I bloomed in the aftermath of devastation, not in a moment of triumph, but in the ruins of everything I thought I couldn’t live without.
It happened after a multi-car pileup that wasn’t my fault. One minute, I was driving toward the life I’d worked so hard to build, and in the next, everything was gone. A car hit by another vehicle came flying through the air and landed on my car. My car was totaled. My body was wrecked. I couldn’t walk without pain or sleep without nightmares, and there were days my leg would give out beneath me. I lost my six-figure job, my independence, my home, my car, my health. The man I thought would stand by me during that season ran the minute things got hard, more focused on himself than on what I needed to heal.
And there I was… at rock bottom. In pain. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. I didn’t know how I was going to make it. I was shattered in ways no one could see. But even in the wreckage, I heard something quiet, but sure: don’t give up.
I turned my face to the sun, to God, and I let Him burn up the darkness that was trying to swallow me. He lit a path forward, not all at once, but one step at a time. I kept putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes crawling. Sometimes crying. But I refused to quit.
That’s when I bloomed. Not back into who I was before, but into who I was always meant to be. Strong. Compassionate. Brave. Powerful. Focused. That’s the thing about devastation…it either destroys you or refines you. Instead of giving up, I chose to rise with purpose, clarity and unstoppable vision. I became a superbloom. Sometimes your breaking point is your birthing point. And when you let pain purify you instead of harden you, you don’t just bloom, you blaze.
We can all rise from the ashes brighter, bolder, and more beautiful than ever. I’m living proof.
What challenges have shaped you the most, and how did you overcome them?
I’ve faced challenges that shaped me in powerful ways while serving in the world’s darkest corners across our nation, in South Africa, Peru, Chile, Brazil and Greece. I’ve been in drug slums, red light districts, places where the innocent are bought, sold, and forgotten. I’ve held the hands of teenage prostitutes and spoken prayers over the wounded. I’ve looked evil in the face and chose to fight it and not turn away. Those moments shattered me, and shaped me. Personally I’ve faced challenges such as divorce, surviving abuse, domestic violence and unspeakable trauma. I lost my best friend to suicide. And just when I thought life was turning a positive corner, there came a horrific car crash that left me unable to walk and stripped me of everything I’d worked hard to build.
I overcame these challenges not by my own strength, but God’s. I overcame with courage and faith. God gave me wings when I was literally unable to stand on my own.
Gandhi once said, “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” I chose to be strong for the ones who couldn’t be. I stayed in the arena with my dream and my God given vision. Bruised, bloodied, and unseen by the crowd, but holding tight to what God gave me. I chose to keep going. No matter the cost.
These challenges didn’t break me… because I let God grow me instead. Now every scar is a symbol of light. Someone once said never be ashamed of your scars because they just mean that you were stronger than whatever tried to hurt you. Now I don’t just fight for myself, I rise so others can, too. When you do that, you don’t just survive, you shine.
Pageantry often goes beyond beauty—how has winning this title empowered you to make a difference in your community or beyond?
What I love most about Ms. Corporate America is that they don’t just crown beauty, they elevate brilliance. They see a woman’s leadership, her resilience, her heart, and they honor that as her greatest strength. This title celebrates purpose, unity, and the power of using your voice for good.
I’m using this platform to help elevate the voices of women and youth who’ve been overlooked or underestimated, and to create more access, more belief, and more action around causes I care deeply about like local, national and global service, trauma recovery, and leadership development.
This title gives me a wider stage. But I’m here to make sure that stage isn’t about me, it’s about what I can help others build on it.
For me, it isn’t about standing in the spotlight…it’s about being the light. I see it as a sacred opportunity to unlock potential where it’s been overlooked, open doors for others, and to pour belief into women who are still finding their way. I carry this title with gratitude and fire because if my journey can spark even one woman’s breakthrough, it’s worth everything.
What advice would you give to women who are still trying to find their voice or step into their purpose?
I would tell her: you’re not behind. You’re not too late. You’re not too broken. And you don’t have to be perfect.
Finding your voice and stepping into your purpose isn’t a one-time moment, it’s a long road. A messy, beautiful, often scary one. And that’s okay. Just keep showing up. Even when your confidence wavers. Even when it feels like no one sees you yet. The truth is: your dreams were planted in your heart for a reason. You carry something no one else can offer the world.
I’ve had to rebuild my life more than once. I know what it feels like to start from scratch, with shaking hands and only a shred of hope in your heart. So I say this with love: if I can rise, so can you. There is strength in your softness, power in your story, and purpose in your presence. Keep going. The world needs what’s inside of you.