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Since beginning
this journey with Center Stage Magazine, God has truly blessed me by
being so strategic in divinely selecting each person I have
interviewed for “A Conversation with Ingrid”. Miss Black Michigan,
Velon Willis, is definitely counted in that blessing. As a young
adult, she has accomplished so much and is truly inspirational. She
is not just a beauty queen. She’s a college grad with multiple
degrees, has launched two businesses, has your sights set on Med
School and continues to pursue philanthropic endeavors. Many would
say she is a “real” life example of someone who has taken adversity
and has overcome in a great way to bless others to be able to do the
same. I hope there is something in my conversation with Velon that
motivates you to look beyond your circumstances and push towards
your dreams—not allowing what others say about you to stop you or
your trials/tribulations to define you. Instead, finding positives
in what others see as negatives, and not living as a victim but
instead choosing to be victorious. My hope is that you find
something in Velon’s journey that speaks to your passion and helps
you to P.U.S.H.—Pray Until Something Happens. Enjoy…
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Ingrid: What has the experience of being crowned Miss Black
Michigan meant to you?
Velon:
It has meant great things to me. It has opened so many
doors of opportunities. It has made me a better person. It has
opened me to more community involvement. I am working on a couple of
projects—grants to open a home for pregnant teams and homeless
people, a prison re-entry program and more. It has meant a lot to me
too meet young girls and have the good sisterhood connection.
Everything has been great. I am an only child and meeting all the
girls has become a blessing. It’s like have another family. Just
like meeting all the sisters in the pageant has connected me to
other people including this magazine.
Ingrid:
I know you are from
Romulus,
Michigan.
Do you
have any goals/thoughts on impacting your home state and the world?
Velon:
Unification is a major issue. If we all come together, we can make a
bigger impact. My desire is to become a bridge for others to come
together. If we come together everyone can get the help they need.
Separate doesn’t equate to true success.
Ingrid: What was the first thing that went through your mind
when you were crowned? When you were announced as the winner?
Velon: My very first thought was, “Thank you Jesus!” Then it
was responsibility…all the things I now have to do.
Ingrid: What is one way that your life has changed personally
since winning—in addition to the obvious?
Velon: I believe I have grown more as a person. It has
opened up a whole other world to me. Travel and everything has
opened up for me.
Ingrid: You graduated high school at 15, 4 bachelor degrees
by age 19 and have launched 2 businesses. What can you tell other
young people that can encourage them to pursue their education as
passionately/persistently as you have, as well as how to empower
themselves as an entrepreneur?
Velon: Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do it or
that it’s not possible. I took negative energy and turned it into
something positive and possible. I took the anger/frustration I
could have used towards others and turned it into positives to
uplift myself to bless others.
Ingrid: You are opening a café, a nursing home, into real
estate, will direct 2 pageants in 2008 and will be starting your own
pageant and modeling agency? What/who is your inspiration?
Velon: God is my definite inspiration. He is the only thing
that has helped and kept me. The things that inspire and drive me
are the things that people have said that I can’t/couldn’t do. I
think about that and get right up and do it. That fact that people
tell me I can’t do or wouldn’t do motivates me. I know that I am and
will be somebody. Of all the things I have been through, I could
have been a lot of things. I have been through a lot, but God has
carried me. I can be having the worse day, but you will never know
it. When you see me you see me smiling.
Ingrid: What can we expect next from you?
Velon: A shopping mall. There is so much that I do--college
and more. There is nothing that you can really expect from me
because I would say I tend to do the unexpected. One major
expectation is that I will be a Thoracic Surgeon then a Plastic and
Reconstruction surgeon.
Ingrid: What would you say to young girls coming from your
experiences in life to this point?
Velon: Never let anybody tell you that you can’t do
something. If you can see it and believe it, you can do it. Only you
can stop yourself from doing something. I have done so many things
that people have told me I can’t or couldn’t do. You have to believe
you can do it. If you can envision it, you are really going to be
able to do it.
Ingrid: You have a blank sheet of paper to express yourself
“free style”. What would you say to the world so we can feel the
real essence of you?
Velon: With
all the obstacles that I have been through, I would never say that
that was a bad thing in my life. It has made me a better person.
It’s a blessing that God kept me through everything. He didn’t have
to and I appreciate and value that so much. Worst things could have
happened to me, but God kept me. From me being molested and more, I
can’t say that things are bad. God has kept me. Everything I say I
am going to do I do it. I speak great things into my life. Speak
“it” into existence. I am very persistent about things I want. I
will ask you a million times until I get it. I have never given up
on any dreams that I have. Even if things were worst for me, I am
still grateful!! I don’t regret anything that has happened to me. I
wish being molested never happened, but I can’t change it so I
channeled it to help make me a better person. It’s like taking bad
experiences and turning to God to make me better. I didn’t remember
the experience for a long time, but I remembered a familiar scent. I
was having dreams and nightmares. Then it became a light into my
life. I know God will handle it. I can’t change it. It was a mistake
and I prayed that God would help the man who did that to me. It is
happening to so many people. That’s why I have been looking at
working with sexual abuse programs. I am a part of a lot of
pro-life/pro-choice and child abuse projects and programs. I go
speak and come to various activities to support for the cause.
Ingrid:
What are some final thoughts that you would want to
leave with our readers?
Velon: I
think God has given me a gift to attract people. People ask me all
the time to come speak to churches and youth groups. We really need
to reach our young people. Being black is not a burden it’s a
blessing. Being a woman is not a burden it’s a blessing. You are the
only person that can stop stuff from happening. We give ourselves
problems. We burden ourselves. Even speaking once that you can’t do
something can bring it to pass. Thinking that one thought of “I
can’t” is the seed you plant. Your other thoughts will follow one
negative thought.
I hope
you were blessed by my conversation with Velon. You can continue the
journey with Velon by logging onto her Myspace page (www.myspace.com/missblackmichiganvelon)
to let her know how her story has blessed you, and to encourage her
in pursuing her dreams. I think it is so important for us to support
each other in all that we do. I truly believe it takes more energy
to be discouraging, a complainer and envious of others. Just like a
smile, joy is contagious and spreading it to others multiplies it by
the time it comes back to you. Do you, uplift others on your path,
above all praise God for your unique road map, and don’t give up on
your journey. Someone else is waiting to be liberated by hearing
your testimony in A Conversation with Ingrid…
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