Miss Earth United States 2018 is all set to organize its grand finale on 14th July 2018 where delegates from all over the States will compete for the national crown. Andreia Gibau, the reigning Miss Earth United States, will crown her successor at the end of the event finale.
But before that, here we have Miss Kansas Earth United States 2018 McKenzie Hersh sharing her experience and journey of being the national delegate of Miss Earth United States 2018 in an exclusive interview with Angelopedia.
Q. How does it feel to be the winner of Miss Kansas Earth United States 2018 and a delegate of Miss Earth United States 2018?
Simply put, it feels astonishing. I am so excited to represent my home state, Kansas, in the Miss Earth United States Pageant 2018. All of the other delegates for Miss Earth United States 2018 that I have had the pleasure of meeting, are such incredible women, and to be able to represent the state of Kansas by their sides is such an honor. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of women to experience this ride with.
Q. What is the best lesson you’ve learnt in your journey as the delegate of Miss Earth United States 2018?
The best lesson I have learned in my journey as a delegate of Miss Earth United States 2018 is how to better serve our Mother Earth and how to inspire others to follow suit. Before my delegacy I did not know all the different ways that I could make a difference in helping to clean our Earth. I had the pleasure of participating in an event put on by The Green Prom Movement. This organization takes used prom dresses, renovates them and holds several events across the Kansas City metropolitan area where girls can come and receive these beautiful dresses for their big night. What they may not know, is that in doing so they have helped to cut down on what is commonly known as “fast fashion.” Fast fashion is mass producing clothing that is up to the newest fashion trend, and in doing so they drive the prices of these items down. With the prices being so low, you may not worry about throwing something away to justify getting the newest trend. “Fast Fashion” is the cause of more than 15 million tons of textile waste. The Green Prom Movement is doing their part in helping to stop the waste of perfectly good dresses. It feels so good to have had the chance to be a part of such a noble movement.
Q. What is the one thing that keeps you going and inspires you to be the best version of yourself?
My support system is the one thing I give the most credit to inspiring me to be the best version of myself. I have such amazing people in my life that support and push me to try new things and to better myself in any way I can.
Q. We would love to know more about your advocacy to save the Planet Earth and what drove you to choose it?
My advocacy to save the Planet Earth is all about reducing our carbon footprint so that future generations can live cleaner and healthier lives. We burn fossil fuels, non-renewable energy sources, any time we turn on our cars, run the heat to our homes, and use electricity on anything as simple as a light. The state of Kansas helps reducing its carbon footprint by setting up a series of windmills throughout western Kansas. I have started to do my part by building a tiny home to live in. The reduction of space for living drops the amount of energy used for cooling by nearly fourteen times. This is the best way I can see to quickly reduce my footprint and to live a cleaner life. I am a huge advocate to living tiny because of the benefits it has on our environment, even though I have to compromise on closet space. It is a small price to pay to live a life that has a smaller impact on our beautiful Mother Earth.
Q. How would you like to represent yourself at the national stage of Miss Earth United States 2018?
I want to represent myself as a strong, confidently beautiful, and Earth conscious woman. Representing my state is such a great opportunity to show who I am and how I can make a difference in helping to make our Earth a cleaner and safer place to live for us, and for generations to come.
Q. Who is your idol, if any and what values of theirs do you wish you could inculcate in your own life, and teach the next generation?
My idol is Sarah Thomas. Sarah was the first female referee to officiate an NFL game. She smashed the barrier of an all-male officiated league. Her values allowed her to overcome the odds and never give up to make it to the highest level of her field. I wish to instill these values to myself and teach them to the next generation. No matter what obstacles lay in your way, always give it all you have to make your dreams come true.
Q. If you could be invisible for a day, how would you like to spend it?
If I was invisible for a day I would spend the first part of the day driving my car around to scare people that there is a car rolling around with no driver. The next part of the day I would want to stand by manikins and talk to people as they walk by to see if they would talk back to the manikin. And the last part of the day, I would go up on top of the tallest building in Kansas City and watch the sunset.
Q. Would you like to share your most special childhood memory with us?
My most special memory wasn’t necessarily during my childhood but was when my childhood dream came true. That was when I signed my Letter of Intent to play softball at the college level. It was special to me because all of the long practices, and weekends that I sacrificed throughout my adolescence paid off.
Q. What or who empowers you to be yourself and work hard everyday?
My morals are the thing that empowers me to be myself and work hard every day. I believe that you must push yourself to be a better version of yourself. I try to out work myself from day to day. That is a lesson that all people should learn, it doesn’t matter what other people think about you as long as you are true to who you are always give your best.
Q. What is the one thing you can label as your guilty pleasure?
I pride myself in working very hard, giving my best each and every day. That being said, my guilty pleasure would be sleeping in. When I get a day off from the twelve hour shifts at the hospital and from school, I may have other things to do, but given the time to sleep in and lounge around allows me to become refreshed and ready for the next busy day that I am given.
Q. We’re sure that this competition is another milestone in your life. What is that one thing that you ultimately want to achieve?
My ultimate goal is to live ahappy and healthy so that I can enjoy life to the fullest of my ability.
Q. If you are granted 3 wishes right now, what would you ask for?
My first wish would be having the ability to make my hair do what I want, when I want. All girls know the frustration of spending hours trying to make their hair perfect, but it not turning out exactly how they want. Also, being able to have long hair one day and short hair another would be the ultimate paradise. My second wish would bethe ability to learn, retain and apply any knowledge learned through any media source I touch. Lastly, to be able to eat whatever I want, whenever I want, for the rest of my life with no ill effects.
Q. Lastly, is there any message that you would like to give to your fans of Angelopedia?
The message that I would like to give to the fans of Angelopedia is that every time we talk to someone we leave an impression on that person that can either be positive or negative. When we talk to people our mission should be to leave a lasting and positive impression. This is challenging because sometimes you may not be feeling well, or you are just having a rough day, but the person you may be speaking to could be in the same boat. You may be able to change the direction of their day by being positive even though you aren’t feeling your best. Being able to possibly affect someone’s life in a positive way is more than enough reason to take a positive approach to everything in life that we take on.