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11/06/2019
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By Justine Lofton | jmcguir4@mlive.com
MUSKEGON, MI – Being Miss Michigan gave Emily Sioma a microphone to speak for the voiceless.
The 25-year-old from Grass Lake will relinquish her 2018 title on Saturday, June 15, when she crowns Miss Michigan 2019.
While each experience gave Sioma “something to love” and “something to learn,” she's looking forward to transitioning into a career that she expects to include personal training and teaching sexual education workshops to adults.
Sioma came into the job poised to become the “edgy” Miss Michigan. With a propensity to speak her mind and five tattoos that prove she doesn’t fit the pageant-girl mold, Sioma made waves during her reign. One of the biggest was at the Miss America pageant when she used her opportunity to introduce herself to bring attention to Michigan’s drinking water crises.
Sioma was crowned Miss Michigan on June 16, 2018, at the Frauenthal Center in Muskegon. The 2019 competition begins there on Thursday, June 13.
Sioma spent her year advocating for victims of “sexualized violence,” speaking out on such issues as Michigan’s water crisis, and bringing hope to kids at Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. She visited the Mackinac Bridge, the Detroit International Auto Show, Mackinac Island, schools, museums and other places while traveling the state. She served as a keynote speaker and was interviewed by national television and radio outlets multiple times.
Sioma has a degree in women’s studies from the University of Michigan. She expects to return to school eventually to earn a master’s in public health or social work.
Sioma’s platform was “I Believe You: Supporting survivors of sexualized violence.” As a survivor, it was a cause close to her heart.
She worked with the Army of Survivors in Lansing, which was formed out of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal that had ties to Michigan State University gymnastics, a gymnastics center in the area and USA Gymnastics. She also worked with Safe House in Ann Arbor and Women’s Resource Center of Grand Traverse.
Sioma served as a keynote speaker in her mission to find an end to sexual violence and to help survivors “lead the best life they can.”
Much of her work centered on how to react when a survivor shares their experience for the first time.
“We can’t question whether they’re sure or whether you believe them because then it’s harder for them to tell anyone else,” Sioma said. “We need to provide them with support to seek justice or to seek help by finding a professional to talk to. We all need to be aware of the resources around us in the community.”
"This empowerment through the experience I had with my sexual assault built me up to be proud of every single part of who I am," Emily Sioma said.
She is especially concerned about segments of society that aren’t as well served, including people with different sexual and gender identities, different socioeconomic statuses and those in rural areas.
Sioma didn’t expect to have a statewide or national impact on policies or resources, but she did hope to help individuals.
“There were a lot of people who came to me and talked to me about the way they felt supported and empowered to help others or speak about what happened to them,” Sioma said. “That was my goal.”
She picked up another cause when she used her 10-second Miss America introduction to speak out about the ongoing and expanding water crisis in Michigan that includes both the Flint water crisis and dangerous levels of PFAS throughout the state.
"From the state with 84 percent of the U.S. fresh water, but none for its residents to drink, I am Miss Michigan Emily Sioma," she said during the televised Parade of States.
The introduction was meant to allow contestants to state their name and education. There were mixed reactions on Sioma’s statement, which gained national attention.
Sioma was addressed face-to-face about the incident at least once.
“They came to me out of the blue and told me what I did was wrong,” she said. “I did what I could with what felt right in my heart - there are so many people in the state who don’t have clean water … There are always going to be people who don’t agree with your methods or what you believe.”
Her goal was to reignite the national conversation related to the Flint water crisis and PFAS findings in the state.
“I can only imagine the exhaustion of fighting for something that is so necessary,” Sioma said.
While she admits she’s no water quality expert, Sioma worked to educate herself on the subject and sought to promote those doing the work on the ground.
Sioma also advocated for Children’s Miracle Network, which is the Miss America Organization’s national charity. There are four affiliate hospitals in Michigan, and she visited three of them.
“Visiting the kids was one of the biggest highlights, just to see the immediate impact of wearing that crown and being that bright personality in the room,” Sioma said.
As a contestant in the 2018-19 pageant cycle, Sioma raised more than $1,350 for the hospital network. Every local competitor raises at least $100, state candidates raise $250 and national contestants raise $1,000.
“Miss America and Miss Michigan has been so great, but it’s just one year,” Sioma said. “I want a career. I want to travel. I want to see my life grow and see where the opportunities take me. I have so much more to give, and so much more to do.”
Having held the state title, worn the crown and traveled the state as an advocate for many causes will serve as a launch pad into the future, Sioma said.
“I am a little sad that I won’t get to wear the crown anymore,” she said. “I’m still coming to terms with my year coming to a close.”
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