Newly Crowned Miss America Says She Is ‘Driven By My Faith’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Abbie Stockard, the current Miss America, says she is “driven” by her faith and hopes to use her title “to touch the lives and the hearts of the people across our nation.”
“I am very driven by my faith,” Stockard told Fox News. “Based on the morals and the values that my family taught me, I believe that every single person is called to make a difference.
She explained that her “main mission is to use this title to serve others” in a “polarized and divided” world.
“I want to be a light. I want to be an inspiration, and I want to make every single person feel seen, valued and appreciated, because that is who the Lord is,” Stockard said. “That’s what He would want me to do. And I know that I was anointed to this position for a purpose, and that’s why I’m not going to take it for granted.”
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Stockard also shared how she leaned on her faith during the Miss America competition, explaining that she “channeled…peace and confidence.”
“Peace that surpasses all understanding, knowing that the Lord is taking care of my needs for me. He has a plan for my life, and His plan is good. Reminding myself that He is for me, and He is not against me. Why worry? Because he already knows the results of this competition,” she said. “The second word [was] confidence — confidence in the work that I’ve put in, but also confidence in His plan for my life.”
Stockard added, “I think that’s why I did so well. I didn’t put this pressure on myself. Because at the end of the day, there was only so much I could control. He was taking care of all of it. That’s why I’m excited to have this position and to continue spreading my faith to people who need it.”
The Miss America winner is still processing her win, telling her home state of Alabama’s 1819 News, “It’s still very, very surreal. I mean, I’ve watched the video over and over trying to remember what was going through my head and I just get so giddy every time I watch it. I honestly just had, just did not think that I was going to win.”
Now, Stockard plans to use her platform to bring awareness to cystic fibrosis, becoming the official ambassador for the National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
“There’s only about 40,000 people in the United States, and about 100,000 people with cystic fibrosis worldwide, so it’s incredible to have someone of Abbie’s stature in this position to raise awareness for this rare disease,” Margaret Smith, the executive director of the CFF Alabama chapter, told CBS 42.
Smith continued, “Especially this past year, in her reign as Miss Hoover and as Miss Alabama, she’s been a tremendous spokesperson to raise awareness about cystic fibrosis. To help us with fundraising and just to spread the word about this devastating disease. So, we’re absolutely thrilled to have her now on this national platform and there’s no better person.”
READ MORE: U.S. AIR FORCE OFFICER CROWNED MISS AMERICA: ‘YOU CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING’
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