Miss SC stops by St. Andrews Middle
Shelley Bryson Benthall delivers a message of hope in the face of adversity
By Warren Cobb
Community Editor, West Of*
Shelly Bryson Benthall, an upbeat, friendly, and
vivacious Clemson student, was crowned Miss South Carolina in July. But
her journey to the state’s royal court was a long and arduous
one. Unlike most beauty queens, Benthall came from a
nearly-broken home.
As one of seven children growing up in Florence,
Benthall says she was never interested in pageantry. She never thought
she was attractive enough, an idea her so-called friends reiterated on
several occasions. Her father, a hard working television writer and
producer was an alcoholic, and a drug addict. Needless to say her home
life was less than easy. But one day, with a pageant announcement
fresh in her mind, Benthall says she picked herself up, said ‘why
not me,’ and went on to win the Miss Teen Florence pageant. In
2003, she won the Miss Teen South Carolina pageant. And now three years
later, she is preparing to take part in the Miss America pageant,
taking place Jan. 29 in Las Vegas. And her father has since recovered
from his addictions.
Her Miss South Carolina platform is “Above the
Influence.” With her life experience providing a unique
perspective, Benthall travels the state visiting schools and talking to
students about the dangers of alcohol and drugs. Recently, she stopped
by St. Andrews Middle School, where she shared her life story.
“Some of y’all might come from similar
circumstances,” she told the crowd of about 50 students in one of
three sessions at the school that day. “We end up hurting
ourselves more when we make bad decisions. Make your own decisions
every day according to what you want for your future.” The
message is to not let the circumstances in our lives decides our
futures, but to use those as positive determination,” Benthall
told West Of. “Most people think I’ve had things handed to
me, but when they learn I’ve had to work hard, it shows them they
can achieve too.”
“Shelly was outstanding, truly inspirational. Her message was
powerful,” said St. Andrews Middle guidance director Jim Brooks.
Brooks says the students at his school are often teetering on
the edge of making bad decisions that will change their lives forever.
“Some kids have stories of what they’ve been through in
their young lives already that will break your heart,” he says.
“One of the main differences is they’re exposed to so much
more at an earlier age with TV, video games, music. They are more aware
of things at an earlier age.”
Benthall sees outreach to young people as part of
her job as Miss South Carolina and her duty as a representative of the
state. She visits a different school almost every day, and sometime
more than one. She says she knows kids in the middle grades
aren’t the easiest to reach. “But if I can get through to
even one of them, it’s worth it,” she says. Look for
Benthall at the Miss America 2007 pageant to air January 29 on CMT.
* West Ashley's Independent Community Newspaper
829-D Savannah
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Charleston, SC 29407
(843) 766-9378
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