping with appearances for Miss USA & Miss Teen USA, to seeing Noelia at her last official appearance at the
@kentuckyderby last weekend, to countless texts and calls with them and their moms - I am just so heartbroken that both women who represented our program with such class and dignity felt the need to step down. However, more than heartbroken… I am so proud!
As a former state title holder, I know what it’s like to work hard for the life-changing opportunity of becoming Miss USA. It takes countless hours of preparation and discipline to even be competitive. But it was worth it! Placing in the Top 5 back in the Donald Trump ownership era changed my life and propelled me into my current modeling & TV career! Although the organization has changed several times through different ownership groups… capturing the title, as these girls have done, has always brought incredible opportunities for life after pageantry. With that in mind, having the courage and leadership to take a stand for themselves, and sever the ties with the management team they have worked so hard to earn the opportunity to represent, would be unimaginably difficult and sends a powerful message.
To make this choice for themselves, and more so for all those who will follow in their footsteps, is BRAVE and selfLESS - but if you know them personally, this isn’t surprising in the slightest. I’ll never forget that trip to Mexico where they both spoke Spanish fluently to kids to make them feel special and loved… as well as when we talked around the fire for hours with transparent conversations where we shared both real tears and laughter tears - (they even helped me pull off the funniest prank to my family 🤣). I knew they were destined to make a huge impact and to challenge us all to never compromise our health and well being 🤍 And they’re doing just that! It’s all up from here! ✨
#IStandWithNoelia #IStandWithUma #missusa #missteenusa