As the vibrant hues of pageantry blend with the powerful message of inclusion, Katie Griswold stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration during Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. Diagnosed with autism at age eight, Katie's story is one of determination, resilience, and the transformative power of self-expression through dance and online education. Her journey echoes the struggles and achievements many face, while her relationship with her brother offers an intimate glimpse into the family dynamics that nurture acceptance and understanding. Join us to unearth the depths of Katie's experiences, from the trials of public school to the triumphs of the Miss Georgia pageant stage.
Katie Griswold is not just a contestant; she's a visionary, aiming to claim the titles of Miss Georgia and Miss America as platforms for advocacy. Her story is a testament to the courage found in facing adversity head-on and the superpowers that autism can bestow. The pageant world has been her stage to challenge perceptions and advocate for those with disabilities, treating them as individuals first. We'll uncover the pageantry glitz, the heartfelt ambition, and Katie's dream to amplify her advocacy through the universal language of music, inspiring others to embrace their identities with pride and confidence.
The melody of Katie's determination crescendos with the announcement of her song "Make a Difference," set to debut on iTunes. It's more than a song; it's the anthem for our shared journey of courage and the celebration of autism. Together, we reflect on Celebrate Autism Day's impact, the essential role of educational programs in fostering a world of inclusivity, and the power of family support. Be part of our conversation that not only educates but uplifts, and get ready to be moved by the stories of bravery that remind us all—you are never alone.
https://tonymantor.com https://Facebook.com/tonymantor https://instagram.com/tonymantor https://twitter.com/tonymantor https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
As the vibrant hues of pageantry blend with the powerful message of inclusion, Katie Griswold stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration during Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. Diagnosed with autism at age eight, Katie's story is one of determination, resilience, and the transformative power of self-expression through dance and online education. Her journey echoes the struggles and achievements many face, while her relationship with her brother offers an intimate glimpse into the family dynamics that nurture acceptance and understanding. Join us to unearth the depths of Katie's experiences, from the trials of public school to the triumphs of the Miss Georgia pageant stage.
Katie Griswold is not just a contestant; she's a visionary, aiming to claim the titles of Miss Georgia and Miss America as platforms for advocacy. Her story is a testament to the courage found in facing adversity head-on and the superpowers that autism can bestow. The pageant world has been her stage to challenge perceptions and advocate for those with disabilities, treating them as individuals first. We'll uncover the pageantry glitz, the heartfelt ambition, and Katie's dream to amplify her advocacy through the universal language of music, inspiring others to embrace their identities with pride and confidence.
The melody of Katie's determination crescendos with the announcement of her song "Make a Difference," set to debut on iTunes. It's more than a song; it's the anthem for our shared journey of courage and the celebration of autism. Together, we reflect on Celebrate Autism Day's impact, the essential role of educational programs in fostering a world of inclusivity, and the power of family support. Be part of our conversation that not only educates but uplifts, and get ready to be moved by the stories of bravery that remind us all—you are never alone.
https://tonymantor.com https://Facebook.com/tonymantor https://instagram.com/tonymantor https://twitter.com/tonymantor https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
Speaker 1:
Welcome to why Not Me the World? Podcast, hosted by Tony Mantor, broadcasting from Music City, usa, nashville, tennessee. Join us as our guests tell us their stories. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry. Show life people who will inspire, and show that you are not alone in this world. Hopefully, you gain more awareness, acceptance and a better understanding for autism around the world. Hi, I'm Tony Mantor. Welcome to why Not Me the World. Today's guest is Katie Griswold. She is joining me live in the studio, and not only that she's the first episode for April, which everyone knows is Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. She has such a great story. She's part of the Miss Georgia pageantry. There's just so many things that we're going to talk about and I'm really glad to have her here. Thanks for joining me, katie.
Speaker 2:
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:
It's my pleasure and it's great to have you in the studio here with me today. So let's start off with at what age was you diagnosed as autistic?
