Name: Emily Sioma
Major: Women’s Studies
Graduation Year: 2016
Hometown: Jackson, Michigan
Fun Fact: My first job was working on a farm and I have an allergy to the cold (it’s real! Cold Urticaria)
Her Campus: What is it like being Miss Stateline? What are your responsibilities?
Emily Sioma: Miss Stateline is the second title I’ve held with the Miss America Organization. My first was Miss Jackson Crossroads, and it allows me to compete in the Miss Michigan Program. Being Miss Stateline is awesome, but it confuses a lot of people. People don’t really know where “Stateline” is, so I tell them it’s right on the border of Michigan and Indiana (Edwardsburg, MI). My responsibilities include attending sponsored events under the Miss America Organization like IHOP free pancake day and Dairy Queen’s free cone day. Both of those events donated money to the Children’s Miracle Network, which is one of the charities that MAO partners with. I also do more local things like reading at elementary and middle schools for reading month, going to meetings like the Kawanis and Rotary clubs, and certain events around campus. Each contestant must have a “platform,” which is an issue that they want to talk about during their year. My platform is named “Let Your Legacy Live On,” which encourages people to register to become organ donors. I spend most of my time promoting my platform and talking to people about the reasons why they should register. One of the biggest events I work with on campus is called, “Be a Hero in the Big House.” Here are a few facts about organ donation:
1) There are currently over 125,000 people waiting for a transplant in the US. (That’s more than we can squeeze into the Big House.)
2) A single registered organ donor can save 8 lives through organ donation and improve over 50 lives through tissue donation.
3) Anyone, no matter their age or health history, can sign up through the Secretary of State and become a registered organ donor.
HC: What is your favorite thing about competing in pageants?
ES: I love the interview portion of the pageant. We have a 10 minute private interview with our five judges where they can ask us anything from “Who is your role model and why?” to questions about national and international issues like climate change, the presidential race, and terrorism. It really challenges me to keep up on all events and to be knowledgeable about things that are going on in my community, my state, my nation, and around the world. Another thing that I love about competing in the pageants is the community that you form with the other girls competing. There are a surprisingly large number of girls who I compete with that go to Michigan. Miss Michigan 2014, KT Maviglia, is a University of Michigan alum, as well as Miss Michigan 2008, Ashlee Baracy.
HC: What is one thing you’d like to accomplish under your title (or as Miss Michigan) and why?
If I am lucky enough to be crowned Miss Michigan, I would love to speak to people about breaking the stigma that surrounds survivors of sexualized violence. As a survivor of sexual assault myself, I know the struggle of recovery, and I want to share my story in the hopes that it will encourage others to share their own. Once we open up a conversation about sexualized violence, it has the possibility to create a dialogue that will change how we speak to young men and women about sexual assault and sexualized violence.
HC: What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?
ES: “Take everyone’s advice with a grain of salt.”
HC: Anything on your Michigan bucket list before you graduate?
ES: Can I say that I want to sneak into the Big House? I also want to do some yoga in the Arb.
HC: Favorite place to eat on campus? What’s your order?
ES: I would like to believe that coffee is a food group, so you’re most likely to catch me at Lab Cafe drinking a Lavender Honey Latte or a Cortado.