In 2013 the First Coast’s very own Leah Sykes won the title
as the 2014 Miss America’s Outstanding Teen. Te 16-year-old singer, student and Jacksonville native has big plans for her Seeing Beyond Disabilities platform.
During the year, Leah will travel the U.S. to promote her
platform and serve as the teen ambassador for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children's hospitals. Family! talked to the teen about the competition, her title and her plans for the future.
How did you begin your journey to Miss America’s Outstanding Teen? I started in 2009 as a Sunshine Princess, which is where you’re
mentored by one of the girls competing in the teen pageant. I thought that was really cool because it was my first exposure to [a] pageant. I fell in love. When I turned 15 [years old] I decided I was going to compete—and I did.
What have you learned from competing? I’ve actually learned a lot of different things. As far as
physically I’ve learned poise, how to communicate thoughts, be elegant [and] carry myself in a classy way. Mentally I’ve also learned a lot about confidence, and being comfortable with who I am and how to perform. I want to be a performer, so it’s taught me how to utilize those tools.
What kind of performing do you want to do? I want to be singer. I like music and I play [the] guitar, so I’d love to be able to do that professionally.
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Can you tell me a little about your Seeing Beyond Disabilities platform? Yes! Tere are several different approaches to it. Tere’s a part
Standing O
TEEN Out
By Jacqueline Persandi
nce a year, the title of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen is awarded to one teen between the ages of 13 and 17 who shows talent, communication skills, a commitment
to community service and academic achievement. Te pageant winner travels the U.S. with the organization for a year, and receives a $25,000 scholarship to further her education.
HERITAGE PUBLISHING, INC. © 2014
where I have another foundation called A Beach for EveryBODY. Te goal is as it says, to bring the beach to everybody—despite handicaps or disabilities. Because my grandma had a handicap that put her in a wheelchair, I saw how it took away things that she loved, such as going onto the beach. I wanted to make that possible for everyone by making this park that integrated into the beach environment.
I have a real passion for helping people who have
disabilities—whether it’s autism, Down syndrome, really anything—just partnering with different organizations here in Jacksonville and all over the country to give them the opportunities that we have and to make them feel special. I really love to do that.
What are some of the organizations you have partnered with here on the First Coast? Tere’s the Buddy Walk, which I do every year with my
friends. I’m also a tutor for two autistic boys. Really any opportunity I have, I want to take part in it.
Why is your Seeing Beyond Disabilities platform special to you? I see it everywhere in my life. My grandmother was
handicapped by [a] disease, I tutor two twin boys who are autistic [and] my brother has learning disabilities. People might think it’s irrelevant [to me], but really I see it everywhere. I see it every time I wake up, and I think it’s very, very relevant, and if you look hard enough you’ll see it everywhere.
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