Painting the Town with Miss Florida Leah Roddenberry

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Text: Wendy Lyons Sunshine

Photos: Jordan Kelly-Laviolette

Location: Art Ovation Hotel • artovation.com

Hair & Makeup: Amanda Rose • hairandmakeupbyamandarose.com

Clothing:

Darci • shopdarci.com 

Foxy Lady • foxyladysarasota.com 

Rahelia Couture • raheliacouture.com 

Sea Cup & Up / Under the Sea •
seacupandup.com

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November 2021—Sarasota Scene caught up with Leah Roddenberry amid her whirlwind of responsibilities as Miss Florida. She is currently preparing to compete in the 100th Anniversary of Miss America this December. Finals will be televised on December 16 from the Mohegan Sun Resort in Connecticut.

What has your journey been like to become Miss Florida? 

I first watched the Miss America Competition when I was 4 years old and knew from that moment that I wanted to be Miss America. I started participating in the organization when I was 6 years old. I had the unique opportunity to serve as Miss Florida’s Outstanding Teen not once, but twice, in 2013 and 2015, and traveled during my high school years serving the state of Florida. 

While a student at the University of Florida, I became Miss University of Florida in 2019 and was first runner up at Miss Florida that year. The next year, I became Miss Tampa 2020 and due to COVID, the Miss Florida competition was postponed an entire year. I became the longest serving Miss Tampa in history and then went on to become Miss Florida 2021 this past June. 

As a young girl, I was terribly shy and refused to speak, which translated to having low self-esteem and not even wanting to raise my hand in class due to a fear of what others thought about me. Through my years of participating, I have now gained a passion for public speaking and ultimately being a voice for those who need to be heard. I think there is some irony in my journey from being terrified to speak to now becoming eager to utilize my position of influence as a microphone to stand up for what I believe in while advocating for those who need to be heard. 

After graduating from the University of Florida in May, I was planning on attending law school. Miss Florida is a full time job, so I did defer from law school and after my year of service and hopefully after serving as Miss America, I plan to use the scholarships I have gained and apply them to law school. My long-term goal is to serve in a national press secretary role.

How do you prepare to compete?

Preparing for the competitions takes a lot of work and dedication. There are multiple phases of competition, so it requires time and effort to ensure I feel my best in every phase. The interview phase requires staying educated and informed on the news and current events. Red carpet wear meant I needed to practice walking in my evening gown and feeling my best. The talent phase meant practicing every day in the dance studio. 

For me, talent requires extra effort because at 17 years old, I underwent spinal fusion surgery and had two rods and 18 screws fused to my spine to correct a 63 degree curvature in my back from scoliosis. It has not been easy recovering from this surgery and trying to maintain flexibility in my back to dance, but I am determined to showcase my talent and use my performance as a message of inspiration and hope to let people know that they can overcome any roadblocks in their paths. 

Now, I am a national spokesperson for Setting Scoliosis Straight Foundation to share my story and inspire other individuals to not be ashamed of their scars but to utilize them as catalysts to do good and achieve their dreams!

Can you share some fond memories of growing up in this area?

I have lots of memories spending time with my older brother, making the 45-50 minute commute to Cardinal Mooney High school in Sarasota at 6:30 AM every day. One of my favorite opportunities was participating in the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce youth leadership group, in which high schoolers from the surrounding schools learned about the city government and met numerous leaders in the area. 

Sarasota is a beautiful area and also provides great experiences learning about the environment and wildlife. One of the organizations in my high school focused on protecting the environment, so I was able to take a field trip with Mote Marine and explore different preserves and habitats by boat. It was really cool! 

When back in the area, my favorite place to go is St. Armand’s circle—to walk around, shop, and of course eat. I love eating at Shore—their calamari salad is amazing. 

What is your fitness & beauty routine?

I love going on long walks with my mom and sister around our neighborhood. I find it’s helpful for both my physical and mental health and wellness. I also love aerobics and high intensity style workouts that engage my entire body. I like to find fun ways to move my body that make working out something I look forward to doing rather than a chore. 

In terms of beauty routine, I try to drink as much water as possible and always make sure I take off my makeup before going to bed, no matter how late it is. I refuse to fall asleep with makeup on. 

Being from sunny Florida and the Sarasota area, I always wear sunscreen when going outside and on long walks to protect my skin. I would rather be pale and have healthy skin than trying to get a tan and risking my health. Fitness is incredibly important to me and it is critical I maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially with my demanding schedule and travels.

Do you have any favorite Thanksgiving traditions?

I love thanksgiving because it includes family time, gratefulness, and using what I have to serve others.

Thanksgiving day usually starts bright and early as my sisters, mom, and I (and maybe my brothers, if we can get them out of bed!) get ready to participate in our hometown turkey trot. We then come home, put on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, and start cooking delicious side dishes to go with the turkey. This includes sweet potato casserole, snap beans with bacon, rice dressing, corn soufflé, and more! My mom is from Louisiana, so you can always count on getting tasty food in my house.

It’s always been a tradition that my family performs an act of service on Thanksgiving. Some of my favorite memories are from serving Thanksgiving meals at the Salvation Army with my family. I appreciate my parents instilling the value of service and charity into my siblings and me starting at a young age! 

What message do you want to share as Miss Florida?

My overall message and a theme that has run throughout my journey to Miss America is one of perseverance and never giving up. From being told I would never dance again after my spinal fusion surgery, to having people tell me that I was never good enough and couldn’t achieve the goals I set for myself, I have never given up on my dreams. I have transformed through this organization and learned to not be afraid to use my voice and pursue my goals unapologetically. I hope to inspire every person, and especially young women, to believe in their potential and know that they can make a difference in their communities and achieve everything that they set their minds to.

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Leah’s Favorites

Book: To Kill a Mockingbird, 

by Harper Lee 

It teaches lessons of tolerance, acceptance, justice, and courage. This book was very forward thinking when written in 1960s and is more important today more than ever to teach about accepting those with different backgrounds and life stories.

Movie: Legally Blonde

I love a story about a girl who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to look great while doing it! Elle Woods teaches lessons of never giving up on your dreams no matter what people say to you—something I can relate to!

Quote: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” Maya Angelou

This is a great reminder to treat everyone with kindness and acceptance. My goal is to make every person I meet feel special and better about who they are.

Most of the time, you can find me in a chic, but appropriate, style dress for my Miss Florida appearances. I like to say my style is classy, feminine, and fun. But if it were up to me, I would be in gym shorts and workout clothes with zero makeup every day if I could!