Swansea-based Mia competed last year in Miss Wales, a beauty pageant competition that is very much still misconceived in the public eye these days with a preconceived ideology.
The name ‘beauty pageant’ seemingly reinforces the idea that women should be valued solely for their appearance. However, over time, these events have become multidimensional and can empower women by highlighting their identities on stage.
At first glance, it may seem as though beauty pageants stress the idea that women are only valued for their physical appearance.
However, pageants today look beyond that. Participating also gives women a chance to practice their public speaking skills, build the confidence to stand up in front of a large crowd and influence younger generations with the cause they want to promote.
Contestants participate in charitable activities, serving as excellent role models for younger girls.
“I saw an advert one day on Instagram. I didn’t really know what pageantry was,” said Mia.
“There is always a preconception that it is about girls and women competing to see who is the prettiest.
“I thought i’m not really interested in that but a girl two years above me was involved in a competition. What she was advertising on her social media was completely different from what I thought it was.
“There was a ten-month-build-up to the final. I didn’t know what I was expecting, you go to lots of events, but again I had these misconceptions about how pageants are stereotyped.
“You have an empowerment day when you first arrive, in which we had a coach talk to us about positive mentality and how to change your mindset. That really stuck with me, especially looking at mental health.
“Everybody is from different backgrounds but there is a good bond between the girls in support. Everyone in the process has their own advocacy that they are passionate about.
“You never think that they have been through certain experiences. We are all of a similar age, but the struggles our generation has been through haven’t really been talked about.
“It clicked in my head then that this is something I want to do because there is not really a platform for younger people to speak out.”
Mia is the latest example of someone who is looking to help others, whilst breaking the taboo surrounding pageantry.
The Gower College Swansea student is currently studying for her A-levels in Business and Criminology and clearly has a bright future.
Over the last year, she set up the Instagram account @Mentalhealth_withmia whilst competing at Miss Wales. A page dedicated to teaching the younger generation about mental health and why it’s so important to look after yourself growing up.
Her page sees Mia interview different people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds to talk about the impact that mental health has had on them growing up.
The youngster wants to raise awareness about how to support people dealing with mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder.
“Growing up, I never had a role model my age to offer guidance about the different emotions you face,” continued Mia.
“I discovered I was struggling with anxiety and was unsure of what routes to go in order to help myself.
“For this reason, I decided to take it upon myself to create my own mental health account to help advocate for mental health whilst teaching that it’s okay to feel different emotions.
“The younger generation needs more support. That is what my account is for – it is like a big sister that you can talk to casually.
“Throughout it though I didn’t want to be judged. I would just share mental health posts and put a highlight on my Instagram page because as I was quite young, I didn’t want to be targeted.
“I didn’t place very high [in Miss Wales] because I wasn’t sure what my message was [at the time], whereas the current winner Millie-Mae [Adams] is training to be a doctor so is very passionate about helping people.
“I was a little clueless, a bit naive and young. Now I am doing Miss Intercontinental Great Britain mental health will be a big part of that for me.”
Mia feels that being a teenager in this current generation is not easy after the effects of COVID and with the rise of social media and its interactions it can be difficult to ensure that your mental wellbeing is doing okay.
“We have grown up in a different generation with social media where there are these unrealistic expectations and standards set,” explained Mia.
“What I want to do is build a community where younger people can watch these interviews and relate to something they perhaps wouldn’t talk about with their friends.
“It’s there to show you’re not alone. I have struggled with anxiety and my mental health for as long as I can remember, especially in school.
“When I searched for something, there were charity accounts like Young Minds which were useful but nothing that would relate to me in terms of sharing their own experiences and offering advice.
“As a younger generation, we went through that experience [Covid lockdowns] at different times, but we have all gone through this universal experience.
“I was a very confident outgoing young girl, but as soon as COVID hit, we only had social media to interact.
“We had online classes which half the time didn’t work, and it was a time which was so isolating. For me, that really triggered my anxiety.”
Mia is building her current profile as an advocate and feels the work through her pageantry can achieve a breakthrough, but not before breaking down the many stigmas involved and feels vital support from the Welsh Government is needed.
“Some of us were struggling in the COVID pandemic and are still feeling the effects. Young people are still really struggling.
“I want to talk to the Welsh Government about promoting Mental Health for younger people and how they can bring in more funding and support.
“In the future, I want to expand and reach out to male’s as well, because it is not just aimed at girls, it is targeted at all young people at my age. I think it can make a real difference to youngsters’ lives.
Mia’s Instagram account @Mentalhealth_withmia can be found on the following link.
