Ava Stephenson, a sophomore at River Hill High School in Clarksville, Maryland, is the winner of the Miss Bethesda’s Teen title, due in part to her mission to change the stigma surrounding food allergies.
Her Safe Bite Allergy Awareness effort is all about educating the community about food allergies and fostering a more inclusive environment.
“As someone with a food allergy, I live and breathe my Community Service Initiative every day, which is what motivated me to start this journey,” she said.
As a part of her work, she delivers care packages to hospitalized children, with more than 200 packages distributed to date.
She also teaches others how to administer an EpiPen epinephrine auto-injector during an allergic reaction, sharing the mantra: “Blue to the sky, orange to the thigh,” referring to the device’s blue cap and orange needle guard.
Ava explained: “The average person doesn’t know how to use an EpiPen, so remembering this message could help save someone’s life.”
When not on a mission to save lives, she is also the school’s leading baton twirler who performs weekly at football games.
Ava explained: ‘“Competing in pageants has changed my life tremendously. It’s given me skills I would have never learned, such as speaking in front of a large crowd.”
Sponsored by the Miss Montgomery County Organization, the Miss Bethesda’s Teen title serves as a preliminary to the Miss Maryland and Miss America competitions. Ava previously held the title of Miss Central Maryland’s Teen and plans to use her platform to continue expanding the reach of her Safe Bite Allergy Awareness initiative.
We congratulate Ava on her pageant win and her advocacy for food allergies. We wish her continued success on her journey.
