"My experience is typical of what most kids with asthma struggle with every day. A recent 10-year study of asthmatic teens published in the British Medical Journal found that less than 25% of teenagers would use their life-saving medication in front of their peers, even if their attack were life threatening. In other words, three out of four asthmatic teens would rather risk their life than risk being labeled or made fun of. This reality served as the catalyst to create my nonprofit organization, Choose to Breathe. No one should ever feel ashamed for needing help breathing. My organization focuses on three aspects of asthma advocacy: Creating asthma education that kids and teens will retain, increasing inhaler compliance, and encouraging positive peer engagement. Being crowned Miss Illinois Outstanding Teen will propel Choose to Breathe even further, helping to strengthen my state and national partnerships and reach more teens. My ultimate hope is that after my year of service as Miss Illinois Outstanding Teen, the next time a teen looks at their inhaler, they won’t feel that shame I felt, and they will “choose to breathe” instead of risking their life." -Mia