Speaker 2:
I was diagnosed when I was eight years old.
Speaker 1:
Okay, so you're eight years old, just diagnosed autistic. What went through your mind and what did you have to do to adapt?
Speaker 2:
It was definitely something I had to adapt to. Mostly I was new to the whole autistic thing and to me I kind of felt like I had a target on my back more, since I was being bullied a lot and it just affected me more.
Speaker 1:
Most people tell me that they get bullied primarily at the public school. Is that where you was getting most of your abuse?
Speaker 2:
Yes, I definitely got it from the public school.
Speaker 1:
That's just really sad to hear. So what did you do to correct the situation?
Speaker 2:
After I finished second grade, I went to online school for my third grade year.
Speaker 1:
So you're eight years old. You've just recently been diagnosed autistic. What changes in your life did you have to make so that you could blend in with some of the people in places that you wanted to fit in with? Was that difficult for you?
Speaker 2:
It took a long time trying to fit into where I needed to be, and when I got to Georgia Connections Academy to the school I'm in right now I got the learning I needed. When I was into public school I didn't know how to read. The only words I could say was the and and, but when I got to online school I started reading full sentences and reading more every day. So that kind of helped me more as being out in the public.
Speaker 1:
What did you do to relax, so that the pressure wouldn't get to you, so that you could still use what you're learning from your online school, to be able to get out in the public more?
Speaker 2:
Mostly just act crazy and dance. I do dance a lot, so it helps me motivate my system.
Speaker 1:
That's great. So has this allowed you to meet more people and get more friends, and how has that helped you?
Speaker 2:
I really. Mostly I had two friends at dance who were really there for me and supported me everywhere I go. But outside of dance I really didn't have anyone to go to. I just had my parents and my little brother and his family.
Speaker 1:
Now your brother? He's autistic as well, correct?
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
Now. Is he older or younger than you?
Speaker 2:
He's younger.
Speaker 1:
Okay, so being younger and autistic as well, how do you two get along?
Speaker 2:
It was like a love hate relationship. We'll agree on some things and other times we just won't agree on anything at all. He'll do everything by himself when I try to help and I'm like okay.
Speaker 1:
So is he more of an introvert or an extrovert?
Speaker 2:
He's more of an introvert.
Speaker 1:
So that means you're the extrovert of the family, then yes. Well, that's good, because every family has to have one. So what did the school system do that caused you some issues?
Speaker 2:
It would either put us in timeout or send us to the principal's office, and that's just not how to help kids with autism. They need to learn the behaviors so they know how to help these kids.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely so what else happened there that made you realize that you needed to make a change with your school?
Speaker 2:
They would bully us. My brother would get put in timeout a lot. I'd get bullied by the teachers and they would send my mom fake notes saying I did something bad and then I didn't.
Speaker 1:
Wow, that's just so sad to hear. Was there anyone there that could help you?
Speaker 2:
Really not. There wasn't really anyone to help us so, and he got my mom irritated a lot, so we just got out of that school.
Speaker 1:
I think that was a very good choice. Now that you're homeschooling, what's your day-to-day routines look like?
Speaker 2:
Basically we wake up, get breakfast and then we go ahead and start school, do our life classes and then do our schoolwork and our mom comes home. She checks if everything is right and then, we submit it and then she'll log in on our attendance and say hey, they did this.
Speaker 1:
That sounds like a very good routine. Now I've talked with several people that say their autistic kids have had major meltdowns. Did you have any issues with major meltdowns, you or your brother?
Speaker 2:
We had a bunch of major meltdowns. Me and my brother, we did not like school at all. Every time we the new school year started, me and my brother would be like we're not going in there.
Speaker 1:
Okay, so now when you get up, you go to school on weekends. Let's say you go money through Friday. What's some of the activities you get into on the weekends?
