Miss America makes history, as a Korean American from Alaska wins the title
By Avery Smith
In 1921, the very first Miss America program was created as a beauty pageant in Atlantic City. Women from every state competed by demonstrating a range of skills such as poise, leadership, and artistic talent. Fast forward one hundred years, for the first time in Miss America history, a Korean American from Alaska, Emma Broyles, has won the title. Not only is Broyles the first Alaskan to hold the title, she is also the first Korean American to win. Emma Broyles’ grandparents immigrated from Korea to Anchorage around fifty years ago before her mother was born; Broyle’s mother is fully Korean but grew up in Anchorage.
2021 marks the 94th year of the Miss America pageant and the event has definitely evolved over the years. What started as an emphasis on looks became an emphasis on leadership, talent, and communication skill. Each contestant chooses a meaningful social impact initiative to work with and raise awareness for in the pageant. Emma Broyles chose the Special Olympics as her social impact initiative. She has a personal connection to the Special Olympics as her older brother, Brendan, has Down syndrome and competes in athletic events with Special Olympics Alaska. Her goal in working with the Special Olympics is to promote inclusion, compassion, and open-mindedness through sports. Broyles describes how the Special Olympics has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on people throughout the world as it promotes appreciation for people of all abilities.
Broyles is the first woman to represent Alaska in the Miss America pageant. In addition to the title, Emma Broyles won $100,000 in college scholarships. As a junior at Arizona State University, those scholarships will help her in tremendous ways, allowing her to attend medical school and follow her dreams of becoming a practicing dermatologist in Alaska. Winning Miss America also allowed Broyles the opportunity to travel across the country, serving as a role model and advocate for young women. The pageant’s progression from looks to leadership is vital in the continuous fight against the objectification of women.
Career Tips for Women in Climate
By Khushi Bhatt
With Climate Change worsening at an exponential rate, there’s a key that we are missing in solving the problem: women. As the most vulnerable population in the case of a crisis and the caretakers of families and communities, women offer ideas and innovative solutions that simply must be on the table if we want to win the battle against climate change. Yet, the United Nations Climate Conference this past December was predominantly run by men, highlighting the urgent need to ease this disparity in genders involved in climate change. Here are some career tips offered for women in climate by three highly influential women in government, media, business, NGOs, science, and academia.
- “Never underestimate her capacity and never underestimate how much people realize what she’s doing” (Sandrine Dixson, Co-President of the Club of Rome and chaired the high-profile session at COP26 with President Biden, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and other global leaders.) With this statement, Dixon reminds women of the impact they make in their everyday lives at home and in their careers. She also reminds us that, “…our kids are proud of us, our husbands are proud of us, or our partners, and we should be proud of us.”
- “Women need to have more confidence in what they can deliver”(Sandrine Dixson) In this statement, Dixon encourages women to believe in themselves and their abilities, just like men do every day.
- 3. “Recogniz(e) that you’re in a continually evolving space”(Twila Moon, climate scientist and top professor at the University of Colorado) With these wise words, Moon encourages us to acknowledge our growth, and to constantly ask ourselves, “Is that still the place that you might have the most influence?”
- “Take care of ourselves as we climb up that ladder”(Sandrine Dixson) With this advice, Dixon encourages us to take time for self-care, as we are of no use to the causes we care about if we are burned out.
- “Learn how to say ‘no’…saying ‘yes’ to the things already on your plate” (Twila Moon) With this quotation, Moon advises women to prioritize their main focuses. By saying no and delegating responsibilities that don’t align with your priorities, you are not only giving opportunities to other women but also demonstrating the strength and influence in your network.
6. “Be tenacious. Don’t give up”(Gillian Tett, Editor-at-Large of the Financial Times and chair of the FT’s Editorial Board, cofounder of their popular Moral Money newsletter, and formerly U.S. Managing Editor) With this Gillian insists that women must be creative in the field of Climate Energy Economy, tapping knowledge and trends from various industries. Most importantly, however, Tett demands that women not let the rejections knock them off their game.
