Alexis Hipsky struggled with an consuming dysfunction for eight years.

“Coming into highschool I used to be virtually at 200 kilos,” Hipsky mentioned. “Going into my sophomore yr, I misplaced 70 kilos mainly from not consuming and excessively exercising as a result of I needed to be in present choir so unhealthy that I felt I needed to look a sure manner. Being within the (present choir) program, there have been some nice issues about it and a few not so nice. Till the top of my sophomore yr, I struggled with it till I began going to The Cabin (a psychological well being counseling heart). It was extra a private battle than something occurring with this system.”

Now, Hipsky has a platform to share her story and assist others.

Hipsky, a 2022 Zionsville Neighborhood Excessive Faculty graduate, is one in all 5 Miss Indiana contestants from Zionsville who will compete from June 13 to 18 at STAR Financial institution Performing Arts Heart in Zionsville. The others are Olivia Broadwater, Emilee Hunt, Sam Robbins and Shaylee Barnes. The winner will advance to the Miss America competitors.

Hipsky’s platform, Bringing Change and Hope to Thoughts, is physique dysmorphia, specializing in physique picture and consuming issues.

Hipsky created a membership her junior yr that has the identical identify as her platform.

“It’s an space for younger women and men to return in after to highschool to speak about various things and the place they’ll go to get assist,” she mentioned. “I need to be a voice for people who find themselves struggling as a result of I didn’t know the place to go and the place to begin. It’s an enormous downside folks don’t know the way to repair and the way to assist. It finally ends up main you down a darkish highway.”

She has been working with The Cabin offering assets to the highschool.

Hipsky first competed in a Miss Indiana competitors in 2021.

“My mother didn’t inform me she signed me up in September (2021),” Hipsky mentioned. “She mentioned, ‘You’re going to be competing in Terre Haute in a month so that you higher get some stuff collectively.’ We threw issues collectively. I didn’t know loads about it. I went and didn’t do the best. I ended up having fun with it. My mother mentioned let’s see if there are any nearer.”

Hipsky competed in Miss Fall Pageant in January and gained. She will probably be singing as a part of her expertise portion.

From left, Miss Indiana contestants Emilee Hunt, Olivia Broadwater, Alexis Hipsky, Shaylee Barnes and Sam Robbins. (Photograph by Mark Ambrogi)

Sam Robbins

Sam Robbins is competing in Miss Indiana for the sixth time. The 2016 Zionsville Excessive Faculty graduate beforehand was Miss Indiana’s Most Excellent Teen 3 times.

“I be taught loads about myself,” she mentioned. “I be taught a special factor yearly. My private progress has been past what I may ever think about for myself in this time period. I used to be somebody who had social nervousness and was simply frightened of interacting with folks, speaking with folks and taking dangers. To be the place I’m now as a assured grownup is wonderful and it truly is because of this program.”

Robbins mentioned she had nervousness when she was younger till early highschool, though she nonetheless has situations of it.

“Having the enjoyable facet of it in a secure area made it very easy to problem myself in a manner I wouldn’t be capable of in different organizations,” she mentioned.

Robbins will faucet dance as her expertise to the tune “Groove is within the Coronary heart.”

“I truly rapped my first yr as a Teen (contestant),” Robbins mentioned. “However I’ve faucet danced ever since.”

A full-time graphic designer, Robbins, who lives in Indianapolis, will function her personal choreographer. She teaches faucet dancing at Village Dance Studio.

Robbins’ platform is “Social gathering Smarty, Collegiate Substance Abuse Prevention.” Robbins, a 2020 Ball State College graduate, created this system in school and nonetheless helps maintain occasions.

“It challenges me in new methods yearly,” Robbins mentioned of the competitors. “It’s important to discover new methods of being higher, enhancing your self but additionally not evaluating your self to the previous you. I’ve accepting who I’m. It’s cool as a result of I can try this and have an pleasing time. For me, it’s like sparkly summer time camp. I get to have enjoyable and actually join with folks.”

As a Miss Northeast winner in Fort Wayne, Robbins has logged greater than 150 service hours in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. She has pushed greater than 80 hours between each cities.

“I was terrified of driving, too, so it’s pushed me out of my consolation zone to drive up (to Fort Wayne), generally each weekend,” she mentioned.

