From Survival to Strength: Why I Started Beyond the Binge

By Kylie Burgess

When people see a crown or sash, they often assume the journey has always been filled with confidence, success, and shining moments. But like so many others, my story didn’t begin that way.

Before I ever stepped into the world of the Miss America Organization, I was fighting battles that many people couldn’t see.

For years, I struggled with binge eating, anxiety, depression, and the weight—both physical and emotional—that came with them. I felt trapped in a cycle that made me question my worth and my ability to ever truly feel free. Some days, simply getting through the day felt like a victory.

But recovery has a way of slowly teaching you that your hardest chapters can become the very reason you’re able to help someone else.

That realization became the heart behind my Community Service Initiative, Beyond the Binge.

Beyond the Binge is about more than just discussing eating disorders or unhealthy relationships with food. It’s about creating safe spaces where people can talk openly about their struggles, their healing, and the truth that recovery isn’t a straight line.

For so long, I believed my struggles were something to hide. I thought my past disqualified me from doing anything meaningful or standing confidently in front of others.

Instead, it did the opposite.

Sharing my story has allowed me to connect with students, families, and community members who may be facing similar battles. Whether I’m visiting a classroom, speaking with young students, or simply having one-on-one conversations after an appearance, I’m reminded that honesty has power.

When one person says, “Me too,” walls start to come down.

One of my biggest goals through Beyond the Binge is helping people understand that caring for our bodies isn’t about chasing a certain look—it’s about honoring the life we’ve been given. True wellness is built on compassion, balance, and learning to treat ourselves with the same kindness we offer others.

This mission also connects closely with the Miss America Fit initiative within the Miss America Organization, which focuses on health and wellness in a holistic way. It reminds us that taking care of our bodies is about strength, nourishment, and respect—not perfection.

Today, when I stand on stage preparing for the Miss North Carolina Competition this June, I’m not just standing there as a competitor. I’m standing there as someone who survived the hardest seasons of her life and decided to turn them into purpose.

My journey hasn’t been perfect, and recovery is something I continue to choose every day.

But if sharing my story helps even one person realize they are not alone… then every difficult chapter has been worth it.

Because sometimes the most powerful thing we can do isn’t pretending we’ve never struggled.

It’s choosing to rise beyond it.

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Kylie Burgess is the current Miss Concord (NC). You can follow her on Instagram. And you can also follow Beyond the Binge.

This is her first guest blog for Section 36 Forevers.

Photos by Carlos Velez Studios

When 18 Isn't Exciting

By Sarah Bachman

I’ve always loved my routines. Right now as a college student, my routine looks something like this: Wake up, eat breakfast, go to class, work out, study, get ready for bed, plan tomorrow, and go to sleep. There’s something grounding about structure. Even when my schedule is packed, I like knowing where I’m supposed to be and what I’m working toward. One of the biggest changes I’ve faced in my four years of college was simply switching my class schedule to finish my degree requirements, and even that small shift felt big. Sometimes I wasn’t all too fond of my schedule either. If I had a busy day, where would I fit in studying or my nannying job that I rely on for some extra money?

Think about your own schedule. What parts do you like? What parts frustrate you? Most of us, if we’re honest, still prefer some kind of structure. Stability. Predictability. A place to come back to at the end of the day.

When I was 18, the world felt like it was opening. I was graduating from high school. I had friends and family who loved me. I had a room to call my own. I had time to think about my future and where my career might take me. It was all so exciting!

Now think about where you were at 18. Or if you’re younger, imagine what you hope 18 will look like. Freedom. Opportunity. Independence.

For some teenagers though, 18 does not feel like freedom. It feels like a cliff.

For thousands of young people in the foster care system, turning 18 means the support they have relied on is suddenly pulled out from under them. They may have moved from home to home for years. They may not even have a clear concept of what home truly means. Their belongings do not fill a bedroom. They fit into a trash bag.