Speaker 2:
Mostly I would go outside and help daddy either mow the lawn or feed the fish or go fishing and hunting my brother he would just stay indoors watch TV, play with his toys, line them up in color order. That's just what we did on weekends.
Speaker 1:
That sounds good. So now you're homeschooled and you're doing things in a completely different way. How about friends? Do you have some friends now that you're socializing with? How's that working for you?
Speaker 2:
Now I do have friends. They tried to include me in stuff when I am available to go out and do fun stuff with them. Like my church friends and my Miss Georgia friends, they always try to include me in any way they can.
Speaker 1:
That's awesome. It's great to have friends. You mentioned Miss Georgia. At what age did you decide? I think that's what I want to do.
Speaker 2:
Mostly when I was little. I was little when I did start of pageants, but that was just school pageants. But when I got older I started seeing my friend, kelsey Hollis, who was Miss Georgia 2022. She was fourth runner up to Miss America and her brother has autism as well and I told my mom. I said I want to start competing for pageants again. So we signed a contract and we have my title Miss South Central Georgia's team and I went to Miss Georgia and it was something I have never experienced. Everyone was so kind and welcoming. Every day I would get compliments saying hey, your talent was fantastic, hope you do good on your interview. And when I come out of interview, everyone was like how was it? How was the interview? And I would tell them and they would say you got this you have in the bag.
Speaker 1:
That's awesome. So you're autistic. You're going through these interviews. Did you have anything that concerned you, and how did you handle that so that you could compete and do what you needed to do?
Speaker 2:
I was mostly concerned to make in contact with the judges. I had to tell the judges a lot. Now I'm not trying to be rude, I just can't make physical eye contact with you. It's a part of my learning disability. It infects with me in my brain.
Speaker 1:
Did the judges know, before you told them this, that you were autistic?
Speaker 2:
I don't think they did.
Speaker 1:
Well, that could be a good thing, because now that they don't know and you had to tell them, that way they could be honest with you without knowing.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
That's great that you could be yourself. Eventually, they found out that you were autistic. Do you know when that happened?
Speaker 2:
When I first started doing Mr Orchid thing or what, yeah, it was when I started it they started knowing I had autism.
Speaker 1:
Okay, so every time that you do a pageant, is that one of the things that you have to do is have an interview with the judges and then move on from there?
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
So what type of interview is it that they ask you?
Speaker 2:
It's a 10 minute interview and there's a tide keeper who tells the head judge hey, time's up. And the head judge will say, hey, you got 30 seconds of what you want to close with.
Speaker 1:
So when you get out of the interview and you finish that, what's next on the agenda?
Speaker 2:
What's next is you get yourself together and get ready for the competition. You have stages of competition. First is on stage question, and then fitness, and then talent, and then evening walk and then, after evening walk, it's crowning.
Speaker 1:
Okay, that's very interesting. How do you get yourself prepared for each step that you have to go through in that pageant?
Speaker 2:
I take a breather, I pray with the girls who are competing with me, we do a prayer circle, we just go on from there and hope everything runs well, and if one of us is having to melt down, we would calm each other down and then we would get back on the road.
Speaker 1:
That's awesome. Now you say that you have a talent portion. What's your talent and how do you prepare for that?
Speaker 2:
The talent is a 90 seconds routine. You can either dance or sing. Mine was doing both. Some people say it's hard to do both because you would run out of breath easily. To be honest it is. It took me a long time trying to get my cardio work, but as the more I did it, the more I felt comfortable doing song and dance.
Speaker 1:
That's great. That's a tough thing to accomplish and sounds like you've done it. What style of music do you do when you get up there on that stage?
Speaker 2:
I basically want to hear the souls like Elvis. Elvis was a soul kind of person. He was a rhythm and blues, basically rock and roll, because that's what it started rhythm and blues.
Speaker 1:
That's awesome. I think you told me earlier that you're going more towards the country now for your shows.
