Miss Auburn candidate Katie Phelan, junior in marketing, chose honesty and truthfulness to be the central points of her campaign. Phelan committed to this theme wholeheartedly. During the interview process, she said she did not prepare for questions because she wanted to be her most authentic self.
“I just wanted to speak honestly, and if I made it to the next round, it would be because they liked what I had to say,” Phelan said.
She chose her line of the Auburn Creed to represent these beliefs, selecting, “I believe in honesty and truthfulness.”
“Focus on being honest and true with yourself first before you can pour out to others,” she said.
Her campaign is focused on starting the conversation about mental health on campus.
Phelan said her personal struggle with anxiety has made her passionate about advocating for those who struggle with mental health.
“I realized that no one wants to talk about it because people see it as a weakness,” Phelan said. “I was lucky enough to have people in my life who didn’t see that as a weakness. It was just a different thing I was battling, and everyone has something.”
When she got to college, Phelan knew that she wanted to start with helping individuals.
“I can’t change the face of Auburn,” she said. “No one can. But if we just start being more authentic and honest with ourselves, those small changes are how we have a big effect on campus.”
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