Miss Sierra Leone USA: Advocating for the Recruitment/Retention of Girls/Women in STEM

Hello world!!!

I hope you and yours are doing well. I'm doing well, thanks be to God! If you have been following my journey as Miss Sierra Leone USA and/or know me personally, you must be aware of my passion and advocacy for the recruitment and retention of girls and women in STEM fields. STEM stands for: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Throughout my time of service as Miss SLUSA, I have actively advocated for this personal platform of mine alongside SHERO. In this post, I plan to share my story of why I chose this platform and my personal experiences as a woman in STEM and mining.

Learning how to drive a haul truck
Ruby B. Johnson
Kono District, Sierra Leone

I have always been vocal of why Miss Sierra Leone USA is the only pageant I've ever competed in and why I choose this organization, simply for its purpose of providing an opportunity for young Sierra Leonean women in the United States to serve the diaspora through a particular platform. When I had to choose what platform I was going to advocate for as a Miss Sierra Leone USA finalist, I discussed with my mom and entire family that it needed to be something I can relate to and something I can carry on after my time of service with the crown. Being that I had already created my organization (When You Believe Foundation, Inc.) and advocating for the empowerment of girls/women, and I was already a mining engineering student, the choice was simple for me to have a platform that empowers women and advocates for them in STEM fields.

First Mine Visit in 2011
Underground Limestone Mine in Giles County, Virginia
Ruby B. Johnson

In my university and work experiences, I have dealt with being the only woman, only Black, and sometimes the only Black woman in a room. I have so many "firsts" in my mining courses and work experiences because of being woman and Black but this is something I am partly proud of. Yes, I am proud that I have stepped into uncharted territories but there's also the part of me that eagerly waits for more people like myself to occupy that space and join me. Additionally, I am sometimes viewed as rare because I am a titleholder (or "beauty queen" - a word I don't like to use) but I am in a field that is anything but girly; this confuses some people. I love it! In my opinion a woman should not always follow a particular path and she can wear many different hats, and that's why my passions do not intersect. I love that I can trade my crown for my hard hat, my stilettos for my steel-toe boots, and my sash for my reflector vest or harness. Because of this of my intersectionality, I've had opportunities to even give a lecture to the advisory board of the Mining and Minerals Engineering department at my university (Virginia Tech); it was great!

Calcite surface mine in in Hunt Valley, Maryland
Ruby B. Johnson

 As Miss Sierra Leone USA, I share a lot of my adventures while wearing the sash and crown, and I absolutely enjoy that. However, I make it a priority of mine to share some of my personal life as well as a mining engineer student/intern. This is important to me because I believe that verbally advocating for my platform is not enough, it is necessary for girls/women worldwide to see me doing what I do and what I am passionate about: mining. Over the past couple years, I've also had the opportunity to speak with girls in their classrooms, events, workshops, etc. in the United States and Sierra Leone encouraging them to pursue a career in STEM, as well as talking about my personal experiences in mining; one of my favorite things to do in life.

Doing what I love (mining) in where I love (Sierra Leone)
Kimberlite rock quarry in Koidu City, Kono District
Ruby B. Johnson

Surveying the city of Koidu
Ruby B. Johnson

During the time I worked in Kono District, Sierra Leone last year for Koidu Limited - Octea Mining, I did my very best in making my presence in the city of Koidu and nearby cities, as well as on social media known. This was very important to me because I wanted Sierra Leonean girls to see their own doing something unconventional and know that they can aspire to be whoever they want, even if it is a job that women lack visibility in (such as STEM fields). I even made sure to record and upload a video online of me during my first time working with the blasting team and igniting a blast. I recall when some of the workers at Octea would continuously stare at me in shock because they see a girl working in the quarry, and I'd talk with them and tell them that when they return home after work to encourage their sisters/cousins/daughters/wives to do the same thing I am doing. Because I am them.

Ruby B. Johnson with some of the surveyors at Koidu Limited
Kimberlite rock quarry in Kono District, Sierra Leone

There will be tough times...

There are times I struggle in my mining classes and/or work experiences and I truly do want to give up, but I actually use the negative I get from folks that say "girls/women cannot excel in STEM courses and/or professional fields" to keep me going. This is not something that is easy to do, but that motivation really keeps me going sometimes. As humans, when we don't excel as we would like in something, we naturally want to give up. Therefore, being discouraged in my classes/jobs has nothing to do with me being a woman in a STEM field, but simply because I am having a tough time comprehending or achieving the goal I want. Besides with my family or close friends, it is rather unfortunate that there have been times I just want to complain about struggling with my academic or professional life, but feel afraid that others may conclude it as a weakness, because I am a woman in STEM.

