Crowns on the TV Stand

Three years I dedicated to reaching my dream of becoming Miss North Dakota International and Miss International. Three years of blood, sweat, rhinestones and tears. Years of dedicating myself to The Peyton Heart Project, raising awareness for suicide prevention and sharing my story across the globe. Three challenging, exciting and wonderful years.

I began looking back at my journey recently. I was doing some spring cleaning and reorganizing when I came across my Miss North Dakota International crown. I looked and looked for a place to put it and its new home eventually became the TV stand. My three years of hard work and my dream is now sitting underneath a dusty DVD player in my living room. It gave me a somber feeling. Thinking about how in a few short months I will be doing the same thing with my Miss International crown. Soon I will be taking it off of my head and finding it a new home in my apartment.

As I was looking at my Miss North Dakota crown, I thought about how crazy it is that all of that hard work comes down to one year. One year to make a difference; one year to use your voice for all that it is worth. However, although we only have one year, hanging up those gowns and passing on that crown isn’t an ending; it’s another beginning.

Our reigns as titleholders may only contractually be one year but our impact and missions can last a lifetime if we choose to continue on our missions. Of course it is bittersweet passing down our titles but it fills us with pride to see what our legacy will create in the new queen and it allows us to fulfill our goals in a new way as we move forward.

As Miss International, doors have been opened that have led me in directions I could have never imagined. I have been able to share The Peyton Heart Project all over the world from Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua to the Empire State Building in New York City. I’ve seen my face up in Times Square, presented to thousands of students, and travelled thousands of miles. Just because my crown ends up on the TV stand, doesn’t take away the impact I have made and the journey I embarked on. It simply stands there as a reminder of the marvelous things that I have accomplished and acts as a motivator to continue with my mission.

To all of you out there who are saddened by the thought of retiring your title and moving on to a new phase of life, don’t fret. It is not the end of your road, it is not the end of your journey; it’s an opportunity to leave behind a significant legacy to your successor and create a new path for yourself. I am of course feeling sentimental about passing down the title of Miss International but I am exceptionally excited for my successor and all that she will accomplish. If I have left behind any legacy, my hope is that as long as you follow your passion and mission, there will be a path laid out before you. You may not know where that path leads but there will be a destination and it will be an extraordinary journey along the way.

Have courage and always be kind.

Ava Hill

Miss International 2019