The newly-crowned Miss Michigan plans to use her platform to support survivors of sexual assault.
The Muskegon Chronicle reports that 24-year-old Emily Sioma of Grass Lake was crowned Miss Michigan 2018 on Saturday in Muskegon. She hopes that sharing her story of campus sexual assault will raise awareness of the issue and encourage other survivors to be proud of their recovery journey.
Sioma says standing in silent protest at her University of Michigan graduation in 2016 was a defining moment that led her to advocate on behalf of sexual assault survivors for the Miss Michigan Scholarship Pageant. She plans to partner with organizations across the state to bring more resources to survivors wherever there are gaps.
Sioma will compete in the Miss America Scholarship Pageant in New Jersey in September.