Leesport woman crowned Miss Berks
Siblings’ struggles fueled Alysa Bainbridge’s mission
Alysa Bainbridge knows how difficult living with mental illness can be.
Bainbridge, the newly crowned Miss Berks County, watched her older brother struggle with substance abuse and bipolar disorder. Her younger sister also was diagnosed with the disorder.
“My brother died of an opioid overdose due to untreated bipolar disorder,” she said in a telephone interview March 8.
Her brother, Tyler Bainbridge, died January 19, 2018, at the age of 24.
That’s why Bainbridge, 21, of Leesport chose #MoreThanBipolar as her platform for the Miss Berks County Scholarship Organization.
A daughter of Jeffrey and Michele Bainbridge of Leesport, Alysa earned her title March 7 in the annual scholarship pageant at Oley Valley High School.
The nonprofit is an official franchise of the Miss Pennsylvania and Miss America Organizations.
In addition to receiving the $700 scholarship attached to her title, Bainbridge
also is recipient of the $500 Chris Biese Memorial Scholarship. Biese served on the organization’s committee for many years.
Bainbridge, who received the highest overall score in the pageant, also took first place in the interview and talent portions of the pageant, earning an additional $50 in scholarships for each. She performed a lyrical dance to showcase her talent.
While the hashtag for her platform comes from her family’s experience, she said, her advocacy is not limited to bipolar disorder.
“Whether it be depression, eating disorders, or substance abuse disorder, my message is that everyone is so much more than a mental illness,” she said in her impact statement. “Since losing my brother, my platform has incorporated battling and educating about the opioid epidemic and supporting people in recovery from addiction.”
Bainbridge, a 2017 graduate of Schuylkill Valley High School and a junior at St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, is majoring in communications with a minor in journalism. She aspires to become a television news anchor or talk-show host.
“My ultimate goal is to start a conversation about mental illness,” she said. “I want to make people feel celebrated and let them know that their illness does not define them. It broke my heart that my siblings were known only for the symptoms of their illness and not for the amazing qualities I saw in them.”
Other winners
In addition to Miss Berks County title, the scholarship organization also awards the Miss Greater Reading and Miss Greater Reading’s Outstanding Teen titles.
Hallie Jacobs, 20, was crowned Miss Greater Reading.
A daughter of Bethany and Jarrad Jacobs of Bern Township, Hallie is a 2018 graduate of Schuylkill Valley High School and a sophomore at Temple University, Philadelphia, with a major in media studies and production.
For her platform, she selected the Dream Literacy Project. The goal, she said, is to get books into the hands of young children and encourage a lifelong excitement about reading.
“Putting books into the hands of children improves reading achievement and promotes positive self-esteem in young readers,” she said.
As part of the project, Jacobs is collecting hundreds
of books for children hospitalized at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Jacobs said she was inspired to work with CHOP due to a family connection. Her younger cousin, Jolee Boarder, who died in 2010 at age 2, received treatment for pediatric cancer at CHOP.
Jacobs received a $700 scholarship.
Jaylen Baron, 17, of Lower Providence Township, Montgomery County, was crowned Miss Greater Reading’s Outstanding Teen.
Greater Reading titles are not limited to Berks County residents and are open to young women living in Pennsylvania.
Baron, a student of
Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Springfield Township, Montgomery County, is a daughter of John Baron and the late Jane Baron.
She aspires to a career in broadcasting.
Baron received a $500 scholarship. She also received an additional $50 each for scoring the highest in the talent and interview portions of the teen pageant.
Runner-up Annie Mowery, 18, of Ephrata, Lancaster County, received a $100 scholarship.
The three title holders will compete in the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Competition June 7 to June 13 at the Pullo Center in York.
“Whether it be depression, eating disorders, or substance abuse disorder, my message is that everyone is so much more than a mental illness.” — Alysa Bainbridge