YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT . THE WAY WE TREAT OTHERS

science and biblical and theological studies. She’s taking the 2014-2015 school year off to dedicate her all of her energy to her Miss North Dakota title, but she’ll resume her studies next fall with just one semester left in her undergraduate career. “My academics are very important to me, but I didn’t want to have my academics suffer because I was so busy,” she said. “And I really wanted to give this job my all.”

Being Miss North Dakota keeps Arness very busy. An average week might include appearances, networking events, interviews, speaking engagements at civic organizations or schools and some type of service engagement. “There isn’t a typical day, which is part of the challenge,” she said.

She’s currently touring schools across the state, speaking about academics, volunteerism, body image, empowerment and self-esteem. She tells students, both boys and girls, that the way they carry themselves and treat others has a huge impact. “You have the power to change your environment,” she said, “The way we treat others is one of the most important things we do.”

This combination of poise and compassion earned Arness the title of Miss Congeniality two years in a row at the Miss North Dakota pageant and again at the Miss America pageant. She’s thrilled with the most recent acknowledgement (“It was a really big honor for me”) but she says anyone can learn how to connect with others in a more meaningful way.

“Make sure you know people,” Arness advised. “Ask their name; learn more about them; ask them their goals. Let that guide the experience, not how you want the conversation to go. It makes a world of difference when someone feels like you really know who they are.”

In addition to reaching students, Arness has several other goals for her time as Miss North Dakota. She wants to increase the title’s visibility and arrange a wardrobe sponsor for appearances so the next Miss North Dakota can spend more time and resources on service and outreach instead of building a professional wardrobe. “It’s my goal to leave this title in a better place than when I found it,” she said. “Not that it was in a bad place – it wasn’t – but I think you should always grow a job.”

In between engagements, Arness is busy studying for the Law School Admission Test and researching work-abroad and internship opportunities in the Middle East, a part of the world she’s passionate about and excited to return to. A 2013 studyabroad experience in Jordan “totally shaped the trajectory of my life and career,” she said. “I fell in love with the culture and the people.”

Arness is working toward a career that blends international law, her love of exploring other cultures and her particular brand of diplomacy and emotional intelligence. She plans to learn Arabic and pursue a Ph.D. She doesn’t have a specific job title in mind, but she knows that she wants to do meaningful, engaging work on an international scale.

“I know where I’m going,” said Arness with characteristic confidence, “I just don’t know what my path will be.” [AWM]