National Miss encourages all to ‘Be You’

MT. PLEASANT — Kilie Akers, an Iowa Wesleyan graduate student, currently reigns as America’s National Teenager Scholarship Organization’s (ANTSO) National Miss for 2022.

Akers began pageantry at 5 years old.

She participated in the Miss Iowa system for a number of years and even earned herself the title of Junior Miss Iowa in 2012, but after participating in the full-fledge Miss Iowa pageant, Akers was approached by an ANTSO representative about participating in their pageant circuit.

Akers decided that it was worth a try.

“They [ANTSO] look more toward who you are as a person and focus less on the public speaking skills,” Akers said. “ANTSO really pushes us to be the best person we can be inside and out through the classroom and community service.”

Through her connections n the pageant world, Akers has had many once-in-a-life-time opportunities.

In fact, she was able to walk in New York Fashion Week for Marc Defang simply because she followed him on Facebook because he designs her favorite pageant shoes.

“It was just a huge blessing that I follow him on Facebook, because that is where I found out about how to submit an application and portfolio to be considered to walk in his show,” she said.

With the platform “Be Healthy, Be Fit, Be YOUtiful,” it was a no-brainer for her to step into this new pageant circuit where she felt she could be more genuinely herself.

“Until about a year ago, it took me a long time to come to terms with who I am as a person,” she said. “ANTSO has really helped me to do that.”

Akers loves being active, but she has encountered a number of obstacles in her athletic career.

Her junior year of high school Akers sustained a knee injury as she cheered for the Mediapolis Bulldogs.

She underwent surgery and was uncertain what her future athletic career would look like.

Against the odds, however, Akers continued to play volleyball, and even played at the collegiate level.

During her time as a freshman player with Southeast Community College, however, she sustained another knee injury and had to have yet another surgery.

This did not keep her down.

With the support of her mom and dad, Angel and Bill, and her coach, Akers learned a new position at the back of the court, and continued playing the game she loves.

While volleyball has been an important part of her life, Akers says her favorite way to be physically active is through dance.

She has danced since she was three years old.

She cannot always dance like she used to due to the continued struggles with her knee, but she makes sure to keep dancing as an important part of her life.

Currently, she does this by teaching dance at Nikki K’s in Mt. Pleasant.

The setbacks from her knee injuries, however, did take a toll on Akers.

She found that as she was undergoing yet another knee surgery, she began to feel anxious and depressed and needed to seek out help.

“I realized I wasn’t the only one struggling with injuries, whether they were physical or mental,” Akers said.

“I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and when COVID hit, I became bulimic,” She said. “I decided to talk about with other people and tell my story across the state and country.”

Akers feels that health, especially mental health, has a deep stigmatization in collegiate sports.

“It’s OK to struggle,” she said. “A lot of people believe you can’t struggle. You have to be strong and bold and determined to be perfect, especially as a collegiate athlete, but that’s not true. You should put that bigger focus on your mental and physical health.”

“It’s OK to ask for help,” Akers said. “You can heave help and still succeed in the classroom and on the court.”

Currently, Akers is grateful for the opportunity to work with students at Iowa Wesleyan University to cope with their internal and physical health limitations in the classroom and athletics.

“What has helped me personally is taking a step back after pageants and reevaluating,” Akers said. “I want to make sure I doing what I am doing for myself and not someone else. I want to remember that my value is not in what a judge says or is looking for.”

For those in pageantry, Akers encourages them the same way as those in college and athletics.

Ask for help.

“Working out has really helped me,” she said. “It will vary from person to person, though. What works for me might not work for the next person, and I think that is the beauty in it.”

She appreciates that she gets to help others figure out what works best for them in her job and through her role as ANTSO National Miss.

“A lot of people have a stigma on pageant like Toddlers in Tiaras,” she said. “It has given me the interview skills and confidence to carry the skills into my future career, but you gain so much more than just community service and career base. You gain friendships and so much more than you see on T.V.”

“Be you.” She says to those wanting to do pageantry, pursue athletics, or on any other journey. “You have to remember to be yourself through it all. Remember who you are, what you stand up for, and who you are as a person and that is all that should matter.”

Akers is excited to see Henry County’s fair queen Chevy Mills shine her unique self in this way.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com