Shaina

Shaina Esser, a 22 year old senior at the University of Louisville, was named Miss Heartland on September 26, 2009 at the Historic State Theater Complex. Shaina was selected by a panel of five judges from a field of 12 contestants. She sang "Hero" and her platform is "Dreaming Home" - Advocating Strategies of Hope for the Homeless. Shaina will compete for the title of Miss Kentucky, July 15 - 17, 2010 at the Singletary Center for the Arts on the University of Kentucky campus.

Shaina, from Louisville, Kentucky, plans to obtain a B. A. in Chemistry with a minor in Spanish, then go to Medical School to study pediatric orthopaedic medicine. She is on the Dean's list, received a Honors Transfer Scholarship, recipient of the Academic Competitive Scholarship, the Academic Commonwealth Scholarship, and the Wilma Shaw Roseman Scholarship. She is a member University Honors Program, and the Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Health Honors Society. Shaina received an Academic Award in Government in High School and was the recipient of the Academic Honors diploma. Other of Shaina's accomplishments include the Honors Program, Judges Award of Honor, Community Service Award, Talent Award. She shadowed Dr. Kutz, whom is one of the doctors who performed the first hand transplant. She is currently performing research for Kleinert, Kutz Associates on medication regulation after transplantation. Shaina was a youth leader on a misssion trip to Kenya, Rwanda, and the Congo in Africa. She sponsors a young girl name Itzel in Mexico. She has her skydiving license and secretly loves talking about Chemistry and it's amazing attributes. One of the most thrilling and rewarding experiences of her life was seeing the priceless look on a child's face when receiving books for the first time in Africa.

Shaina's trip to Africa greatly enhanced her desire to help the homeless in any way possible. She experienced shock and heartbreak on her first day of arrival; so many unhealthy people, not fully clothed, and without a home. She had a limited amount of colthing and food to help only a small amount of people. It was very devastating to walk away from a group of young childre, known as "street children", after having spent much of the day with them and know they did not have a house to go home to or a bed to sleep in. So they wander the streets looking forr a comfortable, safe place to lay their head down at night. This experience convinced her that her true passion and purpose in life was to help the homeless. Thus, her platform, "Dreaming Home"-Advocating Strategies of Hope for the Homeless was born. Three things are largely responsible for the rise in homelessness within the past 20-25 years; a growing shortage of affordable rental housing, a simultaneous increase in poverty, and more recently , the fall of the economy. In 2005, 38,231,521 people live in poverty. This was 13.3% of the U.S. population. Sadly, 36% of people living in poverty are children. Not having the much needed available resourses not to go to school because of this life of poverty feeds into the ongoing circle.

Being as blessed as Shaina feels she is, she has the opportunity to step up and mentor another in need. As Miss Kentucky 2010, she would have the chance to open more doors and opportunities to initiate her idea of change with a larger group having the same passion she does. Joining with many others from the Miss America system and the homeless community group, she could ultimately create something which will help positively encourage many struggling Kentuckians who just cannot pull together without the help of another person or group that have been mentored to live their lives happily and worry free. As Miss Kentucky 2010, she can take her open heart and be a leader with our fellow Kentuckians and give those living in poverty a chance to support themselves and their families. The future of our country lies within the hands of those with an expanding mind.