Jason Harris
Alicia Tavani was first entered into the pageant world by her mother. When she was just 13 years old, her mom entered her into a pageant via the website StarNow – her family has been supportive of her pageant journey since day one. They never miss an opportunity to drive her to appearances, help find the perfect stage outfit or simply just sit in support as pageants take her across the globe on various flights. After being in the industry for 4 years, her hard work and dedication have finally led her to win a crown.
Although she’s a beauty queen, everything for Alicia is not all glitz and glamour. She expresses the frustration and sadness that she faces whenever it comes to dealing with the typical teen girl bullies. The stigma of pageant winners being crowned as titleholders based solely on beauty may be the predominant perception – but this view fails to acknowledge the impact community service holds in the pageant world. She is truly more than just a pretty face.
Alicia uses her platform as a titleholder to champion anti-bullying projects, visits with patients at local children’s hospitals and find ways to better the lives of others. As a titleholder, she feels she must use her position to better the lives of those in her community. Competitions have helped shape her into the young adult she is today. She puts her whole being into giving the best pageant performance but has learned to accept that not every performance will be a winner. This maturity has allowed her to honestly reflect on the feelings of her experience rather than focus only on the results. Rather than becoming discouraged on poor results, she remembers that she is worthy and is always good enough. That is the mark of a true Queen.
Competing in pageants has allowed Alicia to have many memorable experiences and meet inspiring people. At one pageant she was able to meet Dana Vulin. Dana is a survivor of a brutal home invasion that occurred while she was sleeping. Her attacker attempted to burn her alive, but she survived. She shared her story of hardship and recovery with the contestants. Her take away from the horrible experience was that no matter how difficult the situation is, you do not give up. Dana’s inspirational account encouraged Alicia to attempt to find goodness in every situation and soldier through the hard times. This is a sentiment that influences her anti-bullying campaign.
In a world of beauty, glam, and glitz, it can be easy to develop a big ego. Alicia’s struggles have allowed her to remain grounded. Despite being a queen, she never views herself as superior to others. Through meditation, she connects with her inner voice and reflects that she is just as important as the next person. This humble view is reflected in her future plans. In the future, her service heart makes Alicia wish to pursue a career in nursing. She has already completed 2 years of study and has 18 months remaining. Her other dream career is not far from the pageant world as she would love to model for famous brands such as Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and Victoria Secret.
Jason Harris
natalie
Jade
