This week’s Campus Celeb is the stunning Nyia Fairly, a 1st year Professional Pharmacy student from Chitown, Illinois. You may also now her as Miss. Hampton 2016-2017. This beauty queen is quite busy from implementing her platform of inspiring young girls to love themselves, to being a member and Chaplin of Gamma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., a member of APHA, a Golden Key National Honors Society member, and in Honors College.
HC: What was the first pageant you participated in?
NF: My first pageant was actually the Miss Queluptuous back in 2014, where I was the first runner-up. That pageant was really fun I would go to practice bond with my pageant sisters and ask myself pageant questions just an overall great experience.
HC: Did you always know you wanted to be Miss. Hampton?
NF: I didn’t, I always thought about it, but I told myself “who am I kidding they wouldn’t pick me as Miss. Hampton”. My junior year is when I really decided I wanted to do it.
HC: Why did you want to do Miss. Hampton?
NF: What pushed me was wanting to break the stigma of who Miss. Hampton was expected to be. I reminded myself that beauty is art and no art looks the same. Just being myself and showing who I am; in order to break something you have to be the change you want to see.HC: Did you have any doubt in yourself while waiting to see if you placed?
NF: They were naming off all the people who had placed, and everyone I thought would place did. When they got to announce the first runner-up as a Aaliyah I was thinking my head “oh my gosh Nyia you didn’t even place”. I really almost started to cry. Then plot twist they called my name!
HC: Whats the most discouraging thing and inspiring thing someone has said to you?
NF: During the pageant,said I had a situation where I was picking out clothes and I overheard someone say “she’s too big to be Miss. Hampton, she looks disgusting”. Of course, it hurt I’m human but it reminded me this is the exact reason why I’m doing this. Then the most inspiring were all the love in texts, emails, and people coming up to me thanking me for showing how beauty is so diverse. People were seeing all my hard work and what I’m trying to do, and they support me.
HC: What is your platform for this academic school year?
NF: My platform is the Love Your Mirror Project, embracing body diversity and building the self-esteem among young girls. Showing how you don’t have to be one size or figure and showing that beauty comes in all different shapes and sizes. Also focusing on young girls mental health that goes with self-body image.
HC: How has your organization AKA supported you on the way to Miss. Hampton?
NF: They’ve been great! I love all my sisters to death not just the ones here in Hampton but from all around the world. I’ve gotten support financially, emotionally, and physically. A lot of my sister were driving 5 hours just to come see the pageant. My prophyte talked to me every day encouraging me and telling me I got this. I’m a part of the best organizations ever!
HC: Whats the next steps in implementing your platform.
NF: Wednesday Nov. 9 I’m having my first dorm chat at Twitchell Hall, so look out for that. Nov. 14 is the kick off of Love Your Mirror, its going to be in the Student Center Lounge. It’s going to dress the issues of body stigma and embracing body diversity. Even here on campus, we have a lot of different body types ones that are small, short, tall, slim, and bigger, but at the end of the day were all popping!