After finishing as a runner-up in last year’s Miss Grand Australia (MGA), Airlie Beach model Paitin Powell is preparing for another campaign as a National Finalist in the 2023 pageant.
A former student of Mackay’s Brooke Lee Modelling & Deportment School, Ms Powell said MGA is so much more than a pageant.
“The program encourages self-development, women empowerment and it’s also a platform that allows young Australian women to openly speak their minds about issues that concern them,” she said.
Ms Powell has lived in north Queensland her whole life, her mother driving her from Airlie Beach to Mackay every couple of weeks to attend classes.
Participating in pageantry since the age of 15, she entered her first MGA last year and believes it’s an organisation that she can align with.
Ms Powell has since become an Airlie Beach-based teacher at Brooke Lee Modelling & Deportment School and hopes to inspire young people following the same journey as her.
“Growing up in rural areas of north Queensland, I’ve always felt that opportunity for me didn’t come as easy, especially in the modelling industry,” she said.
“When I found the pageant system, I found that it was a way of me being able to follow my dreams and achieve my goals.
“My goal coming into MGA is to be an inspiration for young girls and boys who have a similar upbringing to me and have grown up in other rural areas of Australia and prove to them that it doesn’t really matter where you come from, where you grew up or what makes you different; if you have a goal or a dream in life and you work hard for it, you can achieve anything.”
MGA advocates for Destiny Rescue, an organisation that raises funds for the support and rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Last year, Ms Powell raised $2,500 and she has already raised $4,200 this year.
“To me, a beauty pageant is about your advocacy, it’s about what you stand for, it’s about making a difference in your community, your country, worldwide,” she said.
Ms Powell’s fundraising efforts will continue leading up to the pageant as she hosts sausage sizzles at Bunnings Cannonvale on June 18 and July 8.
She will then travel to Melbourne for MGA from July 12-15.
Scan the QR code to learn more about Ms Powell’s mission and to donate.
Airlie Beach model Paitin Powell will return to Miss Grand Australia in July after finishing as a runner-up in last year’s pageant. Photo supplied
Publishers Indemnity. Any individual or entity that places advertising, supplies copy material, or submits editorial content to Core Life Publishing agrees and undertakes to ensure that all such material:- Does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights;- Is free from any content that could be considered defamatory, libelous, or slanderous;- Does not infringe upon any rights related to privacy or breach of confidence;- Contains no obscene, indecent, or otherwise unlawful material;- Complies fully with the Trade Practices Act and all other applicable laws, regulations, or statutes.Furthermore, by submitting or placing such material, these individuals or entities agree to indemnify and hold harmless the publisher, Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd, and/or its agents from and against any and all investigations, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, costs, or judgments arising out of or in connection with the material provided. All material is believed to be accurate at the time of printing and remains the copyright of Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd.
© 2024 Mackay and Whitsunday Life Pty Ltd.
