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. 

-----

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.

----

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.

----

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.

I Hereby Resolve...

 Typically, the end of the year is a time for people to reflect on their life, and to make any changes they see the need for. Why do it for the first of the year? No particular reason. Although, I suppose, a July 2 Resolution doesn’t have the same ring to it. A New Year’s Resolution also has the added benefit of only occurring once a year. If you make a New Month Resolution, and fail after three days…you have some obligation to make the same resolution the next month. If you make a resolution on January 1, but flop by January 2, you can wait an entire year before you have to try and make yourself a better person. That’s a handy feature. People also find it nicer to write these resolutions down. Anything written down automatically has more weight. After all, if you take the time to type it out and share it with others, it must be important. Plus, anyone why knows about your resolution will obviously shun you if you don’t stick to it. If you make a resolution in silence, it’s pretty easy to ignore it. Of course, that presumes that anyone is listening, or cares enough to hold you to it. That’s probably not the case here. But, what else am I going to write about on January 1st? 

My main resolution really requires you to all help along. I really want to be able to share more guest blogs from all of you in 2026. While the writing and sending part depends on you, there are some things I can do to help you along with that.

I want to work on making this a place where you're more likely to want to write a blog for. Starting with viewership. I want to make a dedicated effort to make sure as many eyes as possible are on your posts when you write them. Whether that's with promotion or persistence, I need to get moving. The Instagram account passing 2000 followers is a result of similar efforts on that front. I'd like to do more things like that here.

I also want to be more visible elsewhere in the titleholder landscape. Whether that's following and commenting on social media, or reading and commenting on websites and blogs, or whatever else it may be. Part of that is, simply, those things are worthy of my support. The other part is just making Section 36 Forevers more of a community that you'll love being a part of. Feel free to offer suggestions on that front and ways I can support you.

So, there we go. Things I want to try and do in the coming year. If you care, feel free to try and keep me honest. Mocking comments if I’m going astray are encouraged. Or, help me out by contributing to the resolutions. Or both. Or, ignore it all completely. Your call.

Happy New Year Everyone!