Miss Black Ohio USA Speaks: Inspiring Our Youth! [Video]

Miss Black Ohio USA Talented Teen Speaks: A Day of Service

UCrew and the Mayor !

Happy MLK day everybody! I hope you decided to go out and give back in any way that you are capable of=) Today I went to the Veterans Memorial. This event was filled with amazing speakers, dancers, singers, and actors! There also was a volunteer fair going on that consisted of 21 non-profits from around Columbus,Ohio that represented their organization and provided opportunities to anybody willing to take advantage of them!

Miss Black Ohio Speaks: Excitement!

Hello all!

I am currently in the Columbus airport waiting to board my flight to Washington DC! I am so excited to have my first Miss Black USA experience of the year :) I can't wait to meet the other contestants, speak about the Heart Truth Campaign, take wonderful photos AND show DC what Miss Black USA contestants are made of!

I know that this will be a wonderful experience! Stay tuned, I plan to take A LOT of pictures :)

With love,

Miss Black Ohio
Kayla Hardimon

Miss Black Talented Teen Ohio 2012 Speaks: Service!

I am so honored and blessed to have this title as Miss Black Talented Teen Ohio 2012.  So far with my title I have worked at the voting poles, spoke to teens in Dublin with Youth to Youth International, volunteered at Habitat for humanity, and volunteered with a Gifts of Love charity. Recently I have created a workshop tilted Beyond Beautiful that challenges young females to live beyond the expectations of other and to know the real meaning of  beautiful instead of societies definition of it. I look forward to all the amazing opportunities and blessing that are coming my way=)

Youth @ the Booth: 

I worked at the voting polls on November, 8, 2011. I had the opportunity to work there through an organization called Youth at the Booth. I enjoyed working this long 15 hour day because it gave me a chance to see what the atmosphere at the polls are like , as well as an opportunity to met and talk to the people of my community. I will be voting in the upcoming election. As a young African American woman, I know of the struggles of women who came before me, and how they fought selflessly so women today can have the right to vote. My hopes would be that all young voters educate themselves on current political topics so we all can be informed voter, come November and let are voices be heard!

Youth to Youth International: 


Youth to Youth is youth led adult guided organization. I have been apart of this program for 3 years . Through this organization I have made friends and mentors who I look up to for guidance ans support. Youth to Youth meets every Wednesday from 6-8 at 1440 Fields Ave , Columbus Ohio 43211 . If you are High School Teen living in the Columbus area or surrounding neighborhoods I strongly encourage you to come on down! (you wont regret it!)On December 5 2011( My Birthday) I had the opportunity t to go to Dublin Teen Institute and speak=) I did a workshop called Tenspiration , witch discus 10 ways to inspire yourself and others in your community.

Habitat for Humanity: 

I had the chance to volunteer at Habitat for Humanity with an Organization called Ucrew. Ucrew is s service leadership organization that I have been apart of since October. I enjoyed volunteering at Habitat for Humanity Restore because I know the work I did that day will greatly benefit others who are less fortunate than myself. 

I look forward to continue to work with Habitat for Humanity. I am Vice President of my Senior Class at Fort Hayes , currently I am planning a Senior service day event . I will organize a day where my senior class can go to Habitat for Humanity , with hope that they get just as much out of the experience as I did.

Gifts of love: 

Over Winter break I did a Gifts of love Charity event, I passed out gifts to underprivileged families . While at the event I met tons of cool deserving people.This event showed me how great it is when people come together to better the life of others =)

Te-Te and myself 

                                           

Don't Let the world change your smile , let your smile change the world. Stay posted to see how my Beyond Beautiful Prevention works out =)

Miss Black Ohio Speaks: The Year Has Begun!

2012 is here! I am so blessed to see the beginning of another year. As I think about all of the things that are ahead of me in 2012, I can't help but be very VERY excited. I have so many wonderful things that I would like to accomplish this year.

The Miss Black Ohio organization now has an official partnership with the Girl Scouts!
This year I will be able to continue to instill the importance of true beauty and a "Woman's Worth" into young women around the state of Ohio. I am very excited about this partnership! Just recently I was able to co-host a self-esteem workshop with 3 girl scout troops in Cincinnati.

The workshop was a great experience. It's so wonderful to hear young women speak about what they believe true beauty is, and to help them build a strong sense of self-esteem. The girls had so many great ideas and were truly an inspiration to me. While my goal was to teach them, I learned a lot as well.
Along with working with the girl scouts this year I am excited about working with the Boys and Girls Clubs as well.
I truly desire to make a difference! There are 8 months left before the national pageant and 10 months before my year as Miss Black Ohio comes to an end, and I promise to make the most out of every single moment.

December 27th, Tis the Season to Be Thankful for Support!

In order to continue with my tis the season postings, today's message is directed toward all of my generous supporters! Throughout my life I have always had a tremendous amount of support from family and friends in all of the things I have done. I know that that is simply because of the wonderful blessings I have been given. The Lord has placed every person in my life for a reason, each person I meet comes and goes as my heavenly father chooses and changes my life in ways I couldn't have imagined.

In the past few months I have encountered so many giving hearts! With the help of family and friends I am coming closer and closer to my goal of getting to the Miss Black USA pageant. With each donation, I become more motivated to make a difference. Although the end goal is the national pageant, I know that my biggest accomplishment this year will never be a crown or a title.

The greatest accomplishment I can or will ever have, is the look in a young woman's eyes when she begins to truly believe in herself and see herself as beautiful. Young women are the catalysts of our society, and my dream is truly for the state of Ohio to be full of girls who believe in themselves and the great things they can accomplish.
All of the support I have received pushes me to work harder for this dream. This holiday season I am thankful for support! I am thankful for each donation, for each kind word, each congratulatory remark, and each person who has helped me plan an event. Though this post is to tell everyone how thankful I am for support, it is also to truly say thank you for all of the love I have received in the last few months. I am truly blessed :)

With love,

Miss Black Ohio
Kayla Hardimon

December 25th: Merry Christmas from Miss Black Ohio!

Hello all!
I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas full of love, good times, good food, and good people! On the good people note, today's post is about FAMILY! Tis the season to be thankful for family (keeping up with the tis the season series as promised :))

In my family, on Christmas Eve we have many traditions! My aunt and uncle come in town along with my Nana and Popop, we have christmas eve dinner together, my father and I cook cheese cake -which is surely an interesting experience EVERY time- my brothers make cookies with my mom, my dad reads 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' - comedy every single time- and we sing Christmas carols around the tree, and then on Christmas day after opening presents we go to my grandma's house!
Although we do the same things every year, their is always something new. Whether it's a new way my dad reads the story, or funny moments while singing the carols, Christmas Eve with family is always an experience.
On this Christmas, I must say that family is what I am most thankful for, the thing that I know I could not live without. Along with the great times we have together on Christmas Eve and Christmas day my family is a gift to me every single day of the year. As Miss Black Ohio, it is such a blessing to have so much support from so many family members.
It is truly the season to be thankful for family for me! From getting donations to help me along my way, to presents for Christmas, to simply showing interest in the things I'm doing, my family is a blessing.
I hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas!

With love,

Kayla Hardimon