Miss Georgia USA speaks about finding confidence in Christ
Wesleyan recently hosted Miss Georgia USA 2022, Holly Haynes. Haynes is the founder of #IAmEnough and spoke to middle school students about confidence in Jesus and social media etiquette.
Haynes is 26 years old, grew up in Atlanta, and graduated from North Gwinett High School. She started competing in pageants during her sophomore year of college. After graduating from UGA’s Terry College of Business, she went on to work as a professional model, actress, and singer.
Haynes shared with Wesleyan middle schoolers that she was not always confident, and she shared about her journey of becoming a Christian, getting involved in YoungLife, and truly rooting her identity in who God says she is.
“Because of my mentors, I became rooted in my faith,” explained Haynes.
She went on to talk to students about her program called #IAmEnough. Haynes states that she created #IAmEnough to help America’s youth with three things:
1. To be confident in what makes them unique
2. To learn social media etiquette
3. To balance their lives
The first pillar of #IAmEnough is based on Ephesians 2:10- “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
After reminding the middle school students that they are God’s unique handiwork, Haynes asked the audience to reflect on what makes them unique and encouraged them to share with their peers.
The second pillar of #IAmEnough is inspired by Romans 12:2, which encourages believers to “not be conformed to the world.” Haynes urged middle schoolers to use social media in a way that is different from the rest of the world and honors Christ.
“Everyone has imperfections, but that is what makes us human. No one is perfect. You should portray your genuine self on social media because you are enough, and others are too,” shared Haynes.
Haynes also explained to middle schoolers that posting online will always leave a “digital footprint,” so it is important to be wise when making a social media post. She urged them to ask themselves three questions before posting anything online:
1. Would I want people to post this of me?
2. How would my parents feel if they found out I posted this?
3. Will this have bad consequences? Will I regret this?
Lastly, Haynes touched on the importance of living a balanced life by staying healthy, managing time well, and setting SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound) goals. She encouraged students to volunteer and get involved in their community.
We are thankful that our middle school students were able to learn more about how to root their confidence in Christ from Haynes. In February, Haynes will represent Georgia at the Miss USA Pageant. We are excited to see how she continues to use her platform to honor Jesus!
