Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Minch.
Hannah, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
From the time I was a little girl, I had seen many examples of giving. Every December, my mother would select an angel from the Angel Tree at the local grocery store. As far back as I can remember, she would always make it a point to involve my sister and I in putting the Angel Gifts together. So I had learned at a young age the realities of my surrounding community, and it was through this family tradition that I was taught the necessary awareness of those less fortunate than me.
Also as a child I watched my father volunteer to deliver meals to the homes of elderly individuals in Dallas through the Meals on Wheels Organization. I remember riding along with my dad on his routes and feeling excited to see the smiles on the faces of the recipients when we’d greet them at their door! I admire my parents’ generous hearts and grew to have the same desire for giving as an adult.
My faith is the foundation for this passion, I know my life is not mine, it is His.
I hope to live as a light and example for others. In my senior year of high school, I was a part of the Peer Assistance & Leadership program, otherwise known as PAL’s. This program allowed me to mentor middle school aged kids within my community that had difficult home circumstances.
Early on into this experience, I found that these kids were making a difference in my life as well. One student in particular stirred my heart and inspired me to start a personal charity, Hannah’s Gifts of Hope. The mission for HGH was simply to provide donations of items that would promote positivity and encouragement at a local women’s shelter. This shelter was particularly significant to my former PAL-ee. So I continued to pass it forward, by donating Bibles and Christian based books.
Outside of my passion for giving, I have always had an affinity for beauty pageants. I feel pageants encompass many of the things that I love. Beautiful gowns, public speaking, being in the spotlight, and most importantly serving as a role model for young girls. Right from the start, I knew that pageants would teach me many things, like having discipline, the importance of hard work, and the reward of dedication. Yet, I was surprised to find that the beautiful world of pageants would be where my two passions collided.
After a lot of hard work and dedication, I won the title of Miss Dallas Teen USA 2018 at the end of my senior year of high school. It quickly became apparent that the Lord had provided this platform for me to continue to fulfill my passion for giving in an even more impactful way.
I remember attending one of the first of many charity events as Miss Dallas Teen. I had attended the annual Special Olympics held in Arlington, TX. This was a life changing day, as I was able to meet, dance, and take fun pictures with the many sweet competitors. I loved hearing their unique stories and getting the opportunity to meet their families. It was the first time that I had truly realized the influence of being Miss Dallas Teen. The crown and sash suddenly transformed me from a teenage girl into something greater. It was as if my life had changed overnight. As soon as I placed on that crown, it felt like magic. All of the sudden strangers were requesting my autograph, my presence was known, and my words had influence unlike ever before. I cherished every moment and absorbed each passing encounter, embracing the beauty of the influence that I may never hold again after my reign. Later I found that even though I had passed down the crown to the new Miss Dallas Teen, my passion had not wavered, instead it had only grown. I wanted to take all that I had learned as Miss Dallas Teen along with giving over the years and apply it to the next chapter of my life, college.
Following in both of my parents and older sister’s footsteps, I started college at the University of North Texas. My freshman year was a great one, as the current Miss Dallas Teen, along with my many charitable contributions throughout my reign, I sparked the interest of the North Texas Daily Newspaper. They asked to feature me in an article for their January publication entitled ‘Pursuing a Diploma and a Crown: UNT Student Juggles University Life and Pageantry.’ Immediately, I knew I wanted to be involved on campus and within the surrounding community, so I joined my sorority Alpha Phi.
Being an Alpha Phi, our sisterhood is centered around the Alpha Phi Foundation, which supports womens’ heart health and keeps us occupied with events throughout the year that benefit our foundation and the community. Through this experience, I continued to see the Lord’s hand in my life as he thoughtfully combined my passion for giving with my interests and hobbies.
During this last semester, I felt called once again to bring a little sunshine and positivity into my sorority chapter’s routine. My sorority experience had not grown into what I had initially hoped it would be when I joined. So at the beginning of my Sophomore Spring semester, I implemented a new initiative called ‘Be a Light’. I figured I could uplift my own spirits with this initiative as well as others! It was short and simple, but I printed 50 copies of a palm sized sheet of paper with three bulleted acts of kindness. This served as an encouragement to myself as well as my fellow sisters to fulfill small acts of kindness each week before we met again for our chapter meetings on Monday nights. To my pleasant surprise, my sisters embraced this idea and they have been consistently spreading these simple acts of kindness. I have continued to share these ‘Be a Light’ messages virtually throughout the COVID-19 shelter in place changes.
My story doesn’t end here. I am fortunate with the timing of this article not only to have the opportunity to share my journey, but also grow my community service initiatives during the current pandemic. Since the Coronavirus has shut down our country, and specifically our DFW community, my family and I have been encouraged to pass forward our blessings of good health. We have sought out local police and fire departments to provide lunches as thanks for their service. These lunches have been purchased from local restaurants and delivered by my family and I to their office locations. We just recently served our third lunch to the Corinth Fire Department, and we plan to make our fourth visit of thanks in the coming week. We look forward to continuing these lunches for however long the virus impacts us. Although these are only simple acts of kindness, it is rewarding to feel like we are contributing to our beloved community. By simply patronizing local businesses and supporting essential workers in our area. If there is one thing I have learned from my life’s journey so far, it is that I have received much more from my experiences than I have ever given. I plan to continue to grow my acts of kindness as I continue my journey in life.
Has it been a smooth road?
Being a full-time student, working, greek life, and competing in pageants definitely can feel overwhelming at times. However, in my sorority, I am able to combine my social life and charity. While pageants and school keep me organized and structured. There seems to be a natural balance when joy meets responsibility. When you do what you’re passionate about, the challenges just make things exciting, and those life experiences allow you to grow.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
My ambition for giving began as a child by watching my parents, but as I’ve grown older, I feel as though it has become a responsibility as well as something I love to do. My experience with pageants has also inspired my continued love of giving and only encouraged me to do more. Through the pageant world, I have met so many well rounded young women that are doing amazing things within their communities. Being in that kind of environment, surrounded by driven young ladies, has only grown my passion to do more in my community. The platform I had as a pageant queen allowed me to fulfill this passion throughout my reign, just as it inspired me to do more after the crown.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Currently, I am excited to continue the ‘Thank You Lunches’ to first responders within the community for the duration of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Going forward in the next few weeks, I also look forward to completing a large drop-off of family-friendly DVDs to the local women’s shelter as Hannah’s Gifts of Hope. I hope these movies will ease the anxiety of uncertain home lives combined with the nationwide Coronavirus concerns. I plan to continue finding ways to help others within the community and potentially take the stage in another pageant or two. My long term goal is to maintain a leadership position in my sorority, encouraging my sisters through this inspirational mission, ‘Be a Light’, Otherwise, I plan to finish my degree in Broadcast Journalism at the University of North Texas, and someday serve my community as a news anchor/reporter with the hope of being a light for others.
Contact Info:
- Email: hdminch@gmail.com
- Instagram: @hannah_minch
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