Student to Participate in beauty pageant

After suffering years of ridicule and being teased due to her weight, Holland had low self-esteem.

"I got picked on. I got called names. It wasn't very good. You don't feel good about yourself, but I've learned to grow with it and accept myself for who I am," said Sabrina Holland, an Austin Community College student.

She is participating in the Capital of Texas Plus American Pageant and is hoping she can encourage other women to be accepting of themselves and show that beauty is on the inside.

"I want to encourage younger people and let them know that beauty comes from within. It's not about how you look. We're all different. I mean, God made us all different, different shapes and different sizes. It would be awkward if we all looked alike," said Holland.

To prepare for the pageant, Holland went to Dallas for boot camp where she learned correct form and balance for the runway. She also received training about the pageant interview process.

"My platform is to connect the hearing to the deaf and the hard of hearing," said Holland.

Holland first started learning sign language in Virginia where the church community was bridging the gap between the deaf and the hearing by offering sign language classes. After learning everything that she could at church, she started taking classes at school.

After moving to Texas, Holland started classes at ACC to become a medical assistant and slowly added sign language classes to her schedule.

"You know how you hear people singing with beautiful voices? I don't have a beautiful voice, but I can sign beautifully," said Holland.

Holland recently led an event called Talk to the Hands at the ACC Riverside Campus where students were taught the alphabet and basic phrases like "My name is" and "How are you?"

If Holland wins The Capital of Texas Plus America Pageant, she will move on the the state pageant and hopefully to the national level.

After the pageant, Holland plans to graduate in May.  Holland has applied to transfer to Gallaudet University and continue signing and become an interpreter.

The Capital of Texas Plus America Pageant will be held at 7:30 on Feb. 25 at the Doris Miller Recreation Center. Tickets can be purchased through Holland at shollandperry@yahoo.com.