Outstanding Teen and Child Advocate - Izabella Arndt

Hi, my name is Izabella Arndt.

 I am a child
 advocate and Miss Blackhawk

 Valley's outstanding teen.

I believe that my purpose is to

 go out
 and share my traumatic story

 no matter
 if I'm having a hard day

or it's an easy way to go out.

 This is something
 that I need to do

because I can help so many more.

 Being in foster
 care is really hard.

 70 children a week
 go into the Iowa foster

 care system and that is such
 an outrageous number.

 And I hope to grow my program

 where I'm able to donate
 70 backpacks a week

 because every child deserves
 to have the comfort

 while they're going
 through this crazy time.

 This is my social impact
 initiative for Miss Iowa,

Miss Blackhawk Valley and out.

 Miss Blackhawk Valley's
 outstanding teen

 is...contestant number two...

 I won Miss Blackhawk Valley's
outstanding teen. The Miss Iowa

 I have learned
how to find confidence in myself

 and be okay
 with who I am and my story.

 Congratulations, ladies.

 I started competing

 in scholarship competitions
 when I was around five.

And we originally started these
 because I was a Velcro kid

 and I would not go to throw
 a piece of trash away

 that was like five feet away
 from my parents.

These competitions has helped me

grow and learn lifelong skills.

 I started my program
 when I was turning ten.

 My very first year,
 I was able to donate

 39 backpacks to my partner
 Four Oaks Family Connections.

These backpacks have blankets,
 coloring books.

 Crayons, a journal, pens,

 the necessary toiletries
 like a toothbrush, toothpaste

 and a hairbrush.

When I first was brought home,
 I was scared of the dark.

 I was scared to be by myself
 at all times.

And so having that flashlight,

 you're able to see that
 you're in a safe location.

And it's not just pitch black.

All of these items are something
 that you would take to go

 to grandma's
 house for the weekend.

 Since I got the backpack
 of comfort items as a child,

 I know that these backpacks
 really work.

 Being able
to go to a complete stranger's

 home with this backpack,

 you feel like
you have something that is yours

and you're not just walking in
 empty handed.

 I was abandoned at around

 ten months old in China
 in a electrical company...

 ...And then

 I was brought to an orphanage
on the outskirts of Shiyan City.

And there I was able to get open
 heart surgery.

 And I also was lucky
 to test out of hep C

 about a year later,
 I was adopted by this

 amazing couple
and they have helped me so much.

And actually on my adoption day

 they brought a backpack
 full of comfort items.

 In there,
 there was a toy keychain

 and it played this sound
 on one of the buttons.

It made the sound of a rickshaw,

 and that was such
 a comforting noise.

And so I still have it sitting
 next to my bed to this day.

 When I'm able to talk about
 my story,

I'm able to share that no matter

how traumatic your situation is,

it doesn't matter as long as you
 come out of it stronger

 and you are able to turn your
trauma into something amazing.

 This is something
I've been doing since I was ten

 and I've been advocating

 for children since I was five
and I will continue to do this

 no matter
 what happens in the future.

 I want to be a family lawyer
because I understand the trauma

 that these kids are going
 through.

 Be kind to everyone
 because you don't

know what battles someone right
 next to you is fighting.