Contestant 12: Kynna Johnston
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, Devil’s Advocate interviewed them and got their side of the story.
DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: Why did you decide to participate in Miss Stanton? KYNNA JOHNSTON: I decided to participate in Miss Stanton because I felt there were changes that needed to be made in the student body regarding females. I want to be Miss Stanton to help implement these changes to the school.
DA: Was there a particular moment that sparked your interest in participating in the pageant? KJ: Recently, there have been more strikes in Dress Code referrals and social media attacks on girls. I respect the dress code and its intention, but not the way it is interpreted by faculty at the school. I noticed the environment neglecting the feeling of girls and how these enforcements really affect them.
DA: How is the Miss Stanton pageant important to you personally? KJ: It’s important to me because people need to realize the fight for feminism and equality is not over. Especially being a female attending Stanton, we experience these things first hand and know that it’s not done out of spite, but it’s not always handled correctly.
DA: What would the title of Miss Stanton mean to you? KJ: It would mean change. If I was Miss Stanton, I would invest everything I could in focusing the betterment and comfort of females, and the males, at this school. The title of Miss Stanton shouldn’t be just a title, it should represent power and progression. I want to voice the people who are too afraid to for themselves.
DA: How will you use your title of Miss Stanton to make a difference if you win? KJ: I would like to launch a campaign, Save Our Sisters. I speak about it in my speech during the actual pageant, but Save Our Sisters would be a movement that gives students a chance to freely express their opinions and the changes they want to see, especially surrounding feminism. I want people to be able to see these changes coming into play, and to know that they were able to help make it happen.
DA: How will you juggle your school work with the responsibilities that come with the title of Miss Stanton? KJ: My plate consists of school work, cheerleading, and Miss Stanton. I feel this is a reasonable amount of activities that I could work to juggle. Time management is key to success, as Stanton has taught all of us. Juggling these responsibilities wouldn’t be difficult as I would manage my time efficiently.
DA: What is a cause you are passionate about? KJ: Feminism.
DA: What are some goals you have set for the future? KJ: For my future, I want to be empowering. This would also apply to my potential Miss Stanton reign. Students at Stanton are not completely voiceless, because of teacher corporation, SGA, and etc., I still feel we are not taking everyone into account. I want girls to actually feel powerful. Not only will this help them in life, but academic excellence would increase as girls would be more confident and want to do better because they know they can. My goal is to make waves.
DA: Who do you consider to be your most prominent role model? KJ: My biggest role model is my mom, she’s incredible. She knows what she wants and she gets it She’s had her fair share of trials and tribulations in her life, through teen pregnancy all the way to becoming a Nurse Manager this year. She is the epitome of a “come up.” If I could be anybody for a day, I’d be her.
DA: What do you consider to be your best quality? KJ: I think my best quality is how personable I am. I am pretty outgoing and love making people feel comfortable. I don’t mean being the center of attention or attempting to be the class clown. Being personable requires that you are aware of the emotions of the people around you, regardless of the facades they put up, and attempting to help them or put a real smile on their face.