#TheJudleyDiaries

Blast from the past - 21 years ago! This moment changed my life. TBH wearing a crown on your head is weird… but the opportunities it gave me in my community, the scholarships, the friendships, and the networking were absolutely priceless.

I was getting my masters degree in the scientific study of human communication, and teaching public speaking to undergraduates as a part of my graduate program.

After crowning the next Miss Hawaii, I got hired as a French teacher at a local elementary school. One night while out with friends, I met a news director at a nightclub. They were starting a new morning show, and they were hiring. I auditioned and went through four different interviews before they hired me as their weekend weather girl. I enrolled in Mississippi state’s broadcast and operational meteorology program immediately. My Miss America scholarships paid for all of it.

These images remind me that I was still a child… trying to find my way… my value and purpose… and in many ways (though I’ve grown), I sometimes still feel like that young girl. I am still searching, growing, stepping outside of my comfort zone, and trying to find my place. 

#misshawaii