For 19-year-old Logan West, being Miss Teen USA definitely has its perks, like the opportunity to help other young women. On August 10, she’ll be handing down the crown, but while she has the title, raising awareness to a national issue.
When Logan West was named Miss Teen USA on July 28, 2012, her whole life changed. During a recent visit to HollywoodLife.com, she revealed exclusively what it’s been like living with Miss Universe Olivia Culpo and former Miss USA Nana Meriwether, what she wants to do to help the youth — and what dating is really like.
Logan West: I Took A Stand Against Bullying
Receiving the Miss Teen USA title meant many things to Logan — most importantly that she got to stand up against bullies, something she admits she struggled with:
I was bullied when I was in the seventh grade by a student who told me I did not act my skin color, but I had no idea what bullying was. I didn’t really know how to describe it. I didn’t really know how I was feeling either, but after that experience, I decided there had to be a way that I could turn that negative experience into something positive. I needed to educate not only students, but teachers in schools and administrators on what bullying is so they would know how to stop it.
So, she took action. She created Unite Against Bullies, an organization for students in grade three through seven. The 30-minute sessions she holds aim to educate students, parents and supervisors about five successful steps to stop bullying — in and out of the classroom.
“For most state laws, if it’s causing a student to feel uncomfortable in school, whatever’s going on outside of school, the bully can still suffer the consequences,” she told us when talking about the growing issue of cyber bullying. “So I don’t think people should keep quiet. Speak up about it, because you can get the help you need.”
Logan: ‘If You’re Old Enough To Be My Dad, You Shouldn’t Be Talking To Me’
When Logan’s not making a difference, she’s hanging with her girlfriend; after all, she did share an apartment with Olivia and Nana!
“We like to say that no one will understand what you’re going through like someone who’s actually going through it,” she said about the advantages of living with them.
In past interviews, both Nana and Olivia admitted that dating after the big win isn’t easy. While Logan admitted she’s only ever had one boyfriend, she explained that the attention is definitely hard to get used to.
“You get the really shy people who won’t talk to you because they think you’re not normal – when I promise you, we really are just normal people,” she told us. “Or you get, like, the creeps that really think they can talk to you, but they probably shouldn’t be, so we get those a lot!”
“I get the creeps more than anyone else does, I don’t know why,” she continued, laughing. “I’m the youngest one of all of us but I get a lot of the 60-year-olds! Why you would want to walk around with Miss Teen USA on your arm, I don’t know, but my rule is: If you’re old enough to be my dad, you shouldn’t even be talking to me!”
Sounds like a good rule to me!
To vote for the next Teen Miss USA and see the full 2013 pageant live from the Atlantis in the Bahamas on August 10, head to www.MissTeenUSA.com! Watch the full interview below and let me know what you think!
WATCH: Miss Teen USA Logan West Talks Getting Hit On By Creepy Old Men
– Bonnie Fuller
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