Joy ensued as LeighAnna Kingvalsky
heard her name being announced
on the main stage of a Resort in
Orlando, Florida. LeighAnna was being
crowned as the winner. “My first thought
when I won the title was, ‘Wow! I hope
I’ve made everyone proud.’”
On July 23, 2017, LeighAnna, A
Louisiana Native, captured the crown
of Miss Black US Ambassador 2017.
Commenting on her achievement,
LeighAnna said, “The pageant system
prides itself on being much more than a
‘pageant’. So community service holds a
lot of weight for the competition.” said
LeighAnna, “It’s a platform for today’s
savvy, smart and aware, young women to
express their viewpoints...”
Along with intelligence, LeighAnna
had to display her extraordinary
accomplishments to the national public.
This may seem like a very trying and
difficult task to do but for a talented
young woman like LeighAnna, her life’s
journey had prepared her for that exact
moment.
“I was raised in a nurturing and caring
environment that fostered the personality
I have today,” she proudly stated.
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A New Orleans native, LeighAnna was
her mother’s only child and the last of
five children from her father. She always
seemed to stand out, proving to be more
than the youngest child. As she put it,
“I’d like to think that I was a shy girl, but
everyone tells me I was really outgoing
and confident.”
Growing up in New Orleans East,
LeighAnna had a good childhood and
was very close to her family. Her father,
Edward Watters is a bail bondsman
who owns his own business (Central
Bail Bonds). “I have a great relationship
with my father,” said LeighAnna, adding,
“However, I’ve always been the closest to
my mom because I’ve always lived with
her.”
LeighAnna’s mom, Veronica Darby,
kept LeighAnna quite busy during
her youth “I spent much of my time
attending dance classes and performing
at my annual recitals,” she said.
Her start in dance seemed to lead
to the start of her pageant career. She
was 11 when she competed in her first
pageant for Miss Pre-teen Louisiana.
Both of LeighAnna’s parents were
influential in her development. “They
Understanding
the Role of a Role
Model
By: Kimmie Tubre
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON CARR
have always pushed me and taught me
that I can do whatever I put my mind to,”
said LeighAnna, who admits, “My career
path is very different from theirs, but
the drive that they have instilled in me
remains.”
LeighAnna’s childhood was not only
about pageants, dance school, and
extracurricular activities. She also has
great memories of her many moments of
leisure. “I really enjoyed things like going
to Mardi Gras parades and dancing to
Mardi Gras music on St. Charles Avenue
and at Gallier Hall,” she said.
LeighAnna attended Cabrini High
School, a private Catholic school in
the Bayou St. John neighborhood. She
was an athlete who ran Cross Country
and Track. She was also a member of
Mu Alpha Theta (a mathematics honor
society) and the National Honor Society.
“During my senior year I became a
class senator and I joined the speech
club,” said LeighAnna, also noting that
she decided to resume dance lessons
after a brief hiatus. “I started performing
and I performed in a couple of school
plays. I also modeled for various local
designers,” she added.
24 | BREAKTHRU MEDIA | breakthrumediamagazine.com JANUARY / F E B R UARY 2 0 1 8
