Meet Chloe Hiller of Miss Arizona High School America in Metro Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chloe Hiller.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a 16-year-old Junior at Arcadia High School in Phoenix. I started participating in pageants in 2012 and really loved the stage and the friendships that I gained from pageantry. I have held several local and state titles, most recently being crowned Miss Arizona High School America. I am excited to represent my hometown at the Miss High School America national pageant in Little Rock, Arkansas in September. Prior to my current title, I was a titleholder in the Miss Arizona Organization for three consecutive years. I placed 1st runner up to Miss Arizona’s Outstanding Teen at the 2018 and 2019 competitions and also won awards for social media, talent and lifestyle and fitness.

My pageant journey began at 8-years-old when I was a contestant in a small sorority fundraiser pageant. Although I didn’t win that pageant (or the next three pageants I participated in) I felt like it was something I wanted to continue doing because it really helped me increase my self-esteem. Growing up, I was different than most of the kids around me; a tall, skinny, African-American girl that had braces and cornrowed hair. I wasn’t always comfortable in my own skin and was teased about my interests in modeling and pageants, even being told that I wasn’t pretty enough to do either. Through pageants, I found a voice by creating a personal platform that I began promoting when I was 12-years-old. I created the #GirlsDreamBelieveandAchieve movement to empower young girls to think, grow and be powerful. I attend and volunteer at events geared toward inspiring girls to have positive self-esteem and use social media to post positive quotes and share amazing stories of people and organizations that also promote positivity. I also spearhead an annual vision board party fundraiser to encourage girls to have fun while dreaming big; proceeds are donated to charity. In 2017, I was one of four winners of the Brilliant, Beautiful and Bold Role Model Award presented by the Girls Rule Foundation and I am one of the faces of this amazing non-profit organization. I was also a 2019 FABKids award winner and in March 2020 a recipient of the You Matter Too Org “Together Building Youth” award for my work in the community supporting kids and anti-bullying through positive self-esteem. As Miss Arizona High School America, I also promote our national platform of B.R.A.V.E. which is an acronym for Building Respect And Values for Everyone. I believe that being BRAVE begins with you and positive self-esteem is fundamental for being kind to others.

My future plans are to attend a four-year university to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism and be a producer for a news network. I am the studio floor director for Arcadia News Network and our school podcasts, which is really exciting. I have also been a model for many years and I have appeared in several model magazines and fashion shows in Phoenix. I am a prom model ambassador for the most amazing gown shop in Scottsdale, Glam Squad Couture, and also an ambassador for inspireHER; a t-shirt company that spreads the message of love, hope and truth one shirt at a time. I am also a tap dancer, competitive volleyball player and I love to create artistic paintings and photograph nature.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road has definitely not been smooth but it has been a great learning experience and I have grown so much. In any competitive setting there is always going to be one winner. One of the biggest things I have learned is that in pageantry you’re presenting your best self and not really competing against anyone else. In the Miss Arizona Organization the categories of competition for Outstanding Teen are interview, talent, fitness, evening gown and on-stage question and many of the candidates have been doing their talents for many years. One of my biggest struggles in the beginning was that I had only been tap dancing for a short time, and that was what I chose for my competition talent. That is the highest percentage of scoring so I always felt like the girls that had been doing their talents since they were little girls would have a greater chance of winning, but I realized that consistency in each area of competition is the key to doing well in any pageant regardless of the competition categories. Time management was also a bit of a struggle when I was younger, I would sometimes get overwhelmed with balancing school, extracurricular activities, pageant preparations and appearances, community work and having time to hang out with my friends. Doing this for so many years now, I have really learned how to manage all of the things that are important to a teenager including having two jobs!

Miss Arizona High School America – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My “business” is Empowering Girls to Dream, Believe and Achieve. Creating this platform and inspiring girls to make great choices, have positive self-esteem and work on improving their leadership skills is so important to me. Although it is also important for boys to be empowered too, I decided to focus on girls because instilling confidence in girls at a young age helps them to become more successful adults and leaders. I share my story of being left out and feeling like I didn’t belong as my peers pointed out my differences as I was growing up and I encourage girls to be strong-willed and know that nothing is more important than the love that you have for yourself. In promoting the B.R.A.V.E. platform as Miss Arizona High School America, I have spoken with children all over the valley about the importance of placing high value on yourself first to combat bullying. If you are confident and have positive self-esteem, you are less likely to be a bully or even to become a victim of bullying.

What I am most proud of is creating and hosting my annual Girls Dream Believe and Achieve vision board parties. I created this event to give girls ages 11 and up a safe space to visualize and layout their dreams in a fun environment, as well as to raise funds for important non-profit organizations in my community. This past February, I hosted my 3rd annual party and raised $250 that was donated to a local non-profit organization that focuses on creating anti-bullying programs for youth in Arizona. Every year the attendees of my vision board party receive gifts, tasty snacks and amazing raffle prizes – all sponsored by various local businesses and donors.

What sets me apart from others is that I have taken action to empower kids, teens and even adults to follow their dreams. I wanted to be a force in the community so people can count on me to attend events and speak about my experiences overcoming the obstacles of having poor self-esteem and turning it around to lead others to create ways to share the inspiration. I have been able to work with many girls that have begun using their voice to encourage and empower others to follow their dreams. It’s bigger than just posting positive things on social media, it takes hard work, planning and sacrifice to make sure I am out there making a difference.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as growth. My Dad has always told me that “you don’t always win by winning.” It was hard for me to understand that when I was younger, especially when I would do a pageant and not walk away with the shiny hat, but I get it now that the experiences I have had and the preparation to get where I am today is what matters the most. Pageants have helped me overcome feeling like I wasn’t good enough, I have improved my public speaking skills, I have put in hundreds of hours of community service over the past several years and I have gained some amazing relationships that I hope last a lifetime. Every event, appearance or organization that I am a part of, I look for the opportunity to come out of the experience or time spent feeling like I accomplished something that is world-changing for me or for those that I served.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.teamchloe.com
• Email: teamchloeinfo@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missarizonahigh/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teamchloeinfo/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/teamchloeinfo
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/teamchloeinfo/

Image Credit:
Barbara Trainor Photography, PG Photography, Genie Bunton Photography, The Nicole Justine Company

Suggest a story: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.