Meet Shawnna Ballog, Miss Chicago 2018 of Miss Earth United States pageant in Portage Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawnna Ballog.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Back in 2009, during my elementary school days, I remember walking down Lawrence Ave. with a heavy heart and very little mind as I could barely withstand the amount of bullying and harassment ingrained in my day to day life as a young child. I always knew, I wanted to be an inspiration and own quite a social image, but I felt so entirely lost when it came to actually getting to the first step: this was a big reason why I suffered from overwhelming amounts of hopelessness and sadness.

I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason and that it always happens for the greater good; the way my life panned out was a prime example of this. And although my biggest turning point in life was during one of my darkest eras, I am appreciated and completely grateful that it happened that way. Now that I am looking at the bigger picture, I would absolutely not choose any other way to have went about me becoming mature, wise, and experienced. Days seem to be longer when years are comparable to a second: and this is why I am able to manage my time and goals efficiently.

Today, I use the growth mindset to allow my dreams to remain unlimited and to have the capability to mentor and guide other individuals of all age, race and color to actively make an impact in their desired life’s journey. I am blessed to have been given the opportunity to represent the Miss Earth United States pageant system; I plan to use this medium to fully advocate for environmental and mental health awareness as I move forward mentoring other people who are and were like me.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Most of my struggles were rooted from my lack of confidence. And it was ironic that confidence building techniques were sewn into my mind at a very young age. All in all, it resulted in a fluctuation of events that jumbled my idea of myself: Shawnna. I found myself using the resources I was given once upon a time ago and it just snowballed from there, which allowed me to prepare myself to bring up other people that were in my position.

Confidence is the key to everything. It allows you to “fake it until you make it” and it also allows you to even believe such thing is possible to achieve. Confidence is the coconut oil to live!

Miss Chicago 2018 of Miss Earth United States pageant – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The Miss Earth United States pageant is an official preliminary competition to the international pageant, also known as the second largest pageant system in the world! All the activists represented by the Miss Earth organization advocates for at least one cause: our environment. Queens of all size, age, race and color unite together to form a bond in order to properly achieve world change as one. Each one of us specializes in something we are most passionate about: mine is climate change and the effects it has on animals, plants and us as people!

Currently, I am in school pursuing an Associate degree in Natural Sciences, after obtaining my first degree I plan to move forward with Veterinary Medicine and become a wildlife veterinarian in approximately five to six years. My life revolves around my platform and has been, for at least, as long as I could remember. I want to use my in-depth knowledge of the sciences to help younger generations on understanding the seriousness humanity, nature and animals are having to deal with because of global warming (something known to have come about due to human actions).

As a former pageant queen, I am known to have saved lives through suicide prevention and anti-bullying techniques. I established a program called Dragonfly Network where I have the ability to properly train, coach, and mentor many individuals. The first year of my establishment, I was able to call thirty-seven young girls (between the ages five and eighteen) my pupils; and we went about creating a ripple effect in our community to getting up and making a difference big or small and at least with one kind or the other.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I was appointed the Miss Teen Illinois United Nations title in the year of 2016. I went about my reign proudly representing this pageant system that is based in Kingston, Jamaica. I was planned to compete in the international competition approximately two years after being appointed my state title, but things drastically changed fifty-five days before the 2016 international pageant competition. I was awarded the national title as Miss Teen USA United Nations 2016 and was set to fly to Kingston, Jamaica to compete for the prestigious international title, Miss Teen United Nations 2016.

I remember crying from nervousness, excitement and happiness! I NEVER competed in a pageant before so I definitely needed some pageant coaching; which was being budgeted for throughout the timeframe of 730 days and not fifty-five days. Not to mention the array of garment choices I needed for my pageant wardrobe.

I was blessed to have been given major sponsorship in preparation for the pageant and as I wore those extensions for my hair and eyelashes, ten pounds of makeup, seven-inch heels, glittery dresses and the perfect smile I was absolutely exhausted by stage time after thirteen days.

My name was called on that international stage after having no prior pageant experience! I was crying on stage not only because I worked so hard for that title and I was grateful, but the journey I had to excavate on in order to get to this final destination was absolutely CRAZY and I just couldn’t believe it.

Contact Info:

• Website: Dragonflynetwork.net
• Email: dragonflynetwork1@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnna_ballog/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawnna.ballog

Image Credit:
Gabby Aquirre, Zbyszek Guzcal, Zachary Barilow, Sarah Kleiser, Maritza Paritda, Abraham Garcia, Sarah Kleiser, Itza Fashion Brand, Jyna James

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