Ball State junior Abby Foster postponed her schooling this year to compete in the Miss America pageant after receiving the title of Miss Illinois.
"My favorite part has been being able to set a goal and watching my hard work pay off," Foster said. "I surround myself with hard-working and inspiring people every day, and I want to show others that pushing yourself truly does pay off."
While competing, Foster applied lessons and attitudes she gained while growing up to stay confident in herself and inspire others.
At nine years old, Foster was diagnosed with a disease that affected her nervous system and crippled her walking for over a year, which prevented her from dancing.
Foster said she lost part of herself when she could no longer dance, which is why she decided to dance a jazz routine for the talent portion of the competition.
"I realized how important dance was to me, and I decided that I would never allow anything to keep me from my passion again," Foster said.
Foster also allowed experiences from Ball State to influence her choices in other aspects of the pageant, such as developing a platform.
Each contestant in a Miss America pageant must develop a platform they are passionate about and will promote and raise funds for while holding a title; Foster chose, "Youth Mentoring: The Building Blocks of Success."
When she was involved with College Mentors for Kids at Ball State, which connects college students with children who need positive role models, Foster said she was able to see the impact that people can have on the lives of children when they take the time to care.
"I want to emphasize how dedicated, strong, compassionate, caring and well-educated Abby is," said Macee Mygrant, junior hospitality management major. "She is always on the go, but constantly has a smile on her face. She's such an awesome woman, and I truly think she is going to change the world."
Foster was able to make it into the top 15 of the pageant before being eliminated, but her journey is far from over.
"Competing on national television was amazing," Foster said. "It was my chance to continue showing young people from my state that anything is possible when you push yourself and work hard."
While she still holds the title of Miss Illinois, she will continue to advocate for youth mentoring and prepare to return to Ball State to study elementary education.
Foster enjoyed the pageant, but is excited to return to her sorority, Delta Zeta, and get involved with other organizations on campus.
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