MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee woman is getting ready to compete for the title of Miss Wisconsin and it happens to be a role she is familiar with.
Hollis Brown won the Miss Wisconsin crown in 2022 and she's returning to compete again this year because she has some unfinished business.
"I knew I had to come back to the Miss America opportunity and see if we could give it kind of like one last go," she said with a smile.
Hollis Brown is preparing to pursue her master's degree in sports management. Her plate is already quite full. She works for the Milwaukee Bucks as a senior coordinator of partner strategy and management.
"Between work and games and a pageant my calendar is pretty much full," she nodded in agreement.
Her confident smile reflects the happiness she's worked hard to return to.
"Unfortunately, back in college, I was a victim of sexual assault. Now a survivor — and now speaking out," said Hollis.
And speaking loudly. The pageant stage gave her a microphone.
"That is why I'm doing this— to help other people, to share my story, letting people know that they have a space, that you're not going through this alone," she explained.
Research shows 2 out of 3 sexual assaults go unreported. Too often, survivors like Hollis, who reach out for help, hear reactions of doubt or blame.
"I was unfortunately met with some of the stereotypical questions of like, 'what were you wearing? Why were you there?' all those things," she recalled.
Hollis recently joined the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization as a speaker, to raise awareness.
She's testified at the state capitol and urged lawmakers to address Wisconsin's backlog of sexual assault kits.
Hollis works closely with a non-profit called End Violence Against Women to educate community groups and police officers about the "Start By Believing" campaign, which aims to improve responses to sexual assault.
Hollis admits it was difficult to decide to speak so openly.
"It was tough. It was definitely tough. Not every day, I'm going to be able to talk about it — just because it is such a heavy topic. Some days, I need to understand that it's not my day."
The conversation with Hollis is candid. She has the natural poise of a pageant queen, but one question gave her pause. Hollis stopped to think momentarily when asked what she's most proud of in her advocacy journey.
"I think we're at the bottom of the mountain. but there's just so much more that I can do and that I want to do," she eventually said with a determined grin.
Her inner flame shines as brightly as the crown she wears and she knows her sparkle is most powerful when it can light a path for others.
"I don't even want you to do what I've done. I want you to surpass it," said Hollis. "I'm here to open a door for you. So that way you can walk right on through."
As mentioned, Hollis is pursuing her master's degree. She's already earned scholarship awards as Miss Rock River Valley 2024 and she'll have a chance to earn more when she competes for the title of Miss Wisconsin this June in Oshkosh.
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