This past weekend, I had the opportunity to represent Baker County Forestry at the Miss Florida Forestry Pageant. I am honored and I feel very blessed to say that I am now the 2016 Miss Florida Forestry Queen. Being a Forestry Queen is something that I am very passionate about, as this was my third year competing and receiving a state title. In 2013 I was the Teen Miss Florida Forestry Queen, in 2015 I was the Miss Florida Turpentine Queen and stood beside one of my best friends, Whitney Moore, who was the 2015 Miss Florida Forestry Queen, and now I am the 2016 Miss Florida Forestry Queen.

When I received my first state title, my friends teased me about being “Queen of the trees” but it is so much more than that. Over the years, I have learned a lot about the pageant system that I am involved in and everything I learned made me fall more in love with it.

So what is the Forestry System all about? The US Forest Service mission statement says this: “The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.” This means that my job as the Miss Florida Forestry Queen is to make sure that our forest rangers have what they need to protect our state and national forests and to educate younger generations on why it is important to have protection for our forests.

In 2013, as the Teen Miss Florida Forestry Queen, I went to all of the local elementary schools in my area and read the story of Smokey Bear to the students. I went along with two forest rangers, one was dressed as Smokey Bear and the other talked to the kids more about the Forestry System. Being able to watch the kids learn about something that is important to me and see them smile when they saw Smokey is a memory that I know I will never forget. It’s moments like this memory that reminds me that everyday a child is watching someone who is older than them to learn the ways of the world. If the one thing I teach younger generations is to protect our forests, then at least I know that nature and our natural resources will be something that never dies.

Somewhere along my journey to where I am now, I went to a local Publix grocery store with sister queens to collect water and money to buy water to give to our forest rangers. This is something that I look forward to doing again. Not only to be able to provide for people who are protecting what we need, for example, oxygen and school supplies, but also to be able to spend time with my sister queens who become my best friends and like family.

Everyday a child is watching someone who is older than them to learn the ways of the world. I hope that during my reign that I can make a difference. I hope that I can be someone that a child looks up to and says, “I want to be just like her.” I also hope that one day people will stop saying that having a pageant for the forest system is dumb or make jokes about me being “Queen of the trees” because it is so much more than just the crown.

It’s the service. It’s the education of the system. It’s being someone that other people look up to. It’s loving nature. It’s about being passionate. And it’s finding a family that loves and cares. Finding friends who will help you when you are in time of need. It’s finding people who accept you for who you are. So yes, maybe I am “Queen of the trees” but at least I am making a difference.