Speaker 2:
Yes, because when I sing my country accent tends to come out a lot. It's mostly when I talk to. When I talk to my friends, they're all saying you have a good accent. I'm like, I'm from the southern, what you expect.
Speaker 1:
So true. Now you've been doing this for a while In your mind, what do you think that you've gained from doing these pageants?
Speaker 2:
Confidence. That's mainly what I've gained from doing these pageants was being confident with myself now and that I can be unstoppable through every single pageant I do. It's okay if I don't win because I'm not going to give up. I will just bounce right back and say, hey, I'm not giving up so easily. If I don't win any of the locals, I'll do it at large again or digital. I will find a way to go back to Miss Georgia again and again, because it boosted my confidence.
Speaker 1:
And you've gained a lot of friends out of this, haven't you?
Speaker 2:
Yes, I gained 92 best friends.
Speaker 1:
That's so awesome. Have you met other autistic people in your pageantry as well?
Speaker 2:
Yes, actually I have. I was in an autistic pageant that was for kids with autism and I was in it when I was little, okay, and it was fun. It was amazing me being as little I was. I still have my old little pageant outfit. For that pageant somewhere in the house I had, like, my headpiece I still have and I don't know what it was, but it was something I had to wear and I was comfortable.
Speaker 1:
That's the main thing. You say that you've grown more confident. What are some of the things that happened along the way and what are some of the things that actually gave you that confidence to keep going?
Speaker 2:
Mostly more bullying. It brought me down a little, but when I was in the pageant it definitely boosted it. I was with friends, I was comfortable around my age. We were talking, we were having fun in the dressing room. It didn't matter what time it was during rehearsal. We would literally talk until it is our time to get up there for rehearsals.
Speaker 1:
That's just really great. How do they treat you when you go for a pageant?
Speaker 2:
They don't treat me for being autistic. They treat me for who I am as a person.
Speaker 1:
That's really good. I'm glad to hear that.
Speaker 2:
That's what everyone should do with people who have autism. They should treat them as a person and not for this person who is autistic, that they can't do anything when they can. There should be people who should go out and do things that people will say, wow, this person can do it.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely. I love that attitude. Now you're doing all these pageants. What's your ultimate goal? Is that to get to that, Miss Georgia?
Speaker 2:
Yes, my goal is to win either Miss Georgia's team or Miss Georgia and hopefully go on to Miss America and hopefully win Miss America one day.
Speaker 1:
Why not? Someone has to Now along the way. You are putting yourself out there, where you're in the public and people can see you.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
That gives them an opportunity to get to know, you see how you handle yourself and what you are doing to promote what autistic people can do. What's your goal? To use your voice so that you can be an advocate for autistic people around the world.
Speaker 2:
Ministry and one day camps for people with disabilities like autism, down syndrome, even the deaf community. You can talk to them and make sure that, hey, it doesn't matter if you're deaf or if you have a disability or symptoms. You can go out into the world and be yourself. You don't have to have people tell you what to do. But, most importantly, just be confident with yourself. It doesn't matter what people say about you because at the end of the day, you're you.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely so. Do you look at your autism like others do? That is your superpower.
Speaker 2:
Definitely.
Speaker 1:
That's awesome. So it's your superpower. What do you do to show everyone that your superpower is autism and you can do anything, just like anyone else can?
Speaker 2:
Mostly singing, because sometimes when you sing, people will feel that emotion, the story behind the songs. And that's what I want to be as a singer and hopefully a songwriter. I want my songs to be a message to the world.
Speaker 1:
I think that's fantastic. There's nothing better to get messages out there and make people feel something than music. Now you're doing the pageants. You're hopefully going to win Miss USA one day. Once you've accomplished everything that you want and you've got to the level where you're happy, what's after that? Do you want to continue with your music?
