Troy Alumna wins Miss Alabama Volunteer title, gives thanks

A Troy alumna is looking to help more people than ever before with the help of her new Miss Alabama Volunteer crown

A Troy alumna was recently crowned Miss Alabama Volunteer 2027 and hopes to utilize her new title to spread the reach of her nonprofit, changing and helping more lives than ever before.

Zoie McGuyer was crowned on July 25 but is no stranger to the pageant world. McGuyer has been competing in pageants for about six years, all while founding and running her own nonprofit organization.

Her 501c3 nonprofit, Saving Grace; We Hear You, is a child advocacy organization aimed at helping abused children have a voice in court and legal proceedings.

“Having the ability to still be here today and to advocate for the over 12,000 children in the state of Alabama who are being completely silenced in their own court battle is something that I take a lot of pride in,” McGuyer said. “I've really been able to launch [Saving Grace] in a positive direction with a lot more eyes and a lot more donations coming in through the pageantry world and being able to advocate across the state of Alabama for the abused and neglected community.”

After living through her own traumatic home experience, McGuyer knew she wanted to help as many children as possible.

“There are abused, neglected children in Alabama who are completely voiceless, and that's what happened to me during my court battle,” McGuyer said. “I never once stepped foot in the courtroom to share with the judge what was happening to me behind closed doors.

“I knew in starting a 501c3, I wanted to partner with an organization that was going to be there for those children. I created ‘Saving Grace: We Hear You’ in partnership with court appointed special advocates (CASAs).”

McGuyer has been able to raise over $3,000 so CASAs can support children. It takes about $1,200 to receive a CASA for a year, and McGuyer aims to continue raising money through her nonprofit.

“That’s really what my nonprofit is for,” McGuyer said. “We advocate and we raise monetary donations so children can have support within their court battle. I've just been so gracious and honored to be able to work side by side with [CASA], and we've been able to make great strides so far.”

For McGuyer, the pageantry world is about so much more than just glitter and gowns, a stigma that many people place on titleholders and participants.

“There's definitely a huge stigma around pageantry,” McGuyer said. “I think that's really important for others to understand that this isn't just gowns and crowns and sashes.

“It's truly about advocating for a mission that's close to your heart.”

However, McGuyer said pageantry also helps relieve financial burdens.

“I paid my own way through college,” McGuyer said. “I'm a Troy University alumna, and I'm still enduring a lot of those loans.

“I honestly entered the pageant world for scholarship money. I'm not currently in school and still am able to pay off my loans. I was awarded over $7,000 at Miss Alabama Volunteer, and I'm so very thankful for that. I knew that [college] would be a financial burden, and it is to so many others as well.”

McGuyer encourages those on the fence about pageantry or nonprofit work to just give it a try.

"I didn't grow up doing pageants; I was not your typical pageant girl and I actually laughed when my mom said, ‘Zoe, you should sign up for a pageant,’” McGuyer said. “Then again, I thought about how there's so many children I could help, and [pageantry] is a way that I can stand on a stage and use my platform to reach others.

“Just do it, you never know what it could lead to. If you have a dream and you know that's instilled in your heart, just follow that dream, in both nonprofit work and in pageants. There's definitely an avenue for everybody in both sectors. It takes confidence and drive, but you'll get such a sense of heartwarming whenever you start to do it.”

McGuyer also created a children’s activity book through her 501c3 made specifically for children enduring abuse. The book is now available nationwide in all CASA headquarters.

“Now every CASA can have a resource to build a relationship with the child they’re working with,” McGuyer said. “They can actually sit down, do an activity with a child and build a relationship. Children aren't really going to speak about what's happening to them unless they trust you, and that's the number one priority of a court appointed special advocate.”

McGuyer’s activity book can be found on Amazon. To keep up with McGuyer and Saving Grace: We Hear You, follow @missalvol and @savinggrace_wehearyou on Instagram.