Girl Talk // The Beauty Queen

I'm so excited to introduce you to the oh so sweet Britanny Toll! She is just a doll; former Miss New Mexico and just as humble as can be. I love to read her daily musings over at Happy Brittany and I know that you will just love her!

What is your job title?

My professional job title is Manager of Teacher Leadership Development with the non-profit teaching corps Teach For America. After my two year commitment as a Teach For America corps member in New Mexico, teaching pre-kindergarten, I decided to move forward with the impact I was making in my classroom and join the Teacher Leadership Development team of Teach For America. I now support 24 first & second year teachers who have committed to teaching for 2 years in Oklahoma in an effort to close the achievement gap and reform the education system. Most of the teachers I support teach pre-kindergarten as well. I am continuing my work & deepening my understanding of the realm of early childhood education and the impact of a strong educational start in a child’s life. My personal job title is Happy Brittany on happybrittany.com. I love the art of expanding my optimistic attitude through my blog and showcasing various self-improvement activities and actions in hopes of inspiring or connecting with others.

What do you love about yourself?

What I love about myself is that I am a collective character of all of the amazing people I have come to know in my life. I’ve been fortuned with incredible friends, family members, co-workers, beauty queens and children in my life. All of these individuals have influenced me in countless ways and have molded me into the character that I am now & continue to evolve into. I not only learn from each of them and their experiences but have increased my confidence for who I am through their genuine support and appreciation of my quirks & personality. I really cannot take responsibility for who I have become; I owe it to so many others. 

Who is your role model?

My role model… I’ve had the great fortune of having many people to look up to in my life. When I think of who I am now and where I’ve come from I recognize that the greatest influence on my life has been from my very own mother. While I consider myself very independent and free-spirited I know that I learned to be this way from her and the empowerment she gave me to pursue the life of my choice. Through our lives together she has taught me many lessons about life, happiness and the impact of our choices. What I have admired most about her is her ability to love at such a deep and unconditional level. Along with that I cannot go without saying that she has impeccable fashion sense and organization skills- two traits I am fortunate to have adopted from her as well. 

What inspires you?

When I think of what inspires me I am compelled by the potential to end educational inequity in our country. I am inspired by the individuals who work at the forefront of educational reform every day to ensure that every child receives the exceptional education they deserve and nothing less. I am inspired by people who believe in the potential of every individual and who strive to help others shine through complete selflessness. I believe with every sparkle in my body that if we can close the achievement gap then we can ultimately end poverty.

What are five words that describe you?

creative, optimistic, affectionate, talkative, clever

What is your biggest insecurity?

My biggest insecurity is how I am perceived. On the outside it may be easy for others to generalize my ambitions and intelligence, but on the inside I am so much more than what meets the eye. I hate being misunderstood and become insecure if I feel someone has misperceived me by appearance or insignificant actions. I would never want my commitment to my work or my aspirations to be compromised based on my exterior.

If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be?

If I could be anyone for a day I would want to be Alice during her adventures in Wonderland. I have always connected with the character of Alice… perhaps it’s her love for books & cats, maybe it’s her blue dress & blonde hair combination (which parallels my evening gown presentation at Miss USA), but certainly it’s her dreamy heart & curious mind that I connect with most. I also identify with the naïve spirit she demonstrates through the characters and situations she encounters in Wonderland. Given our similarities I would love to take her place for a day in Wonderland, assuming I would still have my friends, family, and work to come home to at the end of the day.

Thanks so much for chatting with us Brittany!! You're just the sweetest! I hope you all have a lovely day and if you want to get to know Brittany a little better, go visit here!

xo.

Melisa