Mrs. Ohio shares personal story at bullying prevention summit
Melanie Miller reached into her purse, produced a crisp one dollar bill and handed it to one of the 100 Student Ambassadors gathered for a bullying prevention summit Nov. 4.
“What’s that dollar worth?” the reigning Mrs. Ohio asked her audience.
“A dollar,” they responded.
When Miller asked the students how many of them would like to have that dollar every hand in the room shot up.
Miller then directed her assistant to crumple, step on and spit on the dollar and asked the students the same questions.
None of them changed their answers.
“That dollar bill represents us and the reality is each one of us has value,” said Miller.
“In our lives we are going to get stepped on, we’re going to get dirty, people will hurt our feelings and there will be people who want to spit on us, but the reality is we all have value and that value doesn’t change,” said Miller.
“Think about that dollar when you go back to your schools and see someone being bullied, because the reality is nobody is worth more than another person. We all have equal value,” said Miller.
Even though she was a cheerleader and dancer and was active in her school, Miller herself was bullied as a teen.
“I was spit on. Girls spit gum in my hair. I was called every name in the book. I was followed. I was afraid to go to school,” said Miller, sharing with the students that she even received death threats from bullies.
“I was scared. I came home crying every day from school. I didn’t want to live anymore because I thought everyone’s life would be better if I was not around,” said Miller, adding, “it’s not OK to have those feelings. Something has got to happen if you’re feeling that way.”
For Miller something did happen. Her parents, teachers and principal got involved.
Miller said that she came to realize, “I really let it bother me a lot that the girls were saying some very hurtful things about me that were not true. I was taking those things to heart and I let those words define who I was.”
Miller said her perception changed when she finally took to heart her mother’s advice - “Don’t let anyone’s opinion of you become a reality. You define yourself.”
According to Miller, things began to change “when I began to see myself as somebody who had worth” and set goals for herself, including becoming Miss America.
Just a few years later Miller stood on the stage of the 2007 Miss America pageant as Miss Ohio. Five years later she was part of the 2011 Mrs. America pageant as Mrs. Ohio and became the only Ohio woman to ever wear both crowns.
Miller also went on to became a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers dance team, earn a degree from Cleveland State University and host a pair of television shows. Miller, who was also featured in the documentary film Yellow Roses: Real Girls. Real Life. Real Hope. serves as a spokesperson for the film traveling around the country discussing the pressures young women face as they come of age in today’s society. She also serves as Youth Ministries director for the Salvation Army Community Center in Ashland where she works with teens as they navigate the challenges of adolescence.
“Don’t let other people discourage you from doing something that you want to do because I’m living proof of that,” Miller told the students. “The only person who will hold you back from accomplishing anything that you want to achieve in life is yourself.”
“What’s that dollar worth?” the reigning Mrs. Ohio asked her audience.
“A dollar,” they responded.
When Miller asked the students how many of them would like to have that dollar every hand in the room shot up.
Miller then directed her assistant to crumple, step on and spit on the dollar and asked the students the same questions.
None of them changed their answers.
“That dollar bill represents us and the reality is each one of us has value,” said Miller.
“In our lives we are going to get stepped on, we’re going to get dirty, people will hurt our feelings and there will be people who want to spit on us, but the reality is we all have value and that value doesn’t change,” said Miller.
“Think about that dollar when you go back to your schools and see someone being bullied, because the reality is nobody is worth more than another person. We all have equal value,” said Miller.
Even though she was a cheerleader and dancer and was active in her school, Miller herself was bullied as a teen.
“I was spit on. Girls spit gum in my hair. I was called every name in the book. I was followed. I was afraid to go to school,” said Miller, sharing with the students that she even received death threats from bullies.
“I was scared. I came home crying every day from school. I didn’t want to live anymore because I thought everyone’s life would be better if I was not around,” said Miller, adding, “it’s not OK to have those feelings. Something has got to happen if you’re feeling that way.”
For Miller something did happen. Her parents, teachers and principal got involved.
Miller said that she came to realize, “I really let it bother me a lot that the girls were saying some very hurtful things about me that were not true. I was taking those things to heart and I let those words define who I was.”
Miller said her perception changed when she finally took to heart her mother’s advice - “Don’t let anyone’s opinion of you become a reality. You define yourself.”
According to Miller, things began to change “when I began to see myself as somebody who had worth” and set goals for herself, including becoming Miss America.
Just a few years later Miller stood on the stage of the 2007 Miss America pageant as Miss Ohio. Five years later she was part of the 2011 Mrs. America pageant as Mrs. Ohio and became the only Ohio woman to ever wear both crowns.
Miller also went on to became a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers dance team, earn a degree from Cleveland State University and host a pair of television shows. Miller, who was also featured in the documentary film Yellow Roses: Real Girls. Real Life. Real Hope. serves as a spokesperson for the film traveling around the country discussing the pressures young women face as they come of age in today’s society. She also serves as Youth Ministries director for the Salvation Army Community Center in Ashland where she works with teens as they navigate the challenges of adolescence.
“Don’t let other people discourage you from doing something that you want to do because I’m living proof of that,” Miller told the students. “The only person who will hold you back from accomplishing anything that you want to achieve in life is yourself.”
Published: November 9, 2011
