Vianah Bradt

Vianah Bradt – Arizona
Nomination by Jomarie Bradt
Photography by Jenn Cady Photography
Issue 77 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
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Nomination: Vianah consistently demonstrates an entrepreneurial and altruistic initiative with an inherent drive to empower and mentor younger children. She is currently Miss Maricopa County’s Teen 2024 with the Miss Arizona Scholarship Organization. Her community service initiative is entitled “Beautiful as a Butterfly: Building Confidence through Mentorship and Service”. She has volunteered with several organizations in leadership and mentorship roles including the Miss Arizona Scholarship Organization Princess Program, Future For Kids, Girl Scouts, local elementary schools and Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels (AHRA). She solely founded the Princess Empowerment Scholarship Program to enable girls to participate in the Miss Arizona Princess Program.
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Photography by Jenn Cady Photography

What do you love most about mentoring younger children?
Mentoring younger children is rewarding because it makes me feel like I am making an impact. When I was younger, the mentors I had made a lifelong impact on me. I like showing children that there is someone who cares about them, building their confidence and showing them that they matter. I like working with the Miss Arizona Princesses and teaching them what it means to be a titleholder, the importance of volunteering and serving our community. I love the personal reaction I receive from younger children as they realize the joy and pride that comes from volunteering.

What do you do with them specifically?
I lead groups of children in volunteering activities that I develop and implement. I actively encourage younger children to volunteer and serve our community. I have spoken to children about the importance of mentorship, inner beauty, positive self talk, self worth, volunteerism, kindness, assertiveness skills, and dealing with negative peer pressure. I also read books to children with inspirational themes such as the importance of empathy, gratitude and helping others.

What have you learned through working with children?
I have learned that even the smallest interactions can make a big difference. I am learning that every little thing in life can be meaningful, if you make it. I have learned from kids that there is so much beauty to be found all around us.

How would you describe your leadership style?
As a leader, I am a listener. I feel like when it comes to being a good leader, you must learn to listen to the people you are leading. I have learned through dance that even if you are put into a leadership role it still has to be a collaborative endeavor because you are not the only one dancing. You have to take into account the needs of everyone in order to be successful. I believe this can be applied to any group work environment.

What is your best leadership quality?
I have empathy for others and am able to be transparent which is important in being a good leader. I had a child open up about feeling overwhelmed with her extracurricular activities. I was able to talk about my own personal experiences and how I have handled it. I have had to learn to balance all of my own extracurricular activities for a large part of my life. In any situation, it is important that the other person feels heard and that they are not alone in how they are feeling.

Tell us more about your pageant career. When did you get started and why?
I started in the Miss Arizona Scholarship Organization Princess Program when I was 8 years old. I was at a community event and saw some girls and young women with crowns and sashes on and was interested in speaking to them. They told me and my Mom about the princess program. As a princess, I was able to volunteer with the titleholders. I have always loved being on stage and being a performer. Being a princess encouraged me to want to compete when I was old enough as another opportunity to perform and be on stage.

What was the hardest part about getting your foot in the door?
I did not have any difficulty getting started competing in the Miss Arizona Scholarship Organization. I had a lot of support from the titleholders that had known me since I was a princess when I first started competing and have always had a lot of people rooting for me. I had watched these titleholders compete for years and now was able to be on stage with them. I put pressure on myself to prove myself since I was now switching positions and was now on stage with them. Shortly after my initial competition, my comfort and confidence began to grow.

What is a rewarding experience that you will treasure forever?
I will always treasure the year at the Miss Arizona Scholarship Organization competition as Miss Phoenix’s Teen 2022 when I achieved the top 3 for the first time for teen Quality of Life, which describes your community service initiative. In the past, I had seen so many other titleholders with really good community service initiatives achieve the top 3 for Quality of Life. I felt like all the hard work I was doing with my community service initiative was being recognized. It was validating and amazing to feel like what I care about was deemed important by others.

