For the first time in 94 years, a redhead , Jessica Ashley Gagen , emerged as Miss England giving new hope to younger girls like her. The 26-year-old revealed some hard truths about her childhood and explained that she didn’t always feel beautiful.
Unfortunately, children can be as vicious as they’re sweet and this young lady suffered the former at the hands of bullies as a child. They ridiculed her for her hair color and went physical including burning, spitting, and punching Gagen.
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Surely, those students (now grown-ups) would watch in horror as the one they cast away becomes crowned the most beautiful woman in England.
Surviving High School
Gagen emerged Miss England last October, leading to a new reality and an influx of fans as she became the first redhead to take the spot since 1928. However, her journey to beauty wasn’t easy, as she faced bullying from classmates in high school.
The young Gagen was the only ginger in her class, and there weren’t many celebrities with red hair portrayed in the media for her to admire. Hence, her classmates made her an outcast and forced her to eat away from them (in the bathroom).
High school was a nightmare for Gagen!
Becoming An Inspiration For Bullied Girls
Unfortunately, she’s forced to relive the trauma with her newfound fame but decided to turn it into a teachable moment for other girls like her. Gagen said, “…if my story being public can help empower others facing similar, then it’s worth the media knowing about it.”
The beauty queen then added, “Just because it’s happening now, doesn’t mean it’ll happen for the rest of your life!”
True to her words, she graduated with good grades and went to university to study aerospace engineering. Gagen is passionate about airplanes in all their forms and isn’t shy to admit it.
The beauty queen likens engineering to modeling because they share core values and similarities, such as variety, teamwork, international opportunities, transferrable skills, and good pay!
She tags herself a nerd.
Eyeing A TV Reporting Job
Gagen revealed during her interview with This Morning that she also wants to be a TV presenter. She read a line for the hosts last May leading them to chase her out before she took their jobs!
The beauty queen is truly an inspiration for young girls with red hair worldwide, not just in England.
Beauty And Brains
Gagen would represent England at the Miss World competition next year while serving as a role model for young girls nationwide throughout 2023 (unless she wins, then the mantel passes to her runner-up, Milly Everatt).
Perhaps Gagen would be the first beauty queen in space by the time she completes her studies.
