Black Press Media is a proud partner of the Miss BC pageants, with this year鈥檚 event taking place June 29 - July 1 in Fort Langley. As part of the People鈥檚 Choice Award, we are posting contestants鈥� biographies online for readers to learn more about the women and girls from their communities and to put in their vote.

Submitted by Mikayla T. of Abbotsford:

Living in today鈥檚 society, there is so much judgment and criticism. I personally have fallen victim to believing that I wasn鈥檛 enough. I had a difficult time accepting myself for who I am. This has driven me to encourage young women to learn to appreciate themselves, and to embrace their individuality and uniqueness that makes them who they are.

This is why I entered Miss BC. To be an example to young women on how accepting who you are can take you where you want to be, and, to be able to share my own journey with them to encourage them. Something that makes me unique is my adventurous spirit and my heart for people. My typical days off usually include hiking up in our Beautiful BC mountains or simply picking up friends and going for a road trip.

A quote that inspires me is: 鈥淵ou may forget what a person looks like, what they said, or what they did, but you will never forget how they made you feel.鈥� 鈥� Author Unknown. I鈥檝e never read a quote that felt so real. I try to live by this quote as closely as possible. It鈥檚 a reminder to me how important it is to treat others with kindness and respect and that how you鈥檝e made them feel has a long lasting impact.