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Miss La. runner-up dances to own beat | The Advertiser | theadvertiser.com
Andrea Sonnier, a Lafayette native, was the second runner-up in the Miss Louisiana pageant June 25 in Monroe. She also took home the pageant's lifestyle/fitness award.
For the talent competition, she performed a jazz dance number. But Andrea did not hear the music she danced to nor the crowds that cheered her on. This former Tiger Girl and recent LSU grad is deaf. She feels the vibrations of the floor to "hear" the music.
This was Sonnier's second time in the pageant. Last year, participating as Miss Louisiana Jazzland, she took home the Miss Congeniality award.
This year, she earned a berth in the pageant by being named Miss Capital City.
While Andrea's success is remarkable, she has a much bigger goal: Using her personal triumphs to help educate the public about the deaf community and to inspire deaf individuals to believe in themselves and reach for the stars.
The Daily Advertiser caught up with Sonnier this week via email to chat about the pageant and what's next for this homegrown talent:
How long have you been involved in pageants?
I participated in my first pageant in January 2010.
Why pageants?
Participating in these pageants and earning a title would bring me a voice that can be seen and heard throughout my local community and state.
Society today is very drawn to people of celebrity status, and I aim to take advantage of my title to spread my message about education reform for individuals with different abilities.
Why dance?
What dancing does for me is beyond explanation ... I excelled on the track team my ninth-grade year so much that I was placed on the varsity instead of junior varsity team.
However, I desired to be on the high school dance team and after trying out and not making that team, I decided that I needed to take dance lessons.
What is it like dancing without the ability to hear the music?
I rely not on my ears but on my body feeling the vibrations through the floor and walls to interpret what the music sounds like, or in my case, feels like.
How did your fellow Tiger Girls feel about your mastery of dance without the ability to hear?
When I was a Tiger Girl, I had an amazing experience with my coach and teammates. They were always more than willing to readjust or help me in any way they could.
With their hands, they would count the beats of the music when it starts. By doing so, I was able to catch on and start dancing at the right beat.
What's it like to go to the Miss Louisiana
competition?
My first experience, (I) was a nervous wreck. I had never met the volunteers, board members, and other contestants of the organization until pageant week began, nervous about how they would act toward me and my interpreters.
They exceeded my expectations ... This made me confident and very comfortable in their system, so the following year I returned very excited to compete and work with them again.
What was your reaction to winning the preliminary lifestyle/fitness award the first night?
I was shocked! I didn't realize I won the award until I saw my directors jump up from their seats in the audience. My interpreter standing in the pit hadn't finished finger-spelling the name of the winner, yet.
What advice would you give young women dealing with disabilities?
My advice to them is to turn whatever weakness they may have into a strength. It took me to see a young child standing in my shoes, being held back academically because of her "disability," that I realized I had to use my experiences and passion as a deaf individual to change the education system and positively influence society's perceptions towards individuals who have different abilities.
I say "different abilities" and not "disabilities" because it changes the mindset of people who see less in themselves or in other people. Rather, they should see how their differentness is a great opportunity for them to affect the world and serve as a role model for younger people like them. I can't say enough how blessed I am for the way that God has made me.
Has being deaf helped push you to achieve more than you may have with the ability to hear?
Society tends to underestimate the potential of people who don't seem "normal." Knowing that I have potential — and seeing how others don't realize that — is my biggest motivation to strive and do my best in everything I set my mind to. That's why I consider being deaf a great blessing; I can't even think of a better motivating tool than that.
Tell us about your life growing up in Lafayette.
I love my hometown! I have great pride in being an Acadian because of our unique and diverse culture.
I attended Lafayette High School; while in high school, I took dance classes at Scott Academy of Dance and later at The Dance Warehouse.
My family provided opportunities for my siblings and I to participate in events and activities all around our community, including events at the Deaf Action Center.
This exposure was really important for me and my brother especially because it taught us the social skills essential to enjoy ourselves as citizens in a diverse community.
How have your friends and family reacted to your success?
"We are so proud of you" is one among many things they say and it's very important because I feel tremendously blessed that doing what makes me happy also makes them happy.
Where do you want to be 10 and 20 years from now?
I hope to earn a MA in Deaf Education and a PhD in Critical Pedagogy from Gallaudet University in D.C. Ten years from now, I plan to have a bilingual literacy program for Deaf and ESL students fully developed and running on a television channel.
Twenty years from now, I hope to open my own school for bilingual education in which all students would be qualified to attend.
