Miss Auburn competitor credits civics academy and pageants for scholarships and confidence

Katie Storm, a Miss Auburn competitor and recent graduate of Auburn’s Civics Academy, told the City of Auburn podcast that competing in local pageants helped her fund college and build public-speaking confidence.

Storm said scholarships from Miss Auburn and related competitions covered her bachelor egree costs. She described winning awards for interview, talent and "most improved," and said the experience gave her opportunities to meet other competitors and to develop a network of friends.

The civics academy, which Storm joined after hearing about it on the podcast, covered multiple city departments in a multi-session format. "There
re a lot more than just fixing things — there's a whole process that goes into running a city," Storm said, describing sessions with Public Works and airport staff that explained timelines and jurisdictional limits for common service requests.

Storm also described personal benefits from competing in pageants. She said she had long struggled with anxiety and that “by my second year competing, I didn
ctually need emergency medication anymore because the support that I got through them was so valuable,” crediting the program with helping her gain confidence for public speaking.

Tammy Bothell, identified on the podcast as executive director for Miss Auburn, described outreach programs that connect titleholders with community initiatives; Storm said her first involvement with city activities came through a Ready, Real Emergency Aid Depends on You campaign for teens.

Why it matters: the episode highlights how local civic programs and community organizations can serve as paths to greater public engagement and provide practical benefits (scholarships, skills, networks) that matter to young residents. The podcast directed listeners interested in civic participation to the City of Auburnivics academy and related community programs.

The hosts encouraged listeners to consider the civics academy as a way to learn how city departments make decisions and manage routine services. The episode concluded with an invitation for civic-minded residents to apply to future academy sessions.