Speaker 2:
Basically just to sing for a living. Go out, hopefully around the world, and talk to the people who are autistic, who have many disabilities, and say be the unstoppable force you are, don't be afraid to tell people that you have autism and that you're proud of it, because there's probably some talented people in the military who do have autism and are just afraid to say it. It shouldn't be something they should be ashamed of. They should say, hey, I'm autistic, but don't bring me down for it. I can still go out and serve my country. I can still go out and dance and sing and play football. That should be something they should be proud of.
Speaker 1:
I absolutely agree, 100%. Now you say that you want to tell the story behind the song. If I was to write a song and it was you, what would your story tell?
Speaker 2:
That I am unstoppable, I'm confident in me. It doesn't matter if I'm not autistic or if I have Downs and Drone, or if I am deaf. I can still tell my story. Within my emotions and with how I'm speaking with other people. I could tell my story who I am, as a person.
Speaker 1:
I agree 100%. So basically, you want to inspire people.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
I think that's just awesome. Now, because you're autistic, you understand what others that are autistic are going through on a daily basis. What can you do to inspire them, and what words of advice would you give to them so they could just keep moving forward with their life?
Speaker 2:
Be yourself, don't be afraid to show who you are and grow within yourself.
Speaker 1:
That's so good. Now, what would you like to tell everyone? You've told them your story. You've told them about your autism, about your schooling and the bullying that you went through. How you gain friends. What words of advice would you like to give people that are listening, to just help them a little bit more?
Speaker 2:
Go out and talk to these people with autism and let them know hey, don't be afraid of who you are as a person in life, because God created you in his own image. That is what teachers and principals of schools should know too. They should know the behaviors so they can know hey, let's take it slow so this person knows how to do math or science or education more.
Speaker 1:
Okay, so your goal is to help people spread the message of what you're trying to put out there. It usually starts at the community level, so what would you like to see in your local community to help those that need help?
Speaker 2:
I would love to see these one day camps for kids and adults with autism called Celebrate Autism Day, because autism it doesn't just have to be a month, it could be a whole year. If everyone around the world start these one day camps, that's the Celebrate Autism Day for kids and adults with special needs, like talent shows to show people what they can do, or even more fun stuff like learning about the community and how law enforcement's work. That would be a fun thing for kids and adults with autism.
Speaker 1:
Okay, I've had autistic people that's worked with the fire department, that's worked with a lot of different entities that way. What would you do to raise that to a bigger scope, make it a little bit bigger? What's some of your ideas there?
Speaker 2:
Maybe a fire truck and people with wet stuff they should spray the hose for the kids who want to get wet and maybe a water slide, a talent show, a stage and maybe a little fun pageant for people with autism. They would still get crowned and sass. For any people, like adults, that they want to be in the pageant, go ahead, you're still going to get a crown and sass in the end of the day.
Speaker 1:
One of the things that's been told to me several times is that people that are neuro-tip, that do not understand autistic people, they've got this vision. They think it's something that's not really what it is. A friend of mine this autistic said that people don't understand that when she gets up from school and goes home, that she doesn't leave autism. Autism goes with her because that's her for the rest of her life. How would you bridge that gap so that people that aren't autistic can understand people that are?
Speaker 2:
I think there should be a class about learning autism for people who want to learn it, so they know the behaviors, they know what they can do to help, and it should be a class that should probably be in school for people who want to learn, to help these people grow in life.
Speaker 1:
That's great ideas. I really like it. What's important to you today, right now, so to speak?
Speaker 2:
It's important to me Moe's is spending time with your family. If you're autistic and your family has a hard time understanding it, that they don't know what to do, they should talk to somebody and help the family learn more about autism so they know what to do to help their child grow more in education-wise, but also to feel unique and to feel accepted.
Speaker 1:
There's such a wide spectrum of autism you got people that can get violent that they have all kinds of issues. How would you bring that out so that people would get a better understanding that this is something that's going through their mind, it's not them just being bad people?
