ABC6 Honors: Miss Rhode Island turned National Guard soldier

March 23, 2018 9:22 pm

By: Christina Myers

Email: cmyers@abc6.com

Twitter: @CMyersABC6

PROVIDENCE,R.I. (WLNE) — Miss Rhode Island 2015 is taking her service to our community in a new direction. Allie Curtis is now a Human Resources Specialist in the Rhode Island National Guard.

It’s a dream she has had for awhile but had to put on the backburner because she began a Masters program at Brown University within one week of winning Miss Rhode Island.

“I had to put the military on hold, because that was overwhelming and there were a lot of duties that came along with both," Allie said.

After her year of service to the Ocean State as Miss Rhode Island, Allie went on to receive a second Masters from Salve Regina on a scholarship from the Miss America Organization.

"It was while I was at Salve that I said, ‘I really need to revisit this. I want to join the Guard and I can see myself there.’ And a year ago this month I enlisted,” said Allie.

She says pageants and serving in the military have more in common than many people may think.

“A lot of discipline is involved in both and a lot of resiliency and a lot of dedication and, of course, at the heart of both of these things is service," she said.

Serving her community is the reason Allie first got involved in pageants in 2006 before her freshman year of high school.

Hard to believe now, but Allie says she was “so awkward” in the beginning and didn’t win until her 14th pageant.

But overcoming those losses taught her a lesson she carries with her today as she works with the Guard.

"Resiliency. You put yourself out there so many times and sometimes the outcome isn’t what you want, but you have to show up prepared, you come ready to play the game, do what you need to do and you bring your ‘A game’ and you just have to pick yourself up and keep moving," Allie said.

She’s breaking misconceptions people may have about pageant queens by leading by example. But there are a few things she wants people to know.

"The misconceptions people tend to have: the women are airheads, or it’s really fake or women are catty, are so far from the truth,” said Allie. “Because it’s the greatest form of sisterhood i’ve ever seen, just really empowering women who want to not only do good in their community but they support you in the good you’re doing as well. And some of the most brilliant and hard-working women i’ve ever met in my life."

She also found out she’s in good company in the Rhode Island National Guard. Lt. Col. Gloria Berlanga, who was Miss Rhode Island 1989, became a mentor to Allie, even coaching her for Miss America and swearing her in as a National Guard soldier.

This newest chapter of Allie’s life in the National Guard is continuing the work she began with her platform for Miss Rhode Island “Leading Ladies: Equipping Women with the Skills to Lead.”

She has traveled the country giving speeches at schools and conference to motivate and train women to take on leadership roles.

"Leadership, to me, is most heavily reliant on courage and being able to find the courage in yourself to do what’s in your heart and to step-up and to do the right thing.,” Allie said.