Jennifer Bradley was crowned Miss Wallace in March, and said serving as an ambassador for Wallace is something she is excited to be able to do.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time at Wallace. I did dual enrollment too, so I’ve been on campus for four years and I love it,” Bradley said.
Bradley is a 2019 graduate of Northside Methodist Academy, and she’s certainly no stranger to Wallace. Bradley’s mother, Janet Bradley, and her aunt, Jennifer Matheny, are both employed at the College.
“I’m such an advocate for teachers and students, because with my mom being an instructor, I really do know how hard it can be from both sides,” Bradley said. “I just want to be able to be a voice for Wallace and make it known that it’s not for everyone, but for a lot more people than what’s stigmatized.”
Bradley said in high school, some people overlooked Wallace as the next step, but she said Wallace is perfect for her and her family.
“There’s this weird stigma that you have to go straight off to university, and that community college is just high school,” she said. “That’s why as Miss Wallace, I want to be able to use my voice as a peer to say, Wallace isn’t for everyone, but it’s for a lot of people. I want to be able to go to high schools and talk to people my age … [about Wallace].”
Wallace was always part of the plan for Bradley. Now that she’s attending full time, she said Wallace is the perfect place for her.
“I have a twin brother … and financially it just wasn’t a smart decision for us to go straight off to university when we didn’t have a scholarship. We could get our basic courses … and that saves a ton of money,” Bradley said. “My favorite part about Wallace is the fact that the instructors genuinely care … because they want to see you take your next step and succeed in what you’re doing. They’re 100 percent there for you to get you where you want to go.”
When Bradley heard about the pageant, she thought it would be fun and a way to give back to the College if she were to win.
“I had been looking for some things to plug in to and so when it came up, someone suggested that I should do it and I said OK, the more the merrier,” she said. “I wanted to make sure that Wallace had a solid amount of girls [competing]. It was just a fun thing to do.”
When her name was called as the winner, Bradley was shocked. Her family and friends in the audience were thrilled.
“When I found out I won, I was almost star struck,” she said. “I was not expecting it at all. I was nervous, but I was so excited. I was very proud of myself and so happy my family was there. It’s a very sweet memory.”
Bradley is looking forward to representing the College during her time and then moving on to Auburn University where she hopes to major in horticulture.