Today we’d like to introduce you to Miss Atlanta 2024 Aaliyah Phillips.
Hi Aaliyah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am from the historic township of Sharpsburg, Georgia. I am the newly crowned 2024 Miss Atlanta for the Miss Georgia Scholarship Organization which is the official preliminary competition for the Miss America Organization. I am a senior at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia, majoring in Elementary Education. I was in kindergarten when I discovered that I wanted to be a teacher. My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Cannon, had a magical way of making her students feel visible and valuable and these are attributes I want to emulate and carry into my future classroom. It is my fundamental belief that every student should have an equal opportunity to receive an excellent education and to develop the skills necessary to become an exemplary citizen.
I absolutely love identifying fun and innovative ways to present new information to students. I like to incorporate music, songs, and dance into the learning process. I truly believe that learning should be fun! Servant leadership is one of my core values, and I strive daily to embody the African proverb Ubuntu, I am because we are, by using my God-given talents to serve my local community through education, advocacy, and mentorship. I am a visionary leader who is passionate about advocating for students and following graduation, I plan to pursue my graduate and postgraduate degrees in Educational Policy. My hobbies include reading, listening to music, and watching old movies. My journey in pageantry began less than a year ago when I won my first local title, Miss Columbus State University. It has been an honor representing my university. Through the Miss Georgia Scholarship Competition and the Miss America Organization, I have acquired and increased my business acumen, public speaking skills, and gained scholarships that will help me further my education while developing lifelong friendships.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I am blessed that my journey in life thus far has been uncomplicated. Evidence-based research indicates that 61% of low-income students do not have a book of their own at home. While planning my #ReadLikeMissAtlanta Literacy Tour, my biggest obstacle was locating books to give to every student. While I enjoy visiting schools and reading to students, my ultimate goal is to place at least one book in each student’s hand that they can take home with them. Through collaboration and partnership with four amazing authors, I have received over 600 new books for my literacy tour. These authors include:
Valerie Thompkins, author of Girls Like Me and Boys Like Me, whose books serve to inspire the next generation of leaders to take up space and demonstrate that as long as they know the power of their dreams anything is possible!
Fabian Ferguson, author of Jackie Wins Them All, Jackie Does It All, and In the Mirror, generously donated over 400 books in the hope of eradicating illiteracy across Georgia. His Jackie series will inspire students to develop a love for learning while increasing their critical thinking abilities.
Kendra Thomas donated books and literacy resources from her Kamari series that strive to inspire young children to face their fears and experience a life full of “firsts.”
Stanley Tucker, a former 2nd-grade teacher, donated books from his collection and from his collection of children’s authors that his Leap for Literacy program has published.
I am truly amazed by the number of people who believe in my dream and who have been willing to help me on my journey.
Additionally, I serve as a volunteer for the Literacy Alliance of Georgia, Children Read Atlanta, and United Way of Greater Atlanta and Chattahoochee Valley.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Through my community service initiative SPREAD, Spreading Literacy Through Reading, I advocate for literacy equality for all students regardless of their zip code. SPREAD is a three-pillar approach aimed at providing early targeted interventions focusing on education, mentorship, and policy advocacy. In November, I kicked off my #ReadLikeMissAtlanta Literacy Tour traveling into Atlanta Title 1 Public Schools and across the state of Georgia discussing with students the importance of reading, reading to students, completing fun activities, and leaving books for their classroom libraries. At the end of every visit, I leave every student with books and resources to take home with them to promote lifelong reading. My goal is to increase literacy rates in Atlanta, across the state of Georgia, and nationally and to help kids develop an intrinsic love for learning!
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
As a believer, I think I was placed here for a specific purpose, and I believe that purpose is to help others. As an aspiring educator, this is why literacy advocacy is so vitally important to me. Literacy is a cornerstone to education that affords people the tools they need to lead productive lives, thrive personally, and contribute to their communities and it is an impactable social determinant. Additionally, education makes it more likely a person can gain access to quality healthcare, gain viable employment, and live in a safe environment and community. Equity among these factors often results in positive well-being. Access to quality education early in life, graduating from high school, and college can all provide opportunities for a positive socioeconomic trajectory. Since literacy is the conduit to unlocking the world and the gateway to freedom, I am a firm believer that planning and preparation goes a long way and it is my desire to help every child I come in contact with prepare for and achieve their goals.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: MissAtlantaga and LaLa.Liyahhh
- Facebook: Aaliyah Phillips
