Meet Aliya Wilson

We recently connected with Aliya Wilson and have shared our conversation below.

Aliya , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

Pageantry has been my source of confidence and self-esteem. I started doing pageants when I was 16 years old and had no idea what I was getting into but I was eager to try new things. I fell in love with it and the rest is history. From getting on stage and sharing my story to learning how to confidently talk about myself in an interview, I am forever grateful for my ongoing pageant experiences. I found my voice and passion through pageantry, so being able to use my platform to give back to my community has been so rewarding. I often lacked a sense of direction and was shy to speak up in front of others and pageantry brought me out of my comfort zone. International United Miss has truly been the system that aided in my personal growth and development. The positive and welcoming environment found at IUM has allowed me to be my authentic self while boosting my confidence and self-esteem. As the reigning 2024-25 International United Miss Pennsylvania, I share IUM any chance I can because this system has given me so much. As Miss Pennsylvania, I use my voice to encourage individuals to be the best version of themselves by promoting my website, workbook, and mentorship program, Journey Back to Self, while also combining “Be H.E.R.O.I.C” which is the official initiative for the International United Miss pageant system. These two initiatives together work to provide people with the core values needed to embark on their own personal and professional growth journeys.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

As a recent college graduate planning to pursue my Master’s in Social Work, I am working towards becoming a School-based social worker. Aside from academics, I have been enjoying serving in my community as the reigning 2024-25 International United Miss Pennsylvania. Whether it is through my mentorship program Journey Back to Self or partnering with other organizations, I am actively engaging with my community. As a titleholder, I have been able to travel to different states as well and I am always open to helping out and supporting as many people as I can. However, growing up in a single-parent household and losing my father when I was 16, the life I am living now seemed once impossible. I am grateful to God for his endless grace and mercy over my life. I don’t look like what I been through and I had to mature at a young age, but despite it all I use my challenges as sources of strength to be the voice for those who may be experiencing similar struggles. Although I am only 24 a lot has happened which is why most of my mentorship program is targeted at the younger generation to guide them through points in their life that I’ve been through by being the role model I wish I had growing up. I always welcome anyone who is interested in booking me for FREE to make appearances at schools and or organizations to visit my website: journeybacktoself.org to check out the featured appearances I offer. Also, if something you need is not mentioned, there is an option to contact me and invite me to your event for something else and I would be happy to put something together specifically tailored to your needs. The best part is that it would be completely FREE. I am passionate about giving back to my community and love inspiring and impacting the lives of others. Therefore, I encourage anyone to feel free to contact me so that we can work together to benefit the lives of others.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Knowing that it is okay to not be okay was huge in my journey because life can be so unpredictable and there is nothing wrong with feeling what you need to feel. However, it is not okay to stay in that state forever. Also don’t be afraid to seek help and be vulnerable with others because you never know what other people can do for you. It is not a weakness to ask for help and let no one make you feel that way. To anyone who has lost a parent at a young age or lacks a sense of direction it helps to find a community of people who are going through similar situations and lean on one another. The biggest advice I could tell anyone is to get a journal, whether it is guided or just an empty book that you can write in, it’s important to be able to write things down that you feel you can’t express verbally. Never harbor bad emotions it can be damaging to your health and speaking from experience find something that can relieve you of it. I found that journaling just works best for me. While that might not work for everyone, I still tell people to try new things that would work for them and stick to it.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am currently based in Pennsylvania but a goal I have for my mentorship program along with my workbook is to take my impact across the U.S and Internationally. Therefore I am always open to collaborate with others, whether it be at schools or other organizations. I am also available to be a guest speaker or a panelist at an event. While my main target is Pre-K to High School students I am also able to tailor my message to individuals older than 18. If you are unsure and just want to chat about ideas for collaboration and how we can best support one another don’t hesitate to reach out through email: iamliyamonique@gmail.com or through my website: journeybacktoself.org. As a reminder booking me for your event is FREE and if you’d like to have a copy of my workbook it is $11 on amazon: https://shorturl.at/4tpnl

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.journeybacktoself.org/
• Instagram: @liya_monique1
• Other: Email for serious inquiries: iamliyamonique@gmail.com