Meet Zoe, Pageant Queen and Non-Profit Founder
Zoe Mignone, a FLVS Full Time senior, has accomplished quite a bit in her 17 years. She has been a mentor, triathlon participant, advocate, pageant queen, and has even started her own non-profit organization! Oh, and, in case you couldn’t guess – she’s also a very active student with FLVS Full Time.
In 7th grade, Zoe became a mentor for an organization called Girls on the Run and helped advocate for children in Teen Court. At the age of 12, she started doing triathlons and quickly realized that triathlons were very expensive to train for and to participate in. That was when her idea was sparked – working with her friends and her mother, she put together the foundation for her own non-profit organization called Setting an Example. Describing her efforts, Zoe states, “My vision for it is all my own. I’ve always had a distinct vision.”
The mission was simply to raise money for underserved kids in Jacksonville to participate in triathlons, but it has expanded tremendously over the years. Now, Setting an Example is branching out and helping other kids create their own “example” in their communities. She had her first major fundraiser on June 29, 2013, and it featured a local band, raffles, and food specials that helped to draw the community together.
Zoe, however, isn’t just defined by her community service work. She’s also a major fashion fan and has her own fashion blog on the side. In her junior year, she entered a high school pageant – just to get a parking spot in the senior lot. Even though she was sick, didn’t have much time to practice, and bought her dress on eBay, Zoe won first runner-up. She was encouraged to enter the Miss Florida Gator pageant, so she went for it! She did so well that she went on to Miss Florida. Zoe ended up in the top 10 and was voted Miss Congeniality. This year, she will be competing in the Miss Duval County pageant. But don’t get the wrong idea about Miss Zoe: she will be borrowing a swimsuit from a friend to compete, plans on wearing a black dress, and will be singing Coldplay for her talent.
Zoe will be attending college in the fall (she already has $400 in scholarship money from pageants), but is waiting on a few responses to make her decision as to which one she will attend. She is excited about continuing to work with her non-profit. She and her friends will be starting Setting an Example chapters at their colleges. Zoe also wants to start summer camps and expand her reach outside of Florida. She enthusiastically exclaimed, “The future is bright!” and it’s hard to disagree! With her infectious smile and her dedication, Zoe is certainly ready to take Setting an Example to the next level.
If you’re interested in learning more or want to starting mentoring in your area, contact Zoe at zoebrine@settinganexample.org or visit http://settinganexample.org. You can start mentoring in any subject that you’re comfortable in (such as soccer, tutoring, computing, etc.) and connect with her organization.
Post by FLVS Instructor / Former Student Activities Coordinator Christin Wheeler