Speaker 2:
If a child is acting out as school, they should stop what they're doing. Take a minute with the child and say hey, let's go outside and go for a walk or let's Watch something to cool your mind down. And that's what should help. Because, my brother, he calms down more when he's watching TV. He's in his own little world. That's how he's functioning by having something playing on a sabbat and simply playing on the TV. That's how he is calm and how he just motivates in life. When he's in the school room he's like.
Speaker 2:
And when he's not getting doing something that he wants his way, he acts out. And that's when we tell him okay, take a break, calm down, let's go watch TV.
Speaker 1:
Now I think you told me that he's into music and he's just a big fan of hard rock.
Speaker 2:
Yes, he loves skillet and all the rock and roll bands.
Speaker 1:
Does that help calm him down.
Speaker 2:
Yes, he will play it in the middle of the night and we'll all wake up and be like well, there's no getting him to sleep this time.
Speaker 1:
Okay. So what calms you like this? There's must be times that you can feel some anxiety coming on, or or you've got the pressure of a Big show coming up or something that's just just stressing you a little bit. What do you do to calm yourself down, so that you can kind of get yourself back to doing what you need to do to move forward?
Speaker 2:
When I'm feeling anxious, I would look up pictures of dogs. Literally, dogs are so cute, they would help me calm me down. My dogs at the house they know when I feel anxious wrong will literally just come up to me and literally just lay on top of me Because he knows something's wrong. He knows that I'm not okay and he's just being there trying to calm me down.
Speaker 1:
Okay, so does that get you to your comfort zone or where you start feeling better? Yes okay, and then, once you start feeling better, how do you Process that, so that you can kind of put that off to the side and then start focusing on what needs to be done, or whatever you might be thinking about doing?
Speaker 2:
sometimes I would take pictures of my dogs and bring them with me when I go to the page and so if I feel like I need to look at Something, I will look at my dogs and calm myself down and say, okay, let's get back on track, and I would literally just think of my dogs. I will just pretend the judges are just my dogs.
Speaker 1:
Okay, that's good. So I understand that the last time that you got interviewed the judges thought you did outstanding, if I am correct. Yes so how did that make you feel when they told you that? What went through your mind that?
Speaker 2:
In my mind I was saying to myself okay, I'm on the right track, I'm getting somewhere. And Now that I'm here in this organization with Miss Georgia, I'm finally getting out of my comfort zone and Getting into something that I'm not used to. But I am getting used to more with being around people my age and hearing the judges Compliments on me.
Speaker 1:
Okay, you just brought something up that I think is very important. You said that you're getting out of your comfort zone. So how do you approach it? When you're doing something that you haven't done before, or you've done it, but it's just a little bit, you're anxious about it, not quite sure about it, because it's not your comfort zone, how do you handle that and how do you attack it?
Speaker 2:
I've opened my Bible and I would just read what I'm in the dressing room when I have time, and Then I would say a little prayer and then go out.
Speaker 1:
Okay, and then, when you're in the middle of that that stressed you out. Does that allow you to just completely forget all the outside world and focus on what you're doing?
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
Good, okay, you mentioned being bullied. So when someone's being bullied, what is the first thing they need to do? And then how do they take and cover that so they can get that situation corrected?
Speaker 2:
They should tell a trusted adult, like their moms or dad, and say, hey, I'm getting bullied, I don't want to do this one more, take me out. And that should be something that the parent needs to discuss with the teachers, saying hey, my child is getting bullied. If you don't do something about this, my child is not gonna be back. That should be what the parents should do. They should stick up for their kids, because sometimes I think parents are afraid to stick up for their children. And that's what they need to do. They need to stick up. They don't need to just let a child deal with it. They need to stick up for their child.
Speaker 1:
Okay. So when you were bullied, how did you handle it and how did you Process it in your mind so that you could take and and get away from it and get back to feeling better about yourself?
