Contestant 5: Victoria Goins
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (SCPDA): With the Miss Stanton Pageant around the corner, the pressure is on for all the young women who are participating to represent Stanton. To understand their hopes for the pageant and what they have taken away from it, the Devil’s Advocate interviewed them and got their side of the story.
DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: Why did you decide to run for Miss Stanton?
VICTORIA GOINS: I felt as if it was an opportunity to share my beliefs on the school and share my platform, which is breast cancer awareness. I also hoped that young girls could look at me and see that no matter where you come from or what your background is, you can fight for what you believe in.
DA: Who do you consider to be your biggest role model and why?
VG: I believe my mom is my biggest role model because she is such a strong and independent woman. She was able to raise me for ten years by herself while battling so many medical issues, including cancer. She taught me to be who I am no matter what the circumstances are and to follow whatever I believe in.
DA: How do you respond to the negative connotations associated with beauty pageants?
VG: Beauty pageants aren’t just about beauty anymore, per say, it is more about how you feel or what is inside of you that matters. It’s about looking within and seeing a person’s true substance, instead of just seeing how they look on the outside. We talk about how we can make a difference in the community rather than who looks the best in what dress or who looks better on posters.
DA: What does the Miss Stanton title mean to you?
VG: It means more than you could ever imagine. It means being able to represent a school and being a voice of over a thousand kids, rather than just a small community. It also assures me that no matter who I used to be, now I can step up and represent something that I love, which is Stanton.
DA: Aside from yourself, which other candidate do you feel should serve as Miss Stanton?
VG: I think it would have to be Isabelle DelosReyes. She’s a strong person and has battled so much with her culture and appreciating who she is. She is a great friend, has a powerful voice, and doesn’t let anything get her down. When one of the girls have a problem, they always go to Isabelle because she is so helpful and overall a wonderful person.
DA: What has been the most rewarding part of this competition experience?
VG: I know it is a cliche thing to say, but it has honestly been the girls and gaining so many new friendships. I have classes with some of them, but you never really notice somebody until you spend so much time with them. We’ve been coordinating and practicing for this competition since November, so it’s definitely been a long time coming. Whether it’s the group chat conversations or staying up all night working on ads, it’s been a great bonding experience. We are all close friends now. It’s more than just passing each other in the hallways and saying “hello,” it’s more of “what happened about this?”, “how did that go?” or “are you okay?”.
DA: What talents or skills do you have that separate you from the other candidates?
VG: I believe I am very driven and hard-working. I put my mind to whatever I need or want to do. Although the other girls may be driven as well, I am driven to the point that I will completely absorb myself in whatever I am doing to make sure it gets done and gets done right.
DA: If you could change one thing about Stanton, what would it be?
VG: I would want to change the disconnect between administration and students. I feel as though there is a disconnect in their relationship, so I would work towards having better communication and direct suggestions. If there is a problem, I also want to make sure it is addressed and resolved to the point that students feel administration can be their safe haven, and can really talk to them.