And then at 18, they are expected to be grateful and ready.
In the United States, only about 50 percent of youth in foster care graduate from high school by age 18. Of those who do graduate, roughly 20 percent enroll in college, and only a small percentage, often cited at around 3 to 10 percent, actually earn a degree. At the same time, nearly 50 percent of youth who age out of foster care experience homelessness by age 26, and many experience housing instability immediately after turning 18.

While many of us are stressing about perfecting a morning routine or adjusting to a new class schedule, some 18 year olds are trying to figure out where they will sleep that night. Their main goal is not optimizing productivity. It is survival.
How is anyone supposed to focus on studying for an exam when they do not know if they will have dinner? How is anyone supposed to fill out college applications without stable internet, a permanent address, or an adult who wants to guide them and not exploit them? How is anyone supposed to just go to college when they are working full-time simply to stay off the street?
Society tells students to go to college, get a degree, and build a future. But for many foster youth, the high school diploma they fought so hard to earn is dismissed as not enough, while the path to the next step feels almost impossible to access. Why is a high school diploma considered enough for foster youth but not for their peers?

Foster youth are smart. Resilient. Capable. Many have navigated more change before age 18 than most of us will face in a lifetime. What they often lack is not ability. It is stability, support, and someone consistently in their corner.

They deserve the chance to go to college.

They deserve the opportunity to pursue a trade.

They deserve to discover what a routine feels like, not one built around survival but one built around growth and an opportunity to improve their futures.

They deserve to define what home means for themselves.
Raising awareness means advocating for extended support services, mentorship programs, housing assistance, and educational funding specifically for youth aging out of foster care. It means recognizing that independence at 18 looks very different depending on where you start.

So the next time you adjust your class schedule, complain about an early lecture, or romanticize the excitement of turning 18, pause for a moment. For some, 18 is the beginning of possibility. For others, it is the beginning of uncertainty. And that is why this conversation matters.

Routine should not be a luxury. 

Stability should not be rare. 

And turning 18 should not feel like the ground is disappearing beneath your feet.

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Sarah Bachman is the Current Miss Dallas County (TX). You can follow her on Instagram. 

This is her first guest blog for Section 36 Forevers.

Hope You Can Hold: Bringing Comfort to Kids in Foster Care

By Kaitlyn Edwards

Foster care stopped being an abstract idea to me when it became personal.Watching my brother move through group homes showed me how easy it is for children in the system to feel unseen, not because people don’t care, but because so much is happening at once. I noticed how the smallest things mattered most: familiarity, comfort, and knowing someone had thought about him before he ever walked through the door.

Growing up with ADHD, I knew what it felt like to be overlooked in a room full of people. Seeing my brother experience that feeling on a much larger scale solidified something in me, no child should feel invisible during the hardest moments of their life.That belief is what led me to start Hope You Can Hold.

When a child enters foster care, they often leave their home with very little and step into an unfamiliar situation. Through Hope You Can Hold, I create “You Are Not Alone packets” filled with handwritten letters, coloring pages, and hand-sewn toys that are placed into children’s intake bags so they receive them on their very first night in care.These items may seem small, but to a child who feels overwhelmed or forgotten, they send a powerful message: You matter. You are seen. You are not alone.I partner with organizations like “The CALL” to help deliver these kits to children entering foster care and speak with students and community groups about kindness, inclusion, and noticing those who may feel overlooked. What began as a small idea has continued to grow, and Hope You Can Hold is currently in the process of becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, allowing it to expand its reach across Arkansas.

As a teen in the Miss America Organization, service is more than something I do it’s something I live out. My goal is simple: to make sure no child feels forgotten during one of the most uncertain moments of their life.

Because sometimes, hope doesn’t come in big gestures. Sometimes, it’s something small you can hold.

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Kaitlyn Edwards is a competitor within the Miss Arkansas Organization. You can follow her CSI on Instagram. 

This is her first guest blog for Section 36 Forevers.

Crowned After Clocking Out: CPA to Pageant Queen

By Julia Bush, CPA, MST - Miss Summerlin 2026

Balancing a 9-to-5 career while serving as a Miss America Organization local title holder often sounds exhausting on paper, and some days, it absolutely is. My Google Calendar is very full, and everything must be color coded. However, it is also one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever taken on, and one I believe more career women should feel empowered to pursue.

