My Story — Why Confidence Matters
When I was eight years old, my world changed in an instant.
I was attacked by a dog and spent months in the hospital recovering from three reconstructive surgeries on my left leg. The doctors told me I would never run again… never play sports… never be “normal.”
And for a while, I believed them.
I became quiet, withdrawn, and painfully self-conscious. I didn’t want anyone to see the large scar on my leg. I didn’t feel confident or beautiful — I felt different.
My mother enrolled me in dance lessons to help strengthen my leg. And even though it was hard and painful, I kept fighting. I relearned how to walk. I learned how to ride a bike again. Slowly, step by step, I proved the doctors wrong.
But the physical recovery was only half the battle — the emotional scars were deeper.
In middle school, I was terrified of what people would think of me. That’s when I tried something I never expected: pageants.
I walked into that room believing everyone would stare at my scar.
Instead, they saw me.
I experienced a world filled with kindness, encouragement, and girls who lifted each other up rather than tearing each other down. In that moment, I learned something that changed my life forever:
True confidence doesn’t come from being flawless ,
it comes from being supported, seen, and celebrated for who you are.
From then on, I made it my mission to spread that same confidence to others.
How That Became My Life’s Purpose
Years later, I began volunteering in schools and saw children struggling not because they lacked potential — but because they lacked confidence. Some didn’t have basic school supplies. Some were embarrassed about their appearance. Some just needed someone to tell them they mattered.
I knew that feeling all too well.
That was the moment the Sweet Southern Rain Back-to-School Tour was born.
Through this program, we collect school supplies and provide free haircuts to students of all ages — ensuring that every child walks into school feeling prepared, confident, and proud of who they are.
Because when a child feels confident, everything changes:
✔ They participate more
✔ They make friends more easily
✔ They believe in their abilities
✔ They try harder in class
✔ They smile again
Children deserve to be seen.
They deserve to feel valued.
They deserve confidence.
Today, I am living a life I once never believed was possible. I am a wife of 18 years, a mother of three, and now a proud grandmother to a beautiful granddaughter. And of course — a proud fur mom to five. My home, my life, and my heart are full.
I have learned to walk on the stage with confidence — not to hide who I am, but to celebrate who I’ve become. When my daughters watch me compete, they don’t see the scar on my leg… they see a woman who refused to give up. They see resilience, strength, and courage. They see a mother who stands tall so they know they can, too.
My scar no longer feels like something to cover.
It is a reminder of how far I’ve come.
Not only do I walk confidently on stage — I run 5Ks. I chase my children and play with them in the yard. I live fully, freely, and joyfully in a body I once feared people would judge.
And that is why confidence matters.
When a child learns to love who they are — everything becomes possible. Dreams become reachable. Obstacles become temporary. And confidence becomes the tool that carries them through life.
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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.