How has this helped to shape your future?
I have significantly less stress about what I am going to do after I graduate from high school. I have earned scholarships through the Miss Arizona Scholarship Organization. Being involved in pageantry has helped me improve my public speaking, communication skills, interview skills, poise, confidence, and stage presence. I feel confident in public speaking situations such as school presentations and will feel confident and more prepared for future job interviews.

What advice would you give to anyone considering entering a pageant?
I would tell them to try competing and go into it with an open mind, open heart, without any fear of failure. Regardless of the outcome, you are gaining amazing life skills, memories, friendships and an experience you will take with you for the rest of your life.

What inspiring things about you does your nomination not cover?
I was mentored as a princess in the Miss Arizona Scholarship Organization so I want to mentor younger children and build their confidence. I want to continue the legacy of mentorship that I experienced. I lead groups of children in volunteer activities. We have held annual toy drives, decorated cards and ornaments for Christmas trees which we donated to the Phoenix Children's Hospital. We have volunteered together at Feed My Starving Children, our local animal shelter and sanctuary. I believe that volunteering is a great way to give back to others and it also helps to build confidence in ourselves.

What else would you like to talk about?
I was the first and only freshman to ever audition and earn a spot on my high school Dance Company. I am a dance company member, Choreographer, Historian and Social Media Manager. I have been involved in musical theater and have been Student Council President supporting the entire student body. I have studied graphic design for two years in high school and am certified in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Visual Design. I am a competitive graphic designer for Skills USA. I have been a Pageant Emcee for the Miss Valley of the Sun Scholarship Organization local pageant.

What do you feel passionate about or could talk about forever?
I am professionally trained in ballet, lyrical and contemporary dance and have been dancing since the age of 3. I dance on my dance team as well as my spare time. Our Dance Company travels to the middle schools where we teach master classes. We also have college dance instructors come to our school to teach master classes to us. We have field trips to Ballet Arizona to see several productions. I have performed in the Nutcracker throughout the years with Arizona Youth Ballet. To dance is a blessing and gives me an indescribable feeling of joy and peacefulness

How did you find your photographer, Jenn Cady Photography? What was your experience like? What did you love most about it?
Jenn Cady Photography is the official sponsor for the Miss Arizona Scholarship Organization. Jenn is from South Carolina and travels to Arizona a few times per year to provide photography services for Miss Arizona local and state titleholders. She works with Amanda Victoria Beauty who provides hair and make up services to the titleholders for the photoshoot. We have utilized her photography services whenever she comes to Arizona. Jenn is kind, thoughtful, energetic, enthusiastic, detail oriented and talented. I love what a great experience I have each time I am photographed by Jenn and her photos are absolutely beautiful.

If you had nothing to do and all day to do it, where would we find you?
If I could envision a dream day with nothing to do and plenty of time, I would start the day by going to the gym and practicing tumbling. I would spend time traveling and specifically go to Italy and walk around and take pictures with my sister. I would find a dance studio and dance. I would go to dinner and go to bed.

What is up next for you that you are super excited about?
The state competition for Miss Arizona/ Miss Arizona’s Teen is in June 2024. I am excited because every year it is my favorite part of my summer. I get to spend the whole week rehearsing and doing fun events. It is the part where you get to see all of your hard work pay off. I love competing and the adrenaline rush from competing. I love the sisterhood that we develop as titleholders and spending the week with my sisters.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be where you are today?
Don't be fearful of rejections. Take every experience as a learning experience and welcome new challenges. Every new experience is an opportunity for personal growth.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years/what are your plans?
It is difficult to predict the future as I didn’t know I would be here in five years. More than likely, I would have graduated from college or would be in college preparing to graduate from college.

What is your favorite activity or pastime that was not in your nomination?
I like to watch cartoons! Gravity Falls will always be my favorite cartoon. I like the simplicity of cartoons which have a good plot and are entertaining. They are fun, relaxing and comforting.

3 Things on your bucket list
Go to Italy, get another cat, get better at handstand walks

Look for Vianah in issue 77 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

click here for more information on issue 77

click here to nominate an inspiring teen