Asya's Story

The most unique thing about the human race is that we are all made differently from our appearance to our personalities to our sense of taste and style. There is no one else like you and that's what truly makes us all so beautiful. Often times we can succumb to the pressures of society and feel the need to fit in. We've all heard the saying 'why fit in when you were born to stand out', and it couldn't be a more true statement. Why would we choose to fit in when we were made to be our own individual beings with special gifts, talents, and knowledge to bless the world with? I know for me personally, I always thought that to become who or what I wanted to be that I needed to conform to fit a particular mold. I needed to become exactly like the person whose shoes I was trying to fill, or I needed to change the way that I walked, the way that I talked and dressed. I felt as though just simply being myself was not special enough to get me to where I always saw myself being. I was absolutely and completely wrong. I had began downplaying myself and my worth, when I should have been proud of who I am and all that I have accomplished. I have to say learning that the hard way was a journey worth every single high and low. I had turned 20 years old just a few months before I competed at Miss America in September of 2018. I had done everything in my power that I felt would award me the title even if I didn't 100% feel like I was being myself. I was training day in and day out in every aspect of competition. I was placing myself in the role of a titleholder trying to ensure that I was prepared for whatever would be thrown my way. I felt it in my soul that I was supposed to become Miss America. I competed, made some of the best friends in the world, was a Quality of Life Finalist for my work with my platform, and left Miss America unplaced. I was absolutely devastated. I returned to my home state of Mississippi absolutely heartbroken but surrounded by more love and support than I ever thought imaginable. I spent the remainder of my year traveling statewide to serve MY people. They were there for me; it was my time to be there for them. I knew there must be other things in store for me in life than to become Miss America. I decided to embrace all things that made me Asya, and I just decided that I was done trying to people please and ready to be the best me that I could be and I was going to do it for me. Fast forward to the fall, I make history as the first black woman to win Miss Mississippi USA, and the the first Miss Mississippi to win Miss USA. All of this to say when I decided to cling to what made me bold, embrace what made me brave, and discover what made me brilliant, the stars aligned and I was blessed with my wildest dreams. Never shy away from what makes you special and what makes you, YOU. That's your secret weapon to success and happiness. Life is too short to live it for anyone but you. Take the leap! You'll never regret the chances that you take, only the ones you didn't.