We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Wingard recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I created an initiative called called “Rise Above”, where I advocate for people who have been victims of sexual assault. This platform stemmed from my own story of abuse as a freshman in college. I want to bring awareness to the issue through sharing my personal experience in hopes of empowering other men and women in similar situations.

Nicole, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hello! My name is Nicole Wingard and I am Miss Frisco 2023. I am 24 years old and have competed in the Miss Texas Organization for the past three years. I have represented two other cities during my time in the organization, notably, Westlake and Brownfield. I first got into pageantry in 2016 as a teenager. My mom convinced me to compete for a local title in our hometown of Dallas (this always struck me as ironic because being a military woman who graduated from the Air Force academy, I was shocked she wanted me to be a “pageant girl”). Nonetheless, I competed in my first pageant and from there I was hooked. The aspect that made me fall in love with pageants was the community service. I had the preconceived notion that winning a title meant a year about me! My wardrobe, my talent, my interview skills. While yes, all those aspects are important, I found that there was a much heavier emphasis on how much I could help others, rather than myself.

I competed for two years in the Outstanding Teen program, but knew I ultimately wanted to be Miss Texas. I decided to bide my time until I was old enough to compete in the Miss program. In 2020 (and 2021. . . thanks COVID) while in college at Texas Tech University I won my first local title as Miss Brownfield, and in 2022 I won my second local title, Miss Westlake. Over the course of those years my community service initiative was focused on mentoring, and I worked closely with the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization. I started my own program called “The Power of Positivity” where I personally mentored over 100 young girls in the West Texas area. It was incredible work and I loved doing it. However, I knew in my heart that something was missing.

The spring of 2023 I felt called to share my story from when I was raped as a freshman in college. I was extremely against this urge, seeing as how sexual assault is a highly sensitive and personal topic, so I wrestled with the idea for some time. But God was persistent and kept the seed firmly planted in my mind. My directors and I spent dozens of hours figuring out the right way to share my story in a manner that made me comfortable, and would translate well in front of an audience. This is where Rise Above was born. I knew I didn’t want to put a lot of emphasis on myself as a victim, I wanted to focus more on hope and healing, rather than dwelling on what I had been through. The Rise Above Initiative embodies exactly that sentiment. Through Rise Above I share the message that we are not defined by what has happened to us, that we all have the power to create the narrative we want for our lives.

I created a podcast called, The Rise Above Series, where I interview people who have gone through incredible hardship in their life, but nonetheless have chosen to rise above that hardship, to find good amidst pain and suffering. I speak to college students, especially women based organizations such as sororities, where I share my story. I also speak to organizations who provide healing for individuals who have been impacted by sexual assault. If you have a need for a speaker on this topic, or know someone who does, please reach out! I am currently booking speaking events.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My decision to publicly share the assault I went through my freshman year of college was (and still is) the most pronounced aspect of my journey that illustrates my resilience as a person. I remember it was a Tuesday morning in March of this year. I was getting ready for work while envisioning an event I was planning to do with the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization. Instead of seeing myself talk about the benefits of mentorship, I saw myself sharing my story with college students. I was completely taken aback. Where did that come from? I had told God many times that this was a horrifying, shameful part of my life that I never wanted anyone to know about. I didn’t even tell my own mom until three years after it happened. However, the vision was so impactful that I knew God was asking me to put my own desires aside, and act on what He was calling me to do.

Since then, my decision to boldly follow what God asked of me has impacted my life, and the lives of the women and men that have shared their stories with me. There is a strong stigma surrounding rape and sexual assault in our society. I know that the work I am doing is vital to tearing that stigma down. Through The Rise Above Initiative I am giving a voice to victims, uplifting them through listening to their stories.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

That pageantry requires perfection! The first two years I competed for the title of Miss Texas I was SO concerned with making sure I did everything “right”. Was I wearing what other girls were wearing? Did I look similar? Talk similar? Act similar? I thought there was a mold that if I just learned how to fit it, I would do well.

When I won the title of Miss Frisco I made my only goal at Miss Texas to be Nicole. My own self, with my own style and way of looking at the world. I didn’t care what anyone else wore or said, I just leaned into being the most authentic version of myself. And, as it turns out, that really worked out in my favor! This was such an incredible lesson for me to learn because it applies to both pageants and real life. It is so boring trying to be other people, so I’ve stopped trying to do so!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: nicolejwingard and theriseaboveinitiative
• Facebook: Nicole Wingard
• Linkedin: Nicole Wingard