My name is Saryna Ritter-Keddy! As International Mrs Illinois, I am fundraising on behalf of the Still She Rose initiative. The International Ms pageant is held September 1 in Orlando, Florida. This initiative is important to me because of my own battle with postpartum depression. After having my daughter Maxine I was overwhelmed, deeply depressed and dealt with extreme anxiety. I felt like I was in the darkest place of life which should have been the most joyful. Finding help and encouragement is hard. So many of us are vulnerable and feel alone but we don’t have to be. This non-profit was put in motion to help and support mental wellbeing.
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Still She Rose is a wellness program for leaders, women and teens in the pageant industry. Funded by the B4ACUSA Foundation, wellness program initiatives are open to all pageant community members.
The ROSE is symbolic of the spirit that grows within each of us when proper care and attention is applied.
Together, we can encourage wellness through self care, positive body image, renewed self esteem and affirmation of one's identity beyond pageantry. We aim to engage in a conversation of support, honesty, reflection and awareness, in order to promote wellness as the foundation of the pageant industry.
Because each of us can say, She Struggled; and Still She Rose.
