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The Queen Next Door

Titleholder Spotlight: Danielle Hardy

Hey everyone!

With only eight days until the launch of The Queen Next Store, I’ve been a little busy, but we’re back with our Titleholder Spotlights! This week, we’re shining a light on the achievements of Danielle Hardy.

“When they go low, we go high.” – Michelle Obama

 Danielle is the 2019 Royal International Ms. Maryland. This 25 year-old is from Waldorf, Maryland. In the past, she has held the titles of 2015 National American Miss Maryland and 2014 National American Miss Clinton. She loves Beyconce’s concerts and cookie dough, and was once a guest co-host on the national daytime talk show, The Real! How amazing is that?

Don’t forget to follow her RIMstagram.

Take it away, Danielle!

I started competing in pageants at age 3. I entered my first pageant at age 3 in a local Maryland pageant and won! I have always loved pageantry, but I took a break from it until I was 14 years old to focus on other extra-curricular activities, such as piano, violin, and dance. I decided to get back involved in pageantry again because of my love of public speaking. Pageantry has given me an incredible platform to hone my public speaking skills through personal introduction and spokesmodel categories. I have always LOVED fashion, so I absolutely love the formal wear and casual wear competitions.

My favorite thing about competing in pageants is the opportunity to develop the skills that I’ve gained and refined through competing, such as public speaking and interviewing. Growing up, I was a little shy and competing in pageants really increased my confidence in public speaking in front of small and large crowds. Competition categories, such as personal introduction, enabled me to become more comfortable speaking about myself and what I am passionate about in front of crowds. Interviewing with the judges has allowed me to learn how to communicate my passions in a different way as well as gain practical job interview skills. As a recent law school graduate, I have interviewed with hundreds of top employers in the entertainment industry for internships and jobs. Because of the skills I have gained through competing in pageants, I am able to compose myself and fully explain why I am a great job candidate in job interviews.

My favorite pageant memory is spending time and bonding with my mom! My mom comes to every pageant. She and I go shopping together for all of my gowns and competition outfits. Because we’re so close, she knows me and my style very well, so I completely trust her judgment in choosing my pageant wardrobe and we love shopping together. My mom is my best friend and she is super supportive. When I am on stage, I always look out in the crowd for her smiling face and I know that I can do anything.

My two platforms are:

(1) Alzheimer’s Awareness. I have been an advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association for over 5 years. I got involved with the Alzheimer’s Association when my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014. Since then, I have educated myself and my community about the early detection signs and preventative measures. In addition, I participate in the annual Alzheimer’s Walk and have raised money with my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and my law school. This organization is very near and dear to my heart.
(2) Mentorship in the Legal Profession: I graduated from law school this past December and I am currently studying to take the New York Bar Exam next week! With my experience in TV, I am pursuing a career practicing Entertainment Law. Throughout my entire college and law school career, I have had the privilege of having incredible mentors that have guided me through life and career planning. My mentors play a key role in my life and have opened so many doors for me and I am incredibly grateful for each of them. Because I know the value of great mentorship, I want to mentor the rising generation of young lawyers. I am launching a mentorship program aimed at mentoring women and minorities from high school through law school interested in pursuing a legal career. Last year, the American Bar Association reported that African American lawyers only composed 5% of lawyers across the United States. I was shocked by this and became determined to make a difference and increase diversity in the legal profession. More information on my program will be shared very soon on my Instagram page. To promote my platform, I currently mentor students across the country.

I love The Queen Next Door because it is a positive platform for pageantry. In a world of social media, it’s easy for the perception of pageantry to be negative or misinterpreted because of the narrative that is often shared. I love The Queen Next Door because it always highlights pageant queens doing amazing and positive things in their communities. As a queen, it’s important to have a sisterhood and lift each other up even when others are not. The Queen Next Door is awesome!

This intelligent, loyal, and creative queen will be competing for the title of Royal International Ms. this July! The Queen Next Door can’t wait to cheer her on all week in Orlando, Florida. It’s not too late to sign up for 2019 Royal International Miss Internationals! Royal International Miss is a great system for first-timers and pageant pros. Read more about the system here.

Don’t forget to follow The Queen Next Store on Instagram!

Jordan

 

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