2024’s Miss Minden Maison Wilbanks is embarking on a journey to empower individuals through the art of journaling. With a deep-rooted passion for community service and a personal journey of self-discovery, Wilbanks is on a mission to make a meaningful impact on mental health and well-being.
“This is something that I’ve thought about doing from the very beginning,” Wilbanks shares, reflecting on her journey towards becoming Miss Minden. “On the road to becoming Ms. Minden, I had to find a community service initiative, and I’ve developed my own platform revolved around things that I do in my everyday life, and journaling was the main point I was trying to get at going into Miss Minden.”
Wilbanks’ own experience with journaling stems from a challenging period in her life during her senior year of high school. “I went through a lot of mental battles. It was a really dark and hard time,” she recalls. “I’ve always been the type of person that keeps everything to myself. I’m very closed and don’t share what’s going on.”
Inspired by a favorite content creator who spoke about the therapeutic benefits of journaling, Wilbanks took the leap to explore this practice herself. “I started talking to the adults who have been mentors for me about journaling, and they pushed me to try it,” she explained.
“I let everything out that I had been harboring for so long, and it was like a feeling of freedom,” Wilbanks says. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without God first of all, but journaling has helped me become the person I am today, especially socially and being able to be as outgoing as I’m able to be.”
Fuelled by her own transformative experience, Wilbanks is passionate about sharing the benefits of journaling with others, particularly in a time when mental health struggles are pervasive. “Since it helped me so much, I really want to share that with other people, because mental health is a huge problem in modern times, and after COVID it’s just gotten worse,” she emphasizes.
With a vision to reach beyond the scope of Minden, Wilbanks is expanding her efforts by offering journaling workshops throughout the state, including Natchitoches, where she is attending school, and her hometown in DeRidder.
“Bringing it to life has been so much fun,” Wilbanks expresses with enthusiasm. “It’s something that I want to share with other people, so they can learn how to properly combat the battles they are going through mentally, so they don’t have to feel like they have to be isolated, feel like they’re unheard, feel like they’re unimportant.”
Through her dedication to community service and her unwavering commitment to uplifting others, Miss Minden Maison Wilbanks is not only leaving a lasting impact on those she encounters but is also fostering a culture of self-care and resilience that extends far beyond the confines of her title. As she continues to spread her message of hope and healing through journaling, Wilbanks stands as a beacon of light, guiding others on their journey towards mental wellness and self-discovery.