Alexandra Robertson: Staying Tenacious & Earning the Title

Story by Katrice Williams  |  Photography by Leidy Lester

Alexandra “Alex” Robertson graduated from Bryan County High School (BCHS) in May. Alex and her family have resided in Bryan for quite some time; in fact, her brother Stone Bennett is also a BCHS alumnus (Class of 2019). Alex was thrilled to be named Miss Bryan County High School 2024 in March.

Pageantry & Beyond

Alex began her pageantry endeavors at about 5 years old. She competed in a variety of pageants and won several titles as a small child, including: Tiny Miss Relay for Life, held in Effingham County to support cancer awareness, Miss St. Patrick’s Day (Savannah) and Mini Supreme Miss Glitz & Glitter (Effingham) while also attaining the Petite Miss Redskin title at Bryan County Elementary School in 2017 during her fifth grade year.

As a young girl, Alex loved all the glamour and fun associated with pageantry. Her mom Mya enjoyed being right there to support her daughter through it all.

“I really loved playing dress up and getting my makeup done; it was a lot of fun,” Alex says.

Throughout her school career, Alex strived to be a well-rounded student; she participated in a variety of sports: softball, soccer, basketball, track and cheerleading. She enjoyed that time, especially with her dad Gabriel “Gabe” being there, the guy who had been one of her biggest mentors in life. He had also been her coach in most of the sports she had participated in, and he was always one of Alex’s biggest fans, as he would root for her along the sidelines. Gabe gave his daughter a cute nickname when she began playing softball at age four; he affectionately began calling her “Chow.” That name stuck with her teammates, and most of her friends call her that to this day.

“My dad was my coach for almost anything nearly all of my life. We bonded over music and sports,” Alex says.

Pageantry was obviously different from sports and proved to provide an exciting and beneficial balance to it all.

“I had done sports my whole life; pageants were the one thing I could escape to and be a girly girl,” she says.

The Unimaginable

However, one set of circumstances did prove to be very difficult to escape. Her dad was diagnosed with lymphoma. Alex’s world was turned upside down, and nearly everything changed for her and her family. At age fifteen and the summer before her sophomore year began, Alex found herself enduring the unthinkable. After a valiant fight against the disease, Gabe passed away on June 22, 2021. Life as Alex knew it changed in an instant. While enduring the enormous heartache, her mom tried to be as strong as possible for her family.

This was absolutely unimaginable for Alex; one of her biggest heroes in life was no longer there. Nearly everything seemed to become more challenging—personally, socially and academically.

“It affected me in a lot more ways than I thought it would’ve. When he passed, the world became a little more quiet,” she says.

Perseverance

The family strived to pick up the pieces as the days passed, and during her junior year, Alex competed for Miss BCHS. However, she did not win the title at the time.

Though utterly disappointed, she chose to be honest with herself. She knew that she had not done as well academically throughout the school year as she eventually wished she would have done; she was confident that her academic performance did have an unfavorable impact on her overall pageant outcome.

“I did well in the pageant; I loved it, but I didn’t win. I cheated myself out of it. I had to find the strength to keep pushing because I didn’t have my dad physically there to help me do it,” she says.

 Nevertheless, Alex was not overwhelmed by the pageant setback. Instead, she used it as a huge motivation; she was determined to persevere in spite of the circumstances. She wholeheartedly wanted to secure that title. She set her sights on the goal at hand. From that point, she became intentional about putting in the effort at school to make it all happen.

“I wanted to do it next year. I wanted to
be able to progress in the academic part of it,” she says.

Over time, Alex could see a tremendous change in her academic standing; by her mid-senior year, it was obvious that her tenacity had paid off. She was certain that she could continue to keep up the good work.

“It actually pushed me to do better for the rest of my school year. I have a good support system; I was able to work my way through it all,” she adds.

Miss BCHS

On Saturday, March 2, 2024, all that Alex had diligently worked towards was greatly rewarded when she was crowned Miss Bryan County High School.

“It felt absolutely great; I was proud,” she says.

Alex can relate to the challenges that many young people may face in life, especially those faced by other young ladies. She is a radiant example demonstrating that there is always hope in any situation.

“Obstacles you face in life do not define you. Keep pushing because if you don’t, it’s a disservice to yourself. You’re going to look back and say, ‘Wow, I did that,’ so it’s worth it in the long run,” she states.

True Inspiration

One of Alex’s biggest inspirations is her mom Mya, someone who has been the epitome of strength and courage. Mya stepped up to be that much needed rock for her family following the passing of her husband. Alex loves and appreciates her mom; she admires how she has persevered through it all. Mya is a true example of resilience through tremendous heartbreak…through seemingly insurmountable odds. Seeing her mom push through those difficult obstacles has helped Alex to have the courage to do the same.

“Seeing my mom take that step up and provide for me through her own hurt pushes me. It proves to me how strong women are. I see that we can help others while we’re hurting as well. I definitely look up to her the most,” Alex states.

Overcoming It All

Mya could not be more proud of her daughter. She has seen her overcome tremendous challenges throughout the years.

“She has faced a lot of adversity losing her dad at such a young age. She made it to the other side, though. She is a strong girl, and I couldn’t be more proud of her than I am today,” Mya says.

Alex is looking forward to bright and beautiful days ahead. Not even the sky is the limit for the tenacious young lady. She has proven herself to be a true overcomer, and she knows that the opportunities for her are endless.