Speaker 2:
I told my mom and I told my daddy. Both of them said that I should take a break. I was going to tell them teachers how I feel, and Mama told the teachers how I feel about what's happening with me, how I'm getting bullied and how is affecting me and my mental health, and that's something a kid also needs. If you are not having fun as an autistic person who is doing a sport and you're getting bullied a lot, take a break, step back saying I'm not doing this, no more, I'm gonna do something else that it's healthy for me.
Speaker 1:
Okay, so once you did that, did you see things change? Did they get better for you?
Speaker 2:
Yes, definitely.
Speaker 1:
Okay, what about the school system? Did they take and change anything at all, or is that something that still needs to be handled?
Speaker 2:
It's definitely something that still needs to be handled. I haven't been back in the public school for I don't know when, but if they still haven't changed, they need to work on it.
Speaker 1:
Do you have any friends that are autistic, that are still in the public school system, that are dealing with any of the similar Situations that you just talked about?
Speaker 2:
Yes, one of my friends. She has autism and me, her, used to dance a lot together. She's getting bullied from school and dance and I try to help her as best that I can, but I tell her at the end of the day, you need to tell your grandma, you need to tell her how you feel and if it ain't fun for you, go somewhere else.
Speaker 1:
What were some of the things that they would bully you about? What was their whole process of doing it?
Speaker 2:
Like they would say oh, you're autistic, you can't do anything. They would bully me, they would pick on me sometimes just talk down on me. That's something that needs to work on. I should feel accepted for the way I am. There should be anything wrong with me, even if there is. In the end, I'm my own person. We're all equal. It doesn't matter if you're this or that.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely so. You're 16 years old now and you've got a couple more years before you would graduate. What are some of the things that you want to accomplish in the next couple of years?
Speaker 2:
To go out and educate people with autism and people with no autism. They should learn more and grow more within themselves. But also I want them to feel confident, to be unstoppable. I want them to feel accepted.
Speaker 1:
Okay, so we've covered a lot of great things, but before we leave this, let's touch a little bit more on your Miss Georgia Teen and your pageantry that you're part of. So tell me a little bit more about what the Miss Georgia pageantry is.
Speaker 2:
So the Miss Georgia and Miss Georgia Teen organization is under the Miss America organization and it's really about giving women a chance to go out and do their best to be Miss America and to show their state that women can do anything that guys can do. If a girl wants to run for president, go ahead.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely. Now I understand that there's something about the crown and pillars. Can you explain that?
Speaker 2:
So the crown has four pillars, but the most important one to the Miss America organization is sisterhood, and the other four is style, service, scholarship and success.
Speaker 1:
That's great. I have learned so much from you today, and I'm sure the listeners have too. There's one other thing that we have to bring up. Last year you won Miss South Central Georgia's Outstanding Teen, and just recently you won another. Can you tell us what it is?
Speaker 2:
It is Miss Emmanuel County's Teen 2024.
Speaker 1:
That's fantastic. Now I understand that in June you'll be in the pageantry for Miss Georgia Junior Teen. Is that correct?
Speaker 2:
Yes, sir.
Speaker 1:
Well, I truly enjoyed this conversation. It was really great. So I once again, I really appreciate you taking your time to come on.
Speaker 2:
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:
It's been my pleasure. Now there's one thing that I want to tell everyone that's been listening to this episode. Spending a little time with Katie here in my studio, I learned that not only is she very good in the pageantry, but she's a very good singer as well. So I found her a song called Make a Difference, brought her to Nashville, we recorded it and it turned out so well that we are going to release it on iTunes in a couple of weeks. So we're going to start the month off with Katie's podcast and then we're going to end the month off with a kickoff of her new song, make a Difference. So follow her and follow us.
Speaker 1:
And thanks for listening. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to listen to our show today. We hope that you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. If you know anyone that would like to tell us their story, send them to TonyMantorcom Contact then they can give us their information so one day they may be a guest on our show. One more thing we ask tell everyone everywhere about why Not Me, the World, the conversations we're having and the inspiration our guests give to everyone everywhere that you are not alone in this world.