Centralia resident Stacie Stoney will represent Lewis County at the Mrs. Washington-America competition at the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts in Olympia. The former Miss Lewis County contestant said she was inspired to rejoin the pageant world by former Miss Lewis County Jodee Hickman.
One Centralia resident not only has the titles of teacher, mother, wife and volunteer, but also Mrs. Lewis County-America 2015.
Stacie Stoney, 38, will compete for a new title of Mrs. Washington-America on May 16 at the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts in Olympia.
She hopes to make a difference in the local community, as well as the state, nation and world through her platform “Love is Louder.” The movement, created in 2010 by Brittany Snow and the Jed Foundation alongside MTV, encourages the use of social media to promote love and support toward others.
“As a middle school health and fitness teacher for the past 15 years, I have witnessed many students lose their positive self-esteems to bullying, depression and feelings of non-acceptance,” Stoney said. “There is a need to show that love and support is more powerful than the external and internal voices that bring us down, cause us pain and make us feel hopeless.”
Stoney hopes to continue promoting her platform by using social media initiatives, further fundraising the movement, speaking in schools and spreading awareness.
The former Miss Lewis County contestant took almost 20 years to become Mrs. Lewis County-America, an achievement partly made possible by the confidence Miss Lewis County 2014 Jodee Hickman gave her.
By moving on to the Mrs. Washington-America competition, Stoney hopes to show younger generations the importance of accepting oneself.
“I want to prove to my students that just by being you, letting your true personality shine through, that is good enough,” she said. “We are all special and unique and we need to celebrate that.”
Stoney has been married to her husband Josh for eight years and has two sons. Her favorite title is that of mom, but if all goes well she may be able to add Mrs. Washington-America to her list.
Anyone interested in sponsoring Stoney can contact her at staciestoney@gmail.com Tickets for the pageant, contestant information and judging procedures can be found online at www.mrswashingtonamerica.org.
