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Exclusive: Konversations with Keeme: Chatting with Jillian Duffy
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Oct 29, 2022
Jillian Duffy is a 22 year old studying Business and Marketing at Southern Connecticut State University. She has competed within the Miss America Organization since the age of eight and has held multiple titles within the organization. Jillian strongly believes in what this organization promotes and has continuously experienced growth within herself throughout her time in the organization. Jillian's social impact statement is entitled a?oeJillian's Journey: Pediatric Cancer Research and Awarenessa??, the voice of a patient and the advocate of a survivor. Jillian's Journey not only raises awareness of the underfunding of pediatric cancer research but also focuses on the journey through cancer treatment and eventual triumph of an individual. As a survivor herself, Jillian shares her story of her battle and eventual victory over cancer to inspire others to face obstacles with a positive mindset and to always chase your dreams.
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0:00
Hello, my name is Ajabola Tajadeen, but you can call me Kimi
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And today you're watching Conversations with Kimi, a show where we ask stuff and we make stuff
0:19
This season, to go with NPT and Norwalk Symphony Orchestra's show, South Pacific, which will be February 8th, I'll be there
0:26
We'll be doing beach-themed things. And this episode, our guest for the day is Jillian Duffy, who is Miss Connecticut and a fourth runner-up for Miss America
0:37
Thank you so much for joining us on the show. Thank you for having me
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What was so intriguing for you at eight years old with Miss America
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So I started just wanting to do community service. I wanted to help others and I just needed to find a way to volunteer and that was through the Miss America organization
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and then I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when I was 13 years old
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and I was visited by a Miss Connecticut while I was in treatment and she kind of
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gave me the dream of becoming Miss Connecticut and here I am. Has Miss Comerica been everything that
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you dreamed? The experience was everything I could have asked for and more. I would love to go back
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it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity but I've made memories that will truly last a lifetime
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For those who don't know, what is Jillian's journey? Jillian's journey is actually twofold
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And so with my mission, I go and I work with people who are going through chemotherapy treatments, patients and survivors
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And I try to commit them to their purpose, to perseverance and positivity, because those are the first things that shatter when you have a diagnosis of cancer
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And in addition to that I try and work with national organizations and local organizations to provide any sort of financial help or resources that the family or patients may need while they battling cancer What advice would you give to those who you can reach out to across the country maybe or across the world who are going through cancer I mean I would say to anyone going through
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anything it doesn't have to be cancer. You can sit back and you can let it beat you and defy me or
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you can stand up and you can fight and so that's exactly what I chose to do and I hope others see
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an obstacle and kind of use my story as inspiration and see where I was nine years ago. Nine years ago
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I was fighting for my life in a hospital bed and I just came back from Miss America about a month
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ago. So anything is possible if you set your mind to it. So since you're studying business and
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marketing at Southern Connecticut State University, what marketing tips and business tips would you
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give to future Misses? Future? I would just say be yourself. I believe that when you speak to an
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audience with passion and conviction, you can make a difference. Absolutely. So of course you
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sang at the Miss America pageant, right? I did. Sorry, you're going to sing the song
2:55
I can. Has anyone ever read you a fairy tale Where homes are made of gingerbread
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And skies are always blue Where pumpkins turn to coaches And wishes all come true
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Ooh, that was good! Thank you. So why'd you choose that song for Miss America
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I've been a dancer my whole life. I've only been singing for five years
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So, I mean, there's not a huge array of songs that I wanted to sing
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It just was mentioned to me by three separate people who didn't know each other
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And then the next day it popped up on my YouTube as like one of the trending songs
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And I said, this might be a sign. This is my song. And I decided to sing it
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As I said in the beginning, a little bit earlier in the show and right before you just started singing
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uh this season to go with npt's and and uh and norc symphony orchestra's show south pacific which
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is february 8th you should come because i will be there uh the show is about racial prejudiceness
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and i just wanted to ask you have you ever experienced prejudiceness yourself i have and there one story that specifically sticks out in my mind and it was when my boyfriend and I were driving through Waterbury
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My boyfriend's African-American, and he drives a BMW, a new BMW, and all his windows are tinted a little bit
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His dad is an officer, so they're not legally tinted or anything like that. But we were driving, and we got pulled over at Cumberland Farms
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and we had to prove that the car was his because they thought that it was a stolen car
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And so I think right there, he wasn't doing anything wrong. And unfortunately, when I've been with my boyfriend
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I've seen it a lot more than by myself. And what advice would you give to those who do experience prejudiceness
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I would just say to speak up. Obviously, we need to be respectful in our way that we say things
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but this beautiful country has given us the opportunity to speak up when we feel a type of way because there's not going to be change
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if someone doesn't stand up and say something. And what advice would you give to young leaders who would like to lead in their communities
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So actually, funny story, this was my onstage question at Miss America. And I think whether we're talking about young leaders or older leaders
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the most important part is being able to understand when to lead, but then understanding when to fall back and to support those who are leading in front of you
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Wow, Miss America stole my question, my show question. Wow. You're already like a judge, basically. You're ready to go
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I wish they would make me be a judge. It would be silly to finish this episode without having our artistic director, who was former Miss Ohio and former Miss America runner-up, not to come on the show
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So I'm going to take a step back and now we're going to have conversations with Kristen Hoffman. Hello
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Hi. So you were the same guest. Oh, by the way, if you don't know, the show's idea is to decorate
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So maybe you should decorate. Oh, thanks. Thanks, Tima. I'm glad you told me that. I've never actually gotten to do this before
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Jillian, I was just so proud of Connecticut making it into the top ten and the top five
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So did they give you did they give you this? I left it there
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It mine Yeah you can hold it It very heavy Isn that heavy I don think I don look like this Did it look this I was going to say No Because things have changed and I happy about the changes We put that right there
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Talk a little bit about the changes at Miss America this year. Big changes
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Miss America's always going to be glamour. That's who she is. But at the same time, she has so many more jobs now as Miss America
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And, you know, back then, she used to just, you know, appear and be, like, a form of beauty
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And I think now it's really someone in your community who's doing the work and sharing their story
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and who's an advocate and a role model for their community. All right, I think it's time to show our work
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You guys can go first. Oh, man, I'm not done. Go ahead. You do yours, Jillian
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I can show mine. Okay, this is mine. That's pretty. What does it say? Well, Miss CT right over here
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We got some SpongeBob vibes. I didn't mean to do it, but it just ended up that way
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Mine is just a shell with my name on it. I'm just a shell. It's colored with red, orange, yellow, purple, and pink
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Mine and I'm really shocked that yours does not have glitter on it. Mine has shiny jewels on it
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Oh, that's I'm not sure you're a real patent. Well, you do have it on your head But you never outgrow the glitz and the glitter
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Well, thank you so much for joining us here Jillian on conversations with Kimi and conversations with Kristen
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I hope you guys enjoy the episode Make sure you guys go check out my Instagram Kimi underscore Tachideen and the new paradigm theaters Instagram right over here and your Instagram
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What's your Instagram? Miss America CT This America's CT. And thank you guys so much for watching the episode
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Also, go check out nptheater.org, which is our website, to buy tickets for South Pacific
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Or soon, we'll be letting out tickets for Footloose. So make sure you guys go check that out, too
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Thank you guys so much for joining us here on Conversations with Kimi. I hope you guys enjoyed the episode. And remember, your voice is your power
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So use it. Kimi out. Oh
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