Reservist uses pageant to speak out against bullying in school Published Aug. 9, 2007 By Brian Magaña 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- In July an Air Force reservist from the 419th Maintenance Operations Flight removed her combat boots and slipped on a pair of high heels to compete in Ms. America's Touch of Class pageant. When the pageant ended, Staff Sgt. Eileen Safford left the Las Vegas event with the title of Ms. America. "I don't call myself a beauty queen," said the single mom of two. "I call myself a state representative." The competition called for wearing a swimsuit, an evening gown and an outfit of choice; doing an interview; and answering on-stage questions about current events. A panel of three judges crowned women in four divisions - Miss, Miss Junior, Mrs. and Ms. America. Sergeant Safford chose to compete in the Ms. America's Touch of Class pageant because, unlike other Ms. America pageants, it is platform-based and emphasizes personality and confidence. "It's fun to play dress-up, but I like it because of the platform," Sergeant Safford said. "I wanted to promote something that I believe in. Nowadays, you just see a girl with a crown." Sergeant Safford hopes to use her crown to raise awareness of the effects of bullying in schools through a program she created called Child Abuse and Prevention with Peers in Schools. "I was bullied in school," said Sergeant Safford, who went through 42 foster homes from New York to California before meeting her adoptive parents, Stuart and Kathleen Peterson of Yuba City, Calif., at age 14. She regularly changed schools as a result. Sergeant Safford said her foster parents "always found a fault." Her confidence was low and she didn't start reading until age 15, when she picked up "Huck Finn." "I love going and speaking to youth in correctional custody or people in group homes. I tell them there is a way out," Sergeant Safford said. She gained interest in pageants at age 16 when her adoptive parents encouraged her to compete to be a spokesperson in a local town festival, which she won. Since then, she has competed in about 30 pageants, winning two national titles. She has always used her crown to inspire young people who are in situations similar to her own. "If you have passion to do something, you can," Sergeant Safford said. She said her adoptive parents instilled that sentiment. "They saw nothing but potential. They told me nothing was out of reach." Sergeant Safford also credits her military experience for reaching that potential. She has been with the Air Force Reserve since 2004. Before that, she served in the Army and the Air National Guard. "My confidence level wouldn't have been this high if it weren't for the military," said Sergeant Safford, who also promotes the benefits of the military in her lectures. "I try to bring the military into anything I do because if it weren't for the military, I wouldn't be here." Sergeant Safford, who is pursuing a nursing degree, said the military helped pay for her schooling, which in turn gave her more confidence. She enjoys being a role model for women in the military, a role often associated with men. "The military gives me my fulfillment for my country," Sergeant Safford said. "The platform gives me my fulfillment because I go to schools and talk about what I'm passionate about." Over the next year, Sergeant Safford will lecture at schools and seminars for youth and women's groups, perform in parades and mentor contestants in other pageants. She will also participate in events with her 14-year-old daughter, Sarah, the current Miss Teen Utah for Liberty Pageants. "It's a sense of fulfillment, not just to have the crown and have your name called, but to work for something so hard and to promote something that you believe in," said Sergeant Safford. (Air Force Reserve Command News Service)