For a first-time pageant contestant in 2017, Faith Davis had so much success, it was an easy decision to keep it going.
The Grade 11 Lockerby Composite School student first tried her hand in being a pageant contest at the Miss North Ontario contest last year, being named as one of the top 10 finalists. That meant she was able to move on to Miss Teen Canada, where she also placed in the top 10.
Faith then took her pageant career a step further by competing in South America, and she won the Miss Friendship award while representing her country.
“I was really self-conscious, so I wanted to challenge myself that way,” Faith said. “Once I started going out on stage and modeling, my confidence really started to soar. I'm really happy with who I am now, and it's all because of the pageants.”
As part of her platform as a pageant contestant, Faith has made it her goal to raise awareness of disabilities, and, in particular, hearing loss. She suffered from hearing loss in her life, and underwent surgery to correct it.
This week, she sold hand-painted rocks at her school to raise awareness of hearing loss and other disabilities, as well as to raise money for Free the Children, now known as WE Charity, a worldwide development charity and youth empowerment movement working to help lift communities out of poverty.
More than $100 had been raised by Thursday morning.
“The rocks were painted different colours, each representing a different disability, such as hearing loss or neuro-degenerative diseases,” she said.
The rocks could have been added to the garden outside of the school, or kept as a keepsake, she said.
Faith competed in the 2018 Miss North Ontario pageant, as well, winning the cover model award and a contract as a cover model for a Canada-wide modeling agency.
She's now gearing up for another shot at the Miss Teen Canada crown in August. She will compete against about 60 other teenage girls from across the country.
Another boon to being a pageant contestant is making friends around not only Canada, but the world, Faith said. In fact, in March, she traveled to Belgium where she visited a friend she met on the pageant circuit.
Faith has the full support of her mom, Elizabeth Davis.
“I'm really impressed with Faith and how hard she has worked,” said Elizabeth. “She's a wonderful young lady and an excellent student. She was a very shy girl, but these pageants allow the girls to build their self esteem.”
