Livingstone College News Service

RALEIGH — Miss Livingstone College Akera Barnes joined Miss North Carolina USA and Miss North Carolina Teen USA on Saturday in Raleigh for a community event called “Princess for a Day.”

With the purpose of youth empowerment, the program was designed by Coressa Williams for girls aged 3-16 to engage in etiquette skills that promotes confidence in social contexts and foster poise and grace for self-development.

The three crowned queens played a vital role in serving as representation of royalty for the program participants. Moreover, the opportunity served a dual purpose as the crowned queens gained experience in confidence and leadership development.

“Throughout my childhood, I struggled with self-esteem,” Barnes said. “I am blessed today to share in another girl’s story, measures on how to discover and most importantly define beauty and self.”

With her platform “VIEW,” an acronym for vision, intention, execution, and win, Barnes wants to continue to be intentional in her reign as Miss Livingstone College, focusing on events that encourage self-discovery and empower young girls in confidence and self-acceptance. Thankful to her mentor Karmeisha Tuck of Karm Kharm’s, Barnes believes, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”