Royalty graced “The Newman Bond” podcast when Newman 2024 Miss Kansas Alexis Smith ’23, a Newman nursing alumna, was featured July 16.
Two days after the podcast aired, Smith went viral when she posted an Instagram video of her response just moments before being crowned Miss Kansas 2024.
Smith, whose platform promotes healthy relationships and ending abusive ones, didn’t let her abuser’s presence at the Miss Kansas competition rattle her. Instead, she used it as a moment to inspire survivors.
“Respect Reclaimed is about reclaiming your power and standing firmly in it,” Smith said in her Instagram post. “On the night of Miss Kansas, my journey took an unexpected turn when someone I have been healing from tried to disrupt my peace. Instead of falling into silence, I chose to live out my vision for a better world. I took back my power — not just for myself, but for my dreams and everyone watching and listening.
“This isn’t about shunning others; it’s about turning our pain into purpose and channeling it in a way that unifies and uplifts. I’m ready to use my story, tools and resources to end unhealthy relationships in all forms,” she added.
Taking on the crown
Smith uses her talent of ventriloquism — an art instilled by her self-taught aunt who also competed in Miss Kansas in the ’90s — to promote her platform. Using her puppet companions, Aaliyah and Allen, Smith demonstrates to people of all ages what healthy relationships should look like.
Smith said she was in “absolute awe” after being crowned Miss Kansas 2024. Since that emotional moment, she says she’s “still figuring out the balance” of serving as Miss Kansas and working as a full-time cardiothoracic ICU nurse.
“The great thing about continuing my job as a nurse is that the Miss America Organization also has a partnership with the American Heart Association,” Smith said. “So it’s really taking both of these life careers, putting them together and having a special outcome.”
Eventually, Smith plans to obtain her certification in registered nurse anesthesia from Newman University. In the meantime, she has a jam-packed schedule until she competes in the Miss America competition in January 2025.
Explore nursing at Newman University
Nursing applications for spring 2025 are being accepted until Sept. 15, 2024.
