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Grace Shoop, Miss Southlake 2025
Growing up, my mom taught me that language has power to uplift, inspire, and create positive change.
I am committed to fostering a generation of confident communicators and genuine young leaders. I aim to empower young women to boldly and fearlessly embrace their unique voices, intelligence, and dreams through my “Live out L.O.U.D.” initiative.
Research shows women are more likely to use justifiers, qualifiers, and unnecessary questions in conversations than men. That’s where “Live Out L.O.U.D.” comes in.
● L: Language Matters. This is the education piece of the initiative. This part focuses on the importance of language patterns and speech habits on communication.
● O: Own Your Voice. This is the empowerment piece. Once speech habits are shifted, young women will be encouraged and empowered to embrace their unique perspectives, voices, and dreams fully.
● U: Uplift Others. This initiative relies on participants to take and teach what they’ve learned. It is imperative that participants are equipped to empower their peers, family, and future co-workers about the value of clear communication.
● D: Dream Big. This is the futurity portion. Once the participants know what to change, I encourage them to dream big, and to do it loudly.
“Live Out LOUD” aligns with the Miss America Opportunity’s mission of “Empowering Women to Lead.” This mission recognizes that great women must communicate effectively, engage in difficult conversations confidently, and believe they are worthy of big things.
In 2024, I authored a children's book titled “Sophie’s Big Idea." After several unsuccessful attempts searching for materials to incorporate into my school program, I decided I could just do it myself!
I worked diligently to refine the message, spirit, and details of the book and asked one of my childhood friends, Chandler Neal, to bring the world I'd created in my head to life with her fabulous watercolor illustrations.
After months of workshopping and informal focus-group readings, Sophie's Big Idea went to print. Now, I use the book, along with a matching Sophie stuffy, to guide the conversation with elementary-aged kiddos about what it means to be brave, to use your voice, and to dream big!
Copyright © 2025 Grace Shoop - All Rights Reserved.