Olivia Broadwater

Olivia Broadwater, a 2021 ZCHS graduate, is competing in Miss Indiana for the second time. She was second runner-up in Miss Indiana in 2021. She additionally was the primary runner-up in Miss Indiana’s Most Excellent Teen in 2019.

Broadwater’s social affect initiative is Singing for Smiles, which advocates for music remedy for folks with Alzheimer’s illness.

“It’s been very thrilling as amenities and reminiscence care facilities have began to open up extra (after COVID-19 shutdowns),” Broadwater mentioned. “I’ve been capable of go and sing and meet with the leaders of these amenities. It’s insightful how Alzheimer’s and completely different types of dementia (have an effect on sufferers). I’m able to see the affect music has on them.”

Broadwater works with Excellent Concord, the Heart for the Performing Arts’ program that works with folks with Alzheimer’s.

“I’ve seen a variety of various things develop and use my platform across the neighborhood extra,” mentioned Bridgewater, a Ball State College musical theater scholar who’s interning with Civic Theatre’s Youth Artists Program.

This will probably be Broadwater’s first time staying with the opposite contestants at Butler College.

“I’m excited to have that full expertise at Miss Indiana that each one the previous generations all the time speak about,” she mentioned. “It’s like an enormous sleepover for everybody. I’m excited for the chance to get to know all of them higher and get nearer.”

Emilee Hunt

Emilee Hunt, a Terre Haute North graduate who moved to Zionsville 1 1/2 years in the past, beforehand competed in Miss Indiana in 2019.

“I gained the nonfinalist interview award,” she mentioned. “I had no expectations for the week, so I used to be over the moon to get an award.”

Hunt, 25, mentioned she took time away from contests to focus on her profession after school.

“I took a little bit of a break and determined I needed to return again once more,” mentioned Hunt, who’s supervisor of communications for Andretti Autosport. “It’s going to be enjoyable to be across the women I’ve been competing with and get again into it.”

Hunt’s platform is Dwelling with Lupus and elevating consciousness for invisible diseases.

Hunt has Lupus, POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and Raynaud’s illness, a circulation situation that causes numbness in fingertips and toes. Lupus and Raynaud’s are sometimes related, she mentioned

“POTS is in an entire different household. I simply obtained fortunate to get it, too,” she mentioned, laughing.

Hunt was identified with the circulation illness at age 9, Lupus at age 16 and POTS at 18.

Hunt will carry out a lyrical dance, a slower emotional dance, that she selected due to her power sickness.

“Normally, I do a jazz dance, so this can be a bit completely different for me,” she mentioned. “The fast-paced jazz obtained to be an excessive amount of. It is a change up for my very own physique. It offers me extra likelihood to breathe for a second earlier than I maintain sending my physique into overload. It is a bit out of my consolation zone. I was a technically educated dancer, however as I obtained older I don’t go to lessons anymore. I’m having to brush up on my expertise.”

Shaylee Barnes

Shaylee Barnes, a three-time contestant in Miss Indiana’s Excellent Teen, is competing in Miss Indiana for the primary time. The 2021 ZCHS graduate not too long ago completed her freshman yr at Indiana College, the place she is majoring in neuroscience with a dance minor.

Barnes’ social media affect is Cease the Stigma, Let’s Discuss About Psychological Well being. Her earlier platform was referred to as Psychological Well being Consciousness.

“My mother labored within the Lebanon Kids’s House, so I used to be round,” Barnes mentioned. “My household was all the time very vocal about psychological well being, so we’re all the time capable of speak about it. I believe that’s crucial in understanding psychological well being and bringing consciousness to it. It’s best to have the power to speak about psychological well being to anybody, friends, trusted adults, lecturers and issues like that. It must be talked about as any bodily or seen sickness as a result of psychological well being (circumstances) are simply invisible diseases.”

Barnes will sing as a part of her vocal expertise.

“It’s slightly extra rock however I prefer to maintain it jazzy,” mentioned Barnes, who desires to maintain her tune a shock.

Barnes participated in present choir at ZCHS.

“Singing and dancing are each crucial in my life,” she mentioned.

Barnes seems to be ahead to spending time with the opposite contestants.

“I like the neighborhood,” Barnes mentioned. “I’m excited to see the Miss Indiana facet of it.”