By Keira Rambousek
The Beginning — An 11-Year-Old With Big Dreams
I was just eleven when I started competing. Back then, I was having fun, which looked like hanging out with the other girls, soaking in the sisterhood that the Miss America Organization is so well known for, and performing on stage, something I’ve loved for as long as I can remember.
One memory still feels as fresh as the day it happened: the moment after finishing a performance I had practiced for months. The bright stage lights blurred the applauding crowd, and I could hear my mom and sisters whooping with joy. I had a wave of gratitude for being able to do something I loved, surrounded by people who believed in me. That feeling has never left.
Discovering Purpose Through Pain
But my journey wasn’t defined by stages alone. At thirteen, I experienced a loss that many adults have yet to face: the unexpected death of a parent. That grief sent me into a deep depression and marked the beginning of my mental health journey. I felt alone and lost. Eventually, curiosity took over, and I began studying mental health; the more I learned, the more I wanted to fight for hope. Knowledge became my lifeline, and understanding became my first act of healing.
Over time, my pain revealed a purpose. My CSI, Mental Health Matters, grew from those hard years. I became a field advocate for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and, more recently, began my first three-year term as a board member for NAMI North Dakota. My mission became clear: to show others that even our hardest stories can become the reason we serve.
The Power of Service
In the depths of depression, I made a choice: service instead of self. Every volunteer event, every community project, every conversation became a lifeline pulling me up from the trenches.
This purpose is what led me into schools across North Dakota, presenting Ending the Silence, a presentation that shares resources from both AFSP and NAMI. I tell my story not to focus on the pain, but to highlight the hope. My message is simple: It's okay to not be okay, and you are not alone.
The Setback — And the Year That Changed Everything
In 2023, I placed first runner-up for Miss North Dakota’s Teen. It was a huge accomplishment, but also a heartbreak only a runner-up truly understands. You get so close to the crown that you can almost taste it, and when your name isn’t called, it’s easy to spiral from pride into self-doubt. I found myself wondering: What did I do wrong?
That’s when I took a full year off. For the first time since I was eleven, I asked myself who I was without the Miss America crown in my future. If I never competed again, could I still be the person I was trying to become? Did I care about service, mental health, and my community because of a title, or because it was genuinely who I am?
The answer surprised me: yes. Yes, I was still passionate. Yes, I still showed up. Yes, I still grew, volunteered, advocated, and sang, without a sash on my shoulder.
That year changed everything.
The Comeback — Stronger, Steadier, and Completely Myself
The moment I decided to compete again came unexpectedly. I made a last-minute decision to attend Dickinson State University and realized I’d need scholarships. And what better scholarship source than the Miss North Dakota Organization?
But when I returned, something was different. I stood onstage during the crowning with a peace I had never felt before. Crown or not, I knew exactly who I was. I knew I was going to keep singing, volunteering, connecting, and advocating with or without a title.
That congruency — that alignment between who I am onstage and who I am offstage — was a game changer.
The Titleholder I Am Today
Today, I lead with confidence rooted not in perfection but in purpose. My social media presence allows me to share resources and encouragement with people across the country. My volunteer work continues to reinforce the message that my mental health does not define me, and neither does anyone else’s.
Every event, every school visit, every connection proves that service is more powerful than fear and community is more powerful than shame.
Looking Forward — The Vision of Miss North Dakota
When I imagine myself as Miss North Dakota, I feel energized. I see myself traveling the state and country, volunteering at as many events as I can, speaking to young people, and expanding the reach of our program far beyond the pageant world.
My goal is to be a bridge; someone who shows the public that Miss North Dakota is not just a titleholder, but a servant leader. I want to share this message everywhere I go:
Look at me, and look at what I’ve been through.
Wherever you are right now, it gets better. You get stronger.
Whatever tragedy you’re facing is shaping you into someone capable of future storms — and that’s okay.
When we walk together, the world changes.
Wherever you are right now, it gets better. You get stronger.
Whatever tragedy you’re facing is shaping you into someone capable of future storms — and that’s okay.
When we walk together, the world changes.
That is the legacy I hope to leave.
Closing — More Than a Crown
My story is not one of perfection, but of resilience, identity, and heart. I started as an eleven-year-old girl who just wanted to have fun. Today, I’m a young woman who understands the weight and beauty of purpose.
The Miss North Dakota Organization didn’t just give me opportunities; it gave me the toolkit to know who I am. And no matter what lies ahead, I will continue serving, singing, advocating, and standing up for mental health.
Crown or no crown, I know exactly who I am.
And I know exactly where I’m going.
And I know exactly where I’m going.
----
This is her first guest blog for Section 36 Forevers.
No comments:
Post a Comment