MISS STANTON HEAVYN DOXEY

TATYANA ESQUILIN|Q&A|MARCH 5, 2019

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (SCPDA) — On the evening of Feb. 23, 2019, thirteen junior girls from Stanton College Preparatory School competed for the title of Miss Stanton. In the end, Heavyn Doxey was crowned the winner. To understand her thoughts and ambitions as Miss Stanton in the upcoming year, the Devil’s Advocate interviewed her after the pageant.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: What do you think set you apart from the other contestants? HEAVYN DOXEY: I would say my stage presence. I was oddly confident the whole time and I knew whatever I did, I just had to make the best of it and give it my 110 percent. So, when I walked out there just knowing that, and knowing that everything was going to be okay, I just expressed that through my performance. I think that’s what set me apart, I just let the nerves rush out and I was ready to go.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: How did the response from the crowd affect your performance? HD: There were so many screaming people in the crowd. It was awesome because I would look out and I would see people smiling and laughing, being happy for me, and that just pushed me to do better.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: What are your aspirations as Miss Stanton? HD: I wouldn’t say there are many things that I want to change about Stanton, there are just things that I want us to get better at. I know I want to do more volunteering, not just for myself but for the entire school. I want to get us more active in going out into the community. I have a real passion for the surrounding community of this school; I really want us to go into this neighborhood and share our knowledge with people. I don’t want us to just think we should come and go super quickly because we don’t want anything to do with the surrounding neighborhood. I want us to go into the neighborhood and share the diversity and the love we have with other people so that they know what we do here.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: Now that you are Miss Stanton, what would you like to say to future contestants? HD: Just do it and have fun. You’re going to have so much fun. Don’t procrastinate, please don’t procrastinate, but the experience will be so amazing. I know it’s so cliche to say “Oh my gosh the experience was great,” but I’m so serious, the experience will literally blow your minds. You have so much fun with other girls and even the backstage crew. If you want to be a part of any Stanton production you’ll see not only how much goes into it but how much fun and how riveting it is in the end.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: What did you have to overcome to make the choice to participate in Miss Stanton? HD: I would say you have to overcome the doubt. I was confident the night of [Miss Stanton], but the three months before, not even close. I just doubted that I could do it, that I would be a good Miss Stanton. All these things were running through my head and I was comparing myself to the previous Miss Stanton. I didn’t know my self worth enough to realize that I could do this and that I could be a good Miss Stanton. Once I overcame that everything was really good.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: How has the meaning of the title Miss Stanton changed for you since you competed? HD: I haven’t accepted it completely. I still feel like I’m in a dream and someone is just going to tap me and wake me up and it’s all going to be over. I guess when it finally hits I’ll have to start realizing that I am being watched now and I have to step up my game and start putting on the role as Miss Stanton. For me, that is just helping other people and being there for the other students in any capacity that I can.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: How have you changed and will continue to change after the experience? HD: One thing that I’ve realized is that I won by being myself and I don’t want to change that. I will probably become more responsible and sophisticated, but I know that I don’t have to change much about myself because there is obviously something about me that people liked. I want to continue to be the same person that I already am, but the 2.0 version.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: How did it feel each time you name was called for an award? HD: I was so shocked. The first award I got was Miss Techie and I just started running through my head with all the names of the backstage [crew]. They are so amazing. Out of all the awards I got that was my favorite, just knowing that the kindness I showed to other people paid off and was recognized, that blew my mind. Then [Ms. Glendenning] announced Miss Academic. When she was reading off the gpa I was just thinking “dang, that girl is smart,” I had no clue it was me. When I got Miss Talented I was like “wait how’d I get Miss Talented, my mic went out twice,” there were just so many thoughts. Again with the self doubt, I just didn’t think it could be me. Just thinking it all paid off in the end was great and that’s how I felt in the moment. Then I just straight up cried in the end, but we don’t have to talk about that.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: What would you say to your fellow Miss Stanton contestants? HD:Thank you. Thank you for the love and the support each and every one of you gave me. I could not ask for a better group of girls. There wasn’t a dull moment. I enjoyed myself and the experience is what made me love it. They pushed me to be better and there is so much I could say about every single one of them. Thank you so much for being supportive and kind to me because that is what really means a lot.