The 25-year-old Miss Kansas, Alexis Smith, boldly faced her abuser who was in the crowd when she was chosen to compete in the Miss America pageant the following year.
In her graduation speech at Pratt Community College on June 8, Smith made a commitment to end abusive and unhealthy relationships, according to an NYP story.
Smith stated on stage, “My goal as the next Miss Kansas is to end abusive and unhealthy relationships.”
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“My abuser is here today, which is why some of you in the audience observed me acting so emotional.
However, I won’t let that stop me from competing for the title of Miss Kansas and promoting my community because I and they both deserve to have good relationships,” she continued.
Smith’s bravery was met with thunderous applause and cheers from the audience. After taking home the championship, Smith, a full-time cardiothoracic ICU nurse, shared further details about her experience on Facebook.
When someone I’ve been recuperating from attempted to disturb my tranquility on the evening of Miss Kansas, my journey took an unexpected turn, she wrote.
I decided to act out my dream of a better world rather than giving up and being silent.
I regained control, not just for myself but also for my aspirations and the people who were witnessing and hearing her post, she continued.
Smith emphasized that the goal of her call to action was to transform “pain into purpose and channel it in a way that unites and uplifts,” not to shun people.
Hundreds of people praised Smith’s bravery on social media, and the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence acknowledged it as well, calling her “bravery and advocacy” genuinely inspirational.