On December 16,Emma Broyleswas crowned Miss America 2022.
It was a particularly momentous occasion as it marked the 100th Anniversary of the Miss America competition!
Clearly, she’s been busy!
It was so surreal.
And to be the first Korean American as a Miss America.
So it was an incredible moment, surreal.
It still hasn’t set in.
It’s not going to set for a while.
And like you said, you’re the first representative from Alaska to win.
You’re also the first Korean American.
I think that people tend to put Miss America on this pedestal.
How her dermatillomania diagnosis inspired her career path
Yeah.
Was dermatology something that kind of came to you from that?
And the fact that dermatillomania usually runs alongside ADHD or anxiety or depression.
I was not blessed with having good skin.
Second, I need to work on recognizing my triggers.
I need to work on finding ways in which I can stop picking.
It was truly life-changing.
And I think about how badly I want to be that person for other people.
Acne can be, it can be frustrating for a lot of people.
It was really frustrating for me.
How do you feel like that’s helped you to connect with your followers?
And so I hope that other people can see people who are like them in a position like this.
And they’ll be able to pull themselves out of it.
And ultimately just feel less alone.
I think that I had never met somebody with dermatillomania before.
And that is really kind of what helped me pull myself out of that dark time.
And so I hope that I can kind of be that person for somebody else.
That we all [have] flaws.
We all have struggles, and that’s okay.
And now, a year later, I’m Miss America.
I mean, it’s just crazy how life happens.
Why she sees ADHD as her ‘superpower’
Yeah, absolutely.
You also mentioned that that’s kind of a common experience.
A lot of women especially get diagnosed with ADHD later.
How do you think getting your diagnosis now has kind of affected your day-to-day life?
Well, first and foremost, getting medicated was a huge help.
Getting my diagnosis was this huge just sigh of relief and weight lifted off my shoulders.
To get the 4.0.
It just felt unfair.
It’s just easy peasy.
Let’s do a little bit of studying.
And it was really, really frustrating, and I didn’t know what was wrong with me.
I just assumed that maybe I’m not that smart.
I don’t know.
But it was really frustrating.
And with my diagnosis also came realizations that ADHD I consider to be my superpower.
I think that the ability of somebody with ADHD to hyper-focus on something is a really powerful thing.
My ability to hyper-focus on the things that I’m passionate about.
And just having ADHD, of course, is hard, right?
How would you have ADHD when I’ve never seen you act hyper before?"
when they don’t realize that there’s a whole other aspect.
I think she’s right.
I might have it too."
And then maybe they can ultimately get diagnosed and lead a life as great as mine.
I would tell them that it’s not going to be a straight path, right?
There are a lot of different medications out there.
There are a lot of different forms of treatment, behavioral therapy as well.
Some people prefer not to use medication and stimulants.
Some people prefer behavioral therapy, and that’s okay.
You have to find what works for you.
Because you know, what’s the worst that can happen?
What does it feel like for you to be Miss America while it’s hitting that milestone?
It is really such an honor.
I think about how much change, positive change, Miss America has seen in the past 100 years.
We’ve only had two Top 10 finalists in all of history.
It was especially cool to meet all the former Miss Americas.
And I just wanted to take a picture with every single one of them.
So it was a really special moment to know that I’m a part of history.
What were your friends and family’s reactions when you won?
They were so excited.
And I guess my dad was sitting there with his head in his hands.
He was just so, so nervous when I think we got down to the Top 3.
But they are so, so excited.
And they’re so incredibly supportive especially my relationship with my brother, who has down syndrome.
And I know that he’s really excited for me.
So I mean, the Special Olympics mission has been always …
Specials Olympics started with Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who also had a sibling with a disability.
And we’ve seen how Special Olympics has progressed in the past whatever 50 years.
It’s all about what matters on the inside.
So also, like you were saying, Miss America has changed a lot over a hundred years.
And just a few years ago, they started to not take physical appearance as part of the judging.
How did you feel about that decision, and how would you say it affected the competition this year?
It doesn’t matter what they look like.
It shouldn’t matter what they look like, right?
It’s about your drive.
It’s about your passions.
It’s about the things that you believe in.
That’s what we care about.
That’s what society should care about.
And that’s what society does care about.
The 100th Miss America competition is currently streaming onPeacock.
