The next contestant to be featured as part of our series, "The Road to Miss Delaware 2019" is Danielle Barger, the current Miss Christiana 2019. Now here is a fun fact! Danielle's title comes from Christiana, a community New Castle, Delaware...and also happens to be the name of our favorite mall! What a perfect combination! Continue reading to learn more about Danielle and her road to Miss Delaware 2019!

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What have you learned from your current Miss Delaware, Joanna Wicks, which you hope to carry with you, regardless of whoever wins the title of Miss Delaware.
Joanna and I were FaceTiming one evening, and I asked her if she had any tips to share to help with interview preparations. I also mentioned what I call my “security binder” that is filled with current events, paperwork, platform-related facts, as well as state-related facts!  That was when she showed me her notebook that she has filled with similar things! The one aspect that Joanna said to me, of which I will never forget is that “there is no such thing as being over-prepared, but there is such thing as being over-rehearsed!”  This applies to all life situations, whether it’s preparing for a job interview or a pageant interview.  Being prepared is one thing, but coming off as robotic is something completely different and doesn’t show authenticity!

What is one goal you hope that the new Miss Delaware will accomplish during her reign?
I hope that the new Miss Delaware will remain faithful to her values, while also pushing her boundaries so that she may engage with the State of Delaware. Also, I hope that the next Miss Delaware reaches out to young girls and young women so that the Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization may continue to grow and flourish for years to come!

If you could go back in the past, and give yourself one piece of advice when you first stepped into pageantry, what would it be?
The one main point that I would have to remind 10 year old Danielle is that you’re not always going to please everyone nor will you be everyone’s favorite. Also, not to let any negative comments directed at or about you bring you down! This was always difficult for me to remember when I first began competing because I strives to be a people-pleaser. Something else very important I would tell myself is to set your mind to your goals and no matter how many people tell you you’ll never achieve them, continue to give 150% toward making those dreams a reality!

Share with us your platform and why it’s important to you.
My social impact initiative is Giving the Gift of Togetherness: Ronald McDonald House Advocacy! This organization is the reason that my best friend and her family were able to stay together under one roof while she was receiving life-saving care many miles away from her home and comfort zone. She was diagnosed with an incredibly rare blood disorder  at a young age and needed to travel to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to get the care she needed to survive. Upon visiting at the The Ronald McDonald House (RMH), which is where they were staying, I knew immediately that this was an organization that deserved more awareness and advocacy! The RMH organization serves as a home-away-from-home for families and children who are receiving the necessary medical care for their terminal illness or traumatic injury. The RMH organization’s goal of “Keeping Families Close” during traumatic times is so vital when assisting in the healing process; both for the child and the family! I have been volunteering for this organization for over 11 years and there are so many things that I have learned about myself that I am positive tI could never have uncovered elsewhere.

“Bravura” is an artistic word for exceptional; what makes you a ‘bravura’ candidate for Miss Delaware?
My passion for serving my community as well as for expanding the Miss Delaware Scholarship Organization are only two of the many ways of which I am an exceptional, or bravura, candidate for the Miss Delaware 2019 title.