Hi! I'm Belle.
I grew up in South Jersey, with my mom, dad and older brother. I always wanted to follow in my brother's foot steps - whatever he did, I did too. When he began dancing, I was two years old. I was already enthralled with The Wizard of Oz, Annie, and Shirley Temple, but I would dance in the door way of my brother's classes. That's where I fell in love with performing.
My first ever dance recital photo!
From there, I followed in his foot steps and began theater at the age of 6. At that moment, my dream was to be a Broadway star. That dream fast approached and when it was time to choose my path, I decided to attend college at James Madison University for my BA in Musical
Theatre.
Around that same time, I was diagnosed with Vasovagal Syndrome, a condition that will cause patients to unexpectedly pass out under various different stimuli. This, along with the stressors of graduating high school, created an anxiety and depression loop for me, which led to an intense bout with suicidal ideation. Mental health became a huge factor in my story around this time, an obstacle that I overcome time and time again. Since then, I have learned how to manage my anxiety.
With the support of my family, I was able to successfully begin college. My journey as a Musical Theater student had its ups and downs, but eventually exposed one thing: I lacked confidence in myself. During my sophomore year, I was placed with an amazing mentor for my vocal studio. Dr. Maddison became one of the greatest role models in my life, growing my confidence and joy through teaching me to sing opera (which was a surprising but welcome turn of events). In May of 2021, I graduated Magna Cum Laude with my Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre with a minor in Spanish.
Theatre.
Around that same time, I was diagnosed with Vasovagal Syndrome, a condition that will cause patients to unexpectedly pass out under various different stimuli. This, along with the stressors of graduating high school, created an anxiety and depression loop for me, which led to an intense bout with suicidal ideation. Mental health became a huge factor in my story around this time, an obstacle that I overcome time and time again. Since then, I have learned how to manage my anxiety.
With the support of my family, I was able to successfully begin college. My journey as a Musical Theater student had its ups and downs, but eventually exposed one thing: I lacked confidence in myself. During my sophomore year, I was placed with an amazing mentor for my vocal studio. Dr. Maddison became one of the greatest role models in my life, growing my confidence and joy through teaching me to sing opera (which was a surprising but welcome turn of events). In May of 2021, I graduated Magna Cum Laude with my Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre with a minor in Spanish.
However, upon graduation, I found my heart in a different place. I loved theatre, but I was feeling called to work in mental health. After discussing with my father, who thought I would be a great therapist, I left my childhood dream behind. One of the hardest learned lessons is that sometimes we outgrow our dreams, but that does not mean we are a failure; it means we are ready to succeed in new ways.
I moved back home from Virginia and began working towards my new goal. I took classes to fill in the gaps. I started working at Rowan College of South Jersey in Student Life to invest more in higher education. But one piece was missing - how was I going to pay for my advanced degree?
My mom had the solution... competing in Miss America. I had never seen myself as a "pageant girl," but I decided to give it a shot. In August of 2021, I competed in my first Miss America local, and won. It started me onto the best journey of my entire life. Through Miss America, I gained a sisterhood I had always wanted, important networking skills and interviewing skills, and scholarship for my education. Most importantly, I found myself. I learned to own my mental health challenges, view them as my strengths, see my worth, and created my initiative, Shout Our Struggle. MAO pushed me to see myself and my value, which was a long awaited epiphany.
In my first year at Miss New Jersey (2022), I was honored to be named First Runner-Up. After seeing all of the benefits I had gained in just under a year, I began my second season of competing. This year, I am returning to the stage with the confidence that life plays out exactly how it should. In the time since, I was able to begin my new dream. I was accepted in the the 2023 Doctor of Psychology Cohort at Widener University and will begin my studies in August of 2023, with a projected graduation date of 2028. I cannot wait to see where the path ahead leads, but I know my future is bright, no matter where it takes me.
I moved back home from Virginia and began working towards my new goal. I took classes to fill in the gaps. I started working at Rowan College of South Jersey in Student Life to invest more in higher education. But one piece was missing - how was I going to pay for my advanced degree?
My mom had the solution... competing in Miss America. I had never seen myself as a "pageant girl," but I decided to give it a shot. In August of 2021, I competed in my first Miss America local, and won. It started me onto the best journey of my entire life. Through Miss America, I gained a sisterhood I had always wanted, important networking skills and interviewing skills, and scholarship for my education. Most importantly, I found myself. I learned to own my mental health challenges, view them as my strengths, see my worth, and created my initiative, Shout Our Struggle. MAO pushed me to see myself and my value, which was a long awaited epiphany.
In my first year at Miss New Jersey (2022), I was honored to be named First Runner-Up. After seeing all of the benefits I had gained in just under a year, I began my second season of competing. This year, I am returning to the stage with the confidence that life plays out exactly how it should. In the time since, I was able to begin my new dream. I was accepted in the the 2023 Doctor of Psychology Cohort at Widener University and will begin my studies in August of 2023, with a projected graduation date of 2028. I cannot wait to see where the path ahead leads, but I know my future is bright, no matter where it takes me.
