I am an experienced leader with a true heart for service. My skillset includes public speaking, journalism, communications, event planning, mental health advocacy and organization management. By combining my life experiences and vulnerably sharing my story, I have been a voice for those who feel like they don’t have a voice.
Serving as Miss Iowa 2018 in the Miss America Organization allowed me to reach thousands of people in a unique way. I mean, people like to listen to someone with a crown on their head, right?
With this title, I championed a platform for my year of service called How About HOPE – Mental Health and Suicide Awareness. I spoke to over 10,000 students in schools throughout Iowa and Illinois and completed over 150 community and school appearances. I made it my mission to partner with nonprofit organizations who provided mental health services for their communities and did so in multiple counties throughout Iowa. I represented the Miss Iowa Scholarship Program at the Miss America competition in September of 2018, and earned over $15,000 in scholarship dollars to pursue my higher education.
I now tell stories for a lifestyle show called Cincy Lifestyle that airs on WCPO 9. I love connecting with new people and highlighting community interests, so this is a dream come true. Take a look around, and feel free to reach out to me!
Mikhayla Hughes-Shaw 