Let’s Go Full STEAM Ahead!

Miss Southwest Sierra Marie Bonn sat down with me to talk about her social impact initiative “Let’s Go Full STEAM Ahead!” You can listen to my conversation with Sierra on my Podcast.  The episode is titled “Let’s Go Full STEAM Ahead!

Let’s Go Full STEAM Ahead! is an initiative to promote STEAM education and engagement.  STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math. Let’s Go Full STEAM Ahead! empowers young women to pursue STEAM careers. 

Sierra teaches her curriculum in classrooms, camps and college campuses across the country. 

On her website, she shares new technological advances, student-friendly STEAM experiments, events in and around the State of Kansas, and highlights inspirational leaders.

Women in STEAM Week is the third week in October, each year.  In addition to learning about influential women, you can nominate someone who has made positive contributions to STEAM in your community by visiting her website, LetsGoFullSTEAMAhead.com

 

Self-Care Strategy: Volunteer

Miss America Serves Day is April 7th this year and titleholders, contestants and volunteers will be serving their communities through their personal platform in addition to raising funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH).

My personal platform is raising awareness of cognitive impairments and the importance of self-care to decrease the effects of stress on the brain. Volunteering is one form of self-care that I have identified as it helps me to focus on the needs of others and how I can help them.

Volunteering is good for your mind and body as it provides many benefits to both your mental and physical health.

Volunteering combats depression.

Reducing the risk of depression is an important benefit of volunteering. A key risk factor for depression is social isolation. Volunteering helps you make positive connections, eliminating isolation, and can contribute to your overall happiness.

According to an article from Harvard Health Publishing volunteering has positive implications that go beyond mental health. A growing body of evidence suggests that people who give their time to others might also be rewarded with better physical health—including lower blood pressure and a longer lifespan.

Evidence of volunteerism’s physical effects can be found in a recent study from Carnegie Mellon University, published in Psychology and Aging. Adults over age 50 who volunteered on a regular basis were less likely to develop high blood pressure than non-volunteers. High blood pressure is an important indicator of health because it contributes to heart disease, stroke, and premature death.

This week, during Miss America Serves week, consider ways to improve your health through volunteering. If you would like to help me make miracles with CMNH, you can donate here. All funds raised go to the local CMNH hospitals.  Whether it is $1 or $100, every dollar counts and can make the difference in the life of a child or the family of a child who is in the hospital.

Visit CMNH to learn more about Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Developing Your Style – Start with YOU!

 KNOW THYSELF

“The essence of knowledge is self-knowledge.” – Plato

“Who am I in the midst of all this thought traffic?” – Rumi

It is important to ask questions and reflect on the answers you develop in order fully know who you are and what motivates you in the areas of Service (which I identify as Being), Syle (identified as Body) and Scholarship (identified as Brain).  

Being is how you identify yourself in relation to your contribution to the world.  It encompasses your platform which identifies the type of SERVICE you share with people and organizations.  Your BEING can be identified as your purpose; your personal mission statement and ultimately defines your STYLE.   

Brain is your (SCHOLARSHIP) educational pursuits, both personally and professionally.  Additionally, it covers areas of personal development to include your TALENT.  

Body is a large category that includes the areas of health and fitness, as well as your physical environment.  The sum of these three parts (Being, Body, Brain/Service, Style, Scholarship) is also categorized under Body/Style.  You, your style, your image is a brand and is the output of all the other factors contributing to the definition of who you are.  STYLE, then, is HOW you relate to the outside world; your family, friends, school, and community.

Hopefully, you can see how important the knowledge of who you are and what you value.  It is not only important to your core identity but it is extremely helpful in determining the what and how you plan to give, do, and be during your year of SERVICE as Miss (Local/State).

What do you know about you?  How can you share your unique gifts, talents, skills, and abilities with your community and the world at large?  Download this FREE Style Inventory and to get started on identifying your personal brand.