My career is something I’m very proud of; I’m a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in both Nevada and New York and I’ve been working as a tax accountant for seven years in some of the most demanding financial hubs, like New York City, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. When you have a career in tax, you are required to operate in a structured environment where deadlines matter, professionalism is expected, and showing up prepared is non-negotiable. That discipline has been one of my greatest assets while serving as Miss Summerlin. My weekdays are spent balancing tax returns and emails, while evenings and weekends are reserved for appearances, my community service initiative work, and preparation. The determination and time management I’ve learned as a tax accountant are important skills I have transferred to being a title holder. Just like how working as a tax professional requires hard work, rectitude, and strategy, so do my duties as Miss Summerlin. 

Although there are a lot of transferable skills between my career and my title, there are many that are not. A big one for me is the creativity that comes with being a title holder. Doing taxes is extremely structured. When a tax accountant gets creative in her work, it usually results in an angry call from the IRS. Being Miss Summerlin has given me space to dream, innovate, and express myself authentically, which has brought so much joy to my life. From designing meaningful community initiatives, to crafting engaging social media content, to styling myself for every occasion, the Miss America Organization allows me to bring my full personality, especially to my community service initiative: financial literacy education access for K-12 students. Bringing the financial knowledge I use every day for work to children requires some extra creativity and thinking outside the box. Working with kids with organizations like Junior Achievement or teaching my own financial literacy courses for teens for the Las Vegas Clark County Library District has given me a new perspective on my career: financial knowledge is for everyone and can be made fun! 

Apart from my community service work, the most meaningful part of this experience is what it represents to other women. Too often, talented, driven women disqualify themselves before ever trying because they believe their career is a barrier. I know I did. I (wrongfully) assumed that my bosses and colleagues would look down on me for being a “pageant queen”. I was nervous they would view me as unprofessional or not dedicated to my job. However, since being crowned Miss Summerlin, I have been met with nothing but love, excitement, and support from everyone I meet - from CEOs, to government officials, to my fellow CPAs. You do not need a flexible schedule, unlimited free time, or to be perfect; that is not what the Miss America Organization is all about. It is about smart, confident women who believe they are capable of more than one dream at a time.

Balancing my career and being Miss Summerlin has brought me so much joy and purpose. I am truly grateful to the Miss Nevada Organization and the Miss America Organization for this opportunity. I’m happy to show that women can be professionals, creatives, advocates, and leaders - all at the same time. And while the days may be long, it is worth every moment. I am so excited for the road ahead and what this amazing opportunity has in store for me next. 

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Julia Bush is the current Miss Summerlin (NV). You can follow her on her Instagram. 

This is her first guest blog for Section 36 Forevers.

POTS Strong

By Micaela Boucher

My name is Micaela and I am a 22-year-old recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.

I began participating in pageantry 12 years ago as a shy, insecure girl who didn’t know how to use her voice. Growing up, things weren’t the easiest for me. I didn’t come from wealth, preparing for upcoming pageants was arduous. The majority of my time was spent fundraising and finding local sponsors, shopping second hand, and researching videos on how to win instead of working 1-on-1 with a coach.

Life at home was stressful. My parents were in and out of the hospital, battling cancer, having joint replacements, facing complications such as staphylococcus infections, pulmonary embolisms, and aneurysms. Alcohol was their coping mechanism, and it almost tore my family apart. I would fall asleep at night wondering if my parents would still be alive when I woke up the next morning. I was terrified. Due to my given circumstances, any health concerns I experienced myself were put on pause.

Pageantry helped me to develop the communication skills and confidence I needed to begin advocating for myself. Once I turned 18, I began seeking help for my symptoms. My first diagnosis? Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression.

This diagnosis was no surprise to me, as I had been struggling with my mental health for years in silence while my parents fought for their lives. However, while this diagnosis holds true, it has made the diagnosis of my other symptoms much more challenging to resolve. It even took me over a year and a half and seeking consult from 4 different doctors to receive my combined type Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis at 19-years-old.

