The Atlantic Coast Pageant's Board
Tanee saying thanks at her send-off party
For the last year, I've had the pleasure of being on the board of the Atlantic Coast Pageant's System. This system is a preliminary to the Miss Delaware’s Outstanding Teen Pageant, a part of the Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization. The Atlantic Coast Pageant’s system has been working with our teen queen Tanee DeCosta for the last several months to prepare her for the state competition.
Along this journey, I’ve helped Tanee to promote her platform of bullying and bullying prevention “The Hate Free Zone” and have gone on several appearance with her where she has spoken out about bullying at its impact on today’s youth. It’s truly amazing to see how our young people’s lives are being impacted and in some cases taken away because of careless words and actions. Because Tanee herself has such a powerful story, it makes her platform that much stronger as she continues to share it with schools and community groups.
The most exciting thing about mentoring in a pageant system is that you get to go beyond the beauty and contribute to the development and character of one tomorrow’s leaders. While this isn’t my first experience with mentoring, this holds a special place in my heart because I’ve been able to see Tanee grow from a novice competitor to a strong pageant representative who is having a great impact on others around her. I’ve also seen the dedication and determination that many of today’s young people lack shine through in this young woman, and know that while the hours and personal commitment has been long that it has been well worth it.
Ideally, having the opportunity and time to dedicate to young people in our families and in our communities would be a small step in creating the framework for a society in which individuals hold a sense of responsibility for themselves and others. Realistically, we may not have the time but the challenge for all of us should be to do our part to help today’s youth…no matter how small or how large.
Best of luck to Miss Atlantic Coast’s Outstanding Teen, Tanee DeCosta and may you shine like never before!
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