Andrea Sonnier, a Lafayette native, was the second runner-up in the Miss Louisiana pageant June 25 in Monroe. She also took home the pageant's lifestyle/fitness award.
For the talent competition, she performed a jazz dance number. But Andrea did not hear the music she danced to nor the crowds that cheered her on. This former Tiger Girl and recent LSU grad is deaf. She feels the vibrations of the floor to "hear" the music.
This was Sonnier's second time in the pageant. Last year, participating as Miss Louisiana Jazzland, she took home the Miss Congeniality award.
This year, she earned a berth in the pageant by being named Miss Capital City.
While Andrea's success is remarkable, she has a much bigger goal: Using her personal triumphs to help educate the public about the deaf community and to inspire deaf individuals to believe in themselves and reach for the stars.
The Daily Advertiser caught up with Sonnier this week via email to chat about the pageant and what's next for this homegrown talent:
How long have you been involved in pageants?
I participated in my first pageant in January 2010.
Why pageants?
Participating in these pageants and earning a title would bring me a voice that can be seen and heard throughout my local community and state.
Society today is very drawn to people of celebrity status, and I aim to take advantage of my title to spread my message about education reform for individuals with different abilities.
Why dance?
What dancing does for me is beyond explanation ... I excelled on the track team my ninth-grade year so much that I was placed on the varsity instead of junior varsity team.
However, I desired to be on the high school dance team and after trying out and not making that team, I decided that I needed to take dance lessons.
What is it like dancing without the ability to hear the music?
I rely not on my ears but on my body feeling the vibrations through the floor and walls to interpret what the music sounds like, or in my case, feels like.
How did your fellow Tiger Girls feel about your mastery of dance without the ability to hear?
When I was a Tiger Girl, I had an amazing experience with my coach and teammates. They were always more than willing to readjust or help me in any way they could.
With their hands, they would count the beats of the music when it starts. By doing so, I was able to catch on and start dancing at the right beat.
What's it like to go to the Miss Louisiana
competition?
My first experience, (I) was a nervous wreck. I had never met the volunteers, board members, and other contestants of the organization until pageant week began, nervous about how they would act toward me and my interpreters.
They exceeded my expectations ... This made me confident and very comfortable in their system, so the following year I returned very excited to compete and work with them again.
What was your reaction to winning the preliminary lifestyle/fitness award the first night?
I was shocked! I didn't realize I won the award until I saw my directors jump up from their seats in the audience. My interpreter standing in the pit hadn't finished finger-spelling the name of the winner, yet.
What advice would you give young women dealing with disabilities?
My advice to them is to turn whatever weakness they may have into a strength. It took me to see a young child standing in my shoes, being held back academically because of her "disability," that I realized I had to use my experiences and passion as a deaf individual to change the education system and positively influence society's perceptions towards individuals who have different abilities.
I say "different abilities" and not "disabilities" because it changes the mindset of people who see less in themselves or in other people. Rather, they should see how their differentness is a great opportunity for them to affect the world and serve as a role model for younger people like them. I can't say enough how blessed I am for the way that God has made me.
Has being deaf helped push you to achieve more than you may have with the ability to hear?
Society tends to underestimate the potential of people who don't seem "normal." Knowing that I have potential — and seeing how others don't realize that — is my biggest motivation to strive and do my best in everything I set my mind to. That's why I consider being deaf a great blessing; I can't even think of a better motivating tool than that.
Tell us about your life growing up in Lafayette.
I love my hometown! I have great pride in being an Acadian because of our unique and diverse culture.
I attended Lafayette High School; while in high school, I took dance classes at Scott Academy of Dance and later at The Dance Warehouse.
My family provided opportunities for my siblings and I to participate in events and activities all around our community, including events at the Deaf Action Center.
This exposure was really important for me and my brother especially because it taught us the social skills essential to enjoy ourselves as citizens in a diverse community.
How have your friends and family reacted to your success?
"We are so proud of you" is one among many things they say and it's very important because I feel tremendously blessed that doing what makes me happy also makes them happy.
Where do you want to be 10 and 20 years from now?
I hope to earn a MA in Deaf Education and a PhD in Critical Pedagogy from Gallaudet University in D.C. Ten years from now, I plan to have a bilingual literacy program for Deaf and ESL students fully developed and running on a television channel.
Twenty years from now, I hope to open my own school for bilingual education in which all students would be qualified to attend.