Stephanie Barber is a recent graduate of the University of Arkansas. She earned a bachelor of arts in journalism and political science and a minor in legal studies two weeks before winning the title of Miss Arkansas USA. After her reign, the 22-year-old will attend law school with aspirations of becoming a federal judge and law professor. As an undergraduate student, Stephanie received many academic and leadership honors, including being recognized as one of the top 71 Seniors of Significance of her graduating class of over 4,000.
Growing up, Stephanie struggled with many insecurities due to her learning disability. Like most children, Stephanie wanted to feel normal, but there is nothing ordinary about growing up with dyslexia. It was not until she was in high school volunteering at an under-resourced school that she realized how incredibly fortunate she was to have her education despite her dyslexia. From that point on, Stephanie became passionate about children’s literacy and educational resource advocacy. She believes that a good education is our greatest superpower, and for that reason, she wants every child to have access to the same resources that she was given. Stephanie finds it incredibly empowering to speak about her learning disability openly across Arkansas because of how insecure she was about it as a child. She has found that her “imperfection” connects people to her and inspires kids across the state.
When Stephanie was 17, she discovered the world of pageantry by following a Miss Teen USA titleholder on Instagram. After watching Miss USA, she was inspired by the caliber of women who competed and decided to compete herself. Even when she first began pageants, her dream was to become Miss Arkansas USA, so every day with her title is a dream come true. After a four-year hiatus from competing to focus on her studies, Stephanie competed for the title of Miss Arkansas USA and won on her first try.
Even though she won on her first attempt, Stephanie believes it was no coincidence that she was crowned this year. At the age of twenty-two, Stephanie had reached a point where she embraced and loved everything about her that made her unique. She learned that our most vulnerable and unfiltered parts of ourselves make us exactly who God created us to be and help us to love others well. Through her vulnerability, she hopes to spread the message of #iLikeMe during her year while also empowering students across Arkansas to love reading.
Thank you so so much for sharing your experiences with us Stephanie! Having you share your experiences and that you are embracing what makes you unique – not only is beautiful for yourself, but you are showing others that they can embrace what makes them beautiful, too. Xoxo, Rylee!
Follow Stephanie’s reign on Instagram and Facebook at @MissARUSA and Twitter @RealMissARUSA. You can also connect with her personal Instagram account at @StephanieCBarber.
