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Making bullying her business

Joanne Oostveen

The reigning Miss Teenage Dartmouth wants to make bullying her business.

Sixteen-year-old Breanna Mantley is a Grade 10 student at Auburn Drive High School. And, she has found her own way back through some tough times. Not only has she become a more confident person lately, but she wants to share what she has learned with other teens and young children.

And that is where the Miss Teenage Canada Pageant has given her a voice.

“Someone tagged me and thought I would be interested in trying out for the pageant. When I read what it was about I immediately began the application process.”

The Miss Teenage Canada bills itself as more than a pageant.

“I read that it is a place where you can show off your creativity, energy, passion and drive and get noticed for your achievements. And when I heard that we can have a platform, I knew that I might be able to tell people about what bullying can do to your self- esteem.”

She applied and was interviewed. And yes, she was nervous. But she was called back and was selected as one of the top four out of 24 applicants.

And now as Miss Teenage Dartmouth she has got to get to work on getting her message out there.

“I am on the waiting list for the Tattoo parade and I will be appearing at a fundraiser in Halifax for mental health. My principal will be allowing me to make announcements at school, I hope. Things are very early now, but I want to go wherever I can to show that people my age can make changes. And talking about mental health is a big step.”

Her own experiences have been made even more challenging.

“I live with a non-verbal learning disorder. I have dealt with having difficulty in communicating and in being misunderstood.”

She says everyone has had to deal with some form of bullying throughout their life.

“I know I am not alone. But many people just brush it aside.”

It caused her to have anxiety.

“Often it is about fitting in. I guess people can even bully others because of who they are hanging around with.”

But now she believes in herself. And she believes the pageant will give her even more self-confidence and direction. One day she would like to have a career in fashion design.

As the oldest of five children, her struggles have been felt by her entire family.

“But I want to teach children that they can stop bullying, stop feeling bad about themselves, stop closing themselves off and learn to teach a new generation. One person or one group’s opinion of you should not dictate who you are as a person.”

On Aug. 2 she will travel to Toronto to compete in the Miss Teenage Canada contest.

“We will be doing photo shoots, going on a boat cruise. It will be fun. This pageant is not just about modelling, though. It is about making changes. And I think I am ready to do that.”

Fundraising plans

In order to go to Toronto Breanna has to raise $5,000. She will be doing car washes, barbecues and organizing events in order to raise the money.

If you would like to donate to Breanna, please go to her Facebook page — Miss Teenage Dartmouth 2015.

For more info on the pageant please visit Missteenagecanada.com

  • Wanda Hill

    Very Proud of you Breanna, you are an amazing young woman with much to offer.

  • Tammy Anderson Jakeman

    Breanna, this is wonderful!!! Very Proud of you!! I’ll share this with some of the other teachers & see if we can contribute to your chance for Miss Teenage Canada!! From Mrs. Jakeman :)