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.