My name is Angelica Mercado, I am 21 and am a senior at Briar Cliff University, studying art and writing. I will be representing Dodge County in the  Miss Nebraska USA 2016 pageant.  As part of the process, I am required to collect $1,000 in sponsorship fees that will cover my hotel stays, dinners, any events, rehearsals, wardrobe fees, venue costs, etc.Now, the reason why I am choosing to run for Miss Nebraska USA, is because I feel that there needs to be a break in the current pageant girl stigma. I want to be a role model to other young women, and to help them grow and move towards the direction of self-love and acceptance. We live in a world where we are molded into society's unrealistic expectations of what the ideal woman has to look like. I want to break away from that mentality and demonstrate that beauty isn't something exclusively external, but internal as well. I have big plans and aspirations that I hope to one day fulfill. As a published artist and writer, full time student, and editor of a magazine, I am always kept busy. I want to be the voice many girls need to hear. As someone who has personally struggled with self-esteem issues, I know how hard it is to accept oneself. These girls need to know that it's okay to be themselves in a world that tells them otherwise. Thank you in advance for helping me on this journey as this will be a stepping stone to achieve further life goals.