My greatest battle was fought receiving my Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) diagnosis. My sophomore year of high school, Covid struck. After recovering from falling ill with the virus myself, I began to notice peculiar symptoms and changes in my life. At just 16-years-old, every time I stood up my world would turn black. My vision would fade to darkness, my hearing would  buzz while tinnitus and the sound of my heartbeat rang throughout my head, a wave of heat, cold sweats, and pins and needles swarmed my body, my heart palpitating as it felt like it was trying to jump out of my chest, and the weight of my body became heavier as each second passed. After a few painful moments, each of my senses would return as if nothing ever happened. I would experience these episodes during cross country and track practice, in the extreme heat of Wisconsin summers, or even from standing in one place for too long. Chronic fatigue, pain, weakness, and bowel changes plagued my every day life. How could a perfectly normal, healthy 16-year-old athlete suddenly experience such symptoms?

For 4 years my symptoms would be dismissed by everyone around me. I was told I “stood up too fast, needed to drink more water, it was just my anxiety, etc.” My first trip to the emergency room, the doctor working refused to perform any tests and said my symptoms were “all in my head.” 59% of POTS patients are told this. Ignoring that my resting heart rate was sitting at 149 bpm, I was prescribed an antacid for acid reflux and sent on my way. It was all because of the nurse who treated me that I decided to look into POTS. I followed up with my primary care physician and was placed on a halter monitor for a month. Upon results, I was referred to an electrophysiologist where I was later tilt table tested, finally receiving my diagnosis after 4 painstaking years.

94% of POTS patients are women of childbearing age, with an estimated 3-6 million Americans having the disorder. 75% of those patients have or will receive a late diagnosis due to the dismissal of the condition. This needs to change, because this disorder is NOT “all in our heads.”

I’ve made it my mission to continue using the communication skills pageantry instilled in me to break the stigma surrounding POTS, and to encourage individuals to advocate for themselves to be strong in the pursuit of answers regarding any healthcare diagnoses needed to reclaim their lives. Self-advocacy is an essential skill necessary for all areas of life. If you notice something is wrong, it is imperative to speak up and have confidence in yourself to achieve the goal you have set. To accomplish this mission, I created POTS Strong: Reclaiming Lives Through Strength & Advocacy to not only bring awareness to POTS, but to instill self-advocacy skills in my online audience.

If it weren’t for pageantry’s impact on my life, I wouldn’t have the answers I have today nor the passion to create change.

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Micaela Boucher POTS Strong: Reclaiming Lives Through Strength and Advocacy. You can find POTS Strong on Instagram.

This is her first guest blog for Section 36 Forevers.

Miss America Memories

By Haley Joy Tate

Miss America week went by in a blur, but two things stand out to me more than anything else.

One of the greatest blessings of my year as Miss Montana has been my relationship with my Miss Montana’s Teen. She is truly a ray of sunshine — someone who encourages everyone around her and brings so much joy wherever she goes. Walking through Miss America week together only strengthened what has become a genuine sisterhood, and I know without a doubt she’ll be a lifelong friend.

The other moment that stayed close to my heart was my Miss America gown. A week after I was crowned Miss Montana, a family friend offered to do any alterations I needed — free of charge. An hour later, she came back and offered to make my entire Miss America gown, asking only that I cover the cost of materials. Years earlier, I had been her daughter’s youth group mentor, which made the full-circle moment even sweeter.

The gown was finished the week I left for Miss America and was lovingly nicknamed the “Greek Goddess dress” by some of the other contestants. Designing my own gown for that stage was something I never imagined, and I’m incredibly grateful for the generosity and community that made it possible.

Miss America wasn’t just about the stage — it was about sisterhood, service, and being surrounded by people who show up in the most unexpected and meaningful ways.

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Haley Joy Tate is the current Miss Montana. You can follow her on her Instagram. 

This is her first guest blog for Section 36 Forevers.