Safety First: Always Wear Your PPE!
Ruby B. Johnson

Mining Rocks (pun intended)
Ruby B. Johnson

I have had many tough semesters, but this one has been one of the most difficult for me academically. It feels like everything keeps getting harder, and lesser hours in the day. I have cried to my mom and friends, telling them of how stressed I am, and how ironic it is that I advocate for STEM but I'm overwhelmed by my own work. I'll be on the phone talking to my mom/brother/dad/grandmother telling them of how tired I am and they always encourage me to keep persevering, as well as pray for me. I am blessed to have a wonderful support system that is there for me at my trying times and grateful for their continuous love and support. I have good days and I have bad days, but I know for sure that I am where I need to be in life! Life's obstacles may come our way, but destiny always prevails. Regardless of how crazy life gets for me, these three things will forever remain true: I love MINING! I love being a WOMAN! I love STEM!

Little Woman, Big Dozer.
Ruby B. Johnson

Your credibility may be questioned...

While reading an article a couple weeks back for fun (but my current research is also related to this article), I came across a very interesting article of an interview with a South African woman who is a practicing mining engineer. In the article, one of the statements made by Wilhemina Manaso (Mine Manager at BHP Billiton South Africa) that stuck to me was "There are a lot of barriers caused by my gender; as a woman, if you’re doing well in a male-dominated industry they think you're having an affair with one of the senior managers. Every time I was promoted, they would say, 'how come you promoted her? Is she having a relationship with you?'" Besides being promoted as Ms. Manaso mentions, there are times whereby people think a woman is hired because of her sex and/or skin color, and disregard their intellect and credibility. This happens, but do not let it break you (my dear girls/women). Keep striving for excellence.

Who needs an office job, when you can be outside and get dirty???
Ruby B. Johnson

I plan to work in operations, engineering, and/or consulting in the mining industry, but my ultimate goal in the next 15 years or less is to be the CEO of a mining company. Someone that I have gotten to know of that motivates me to pursue this goal is Ms. Daphne Mashile-Nkosi from South Africa; I haven't had the opportunity to meet her in-person yet, but when I read what this woman has done and listen to her speak: I see myself in her. I always speak fondly of her on my social media accounts and if you are not familiar with her, read this article and get to know.

Survey Life
Kimberlite quarry in Koidu City, Kono District

What can we (as a society) do:

• Encourage girls, just as much as we encourage boys, to excel in STEM courses in middle and high schools, and acquire STEM degrees/certificates in college or vocational schools
• We need STEM role models, and those women must be mentors to girls and young women that aspire to be in their respective fields. We must lift as we climb.
• Parents/guardians should buy a variety of toys for their daughters besides a barbie doll; toys that make them explore their creative and technical sides

Future Mining CEO/Mining Engineer
Ruby B. Johnson

Over the past couple years that I have served as Miss Sierra Leone USA, I have gotten some messages and comments from folks via social media, as well as in-person, of how proud they are of me and that I must keep up the good work. I REALLY appreciate feedback, and I'm grateful for all of you. But in reality, I am sure there may be others that observe me in silence that I may never have the opportunity to meet or ever speak with. My dream is that I can influence as many girls and women out there to aspire for STEM degrees and jobs, even if I never get to meet or know them. Every little girl and boy aspires to be like someone in their family or on TV they want to be like when they grow up, and I hope there is a girl or boy out there that would entertain the thought and work towards being in a STEM field because of me. 

Underground salt mine in Lansing, New York
Ruby B. Johnson

For me, I did not have any women in my family or know of any woman that was in the mining field to aspire to be like BUT I was raised by phenomenal women and a family that instilled in me that I can be anything I want to be as long as I work hard and smart towards it. In a future blog post, I will share my personal story of why I chose to be in an engineering field and why mining (hint: Sierra Leone does have something to do with it). Being a woman in STEM is not always an easy journey, but it's not always difficult either. Being a woman in STEM is possible, it can be done, and has been done. My dear girls and women of the world, keep reaching for excellence and nothing less!

Calcite quarry in Hunt Valley, Maryland
Ruby B. Johnson

Ruby B. Johnson,
Your Miss Sierra Leone USA.

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Africa needs more Mining Engineers and Experts In Natural Resources Management by Ruby B. Johnson

During my official Homecoming as Miss Sierra Leone USA to Sierra Leone in April 2013, I had the opportunity to visit Koidu Limited (Part of Octea Mining) in Tankoro Chiefdom, Koidu Town, Kono district of Sierra Leone.

One of the highlights of my visit was being conducted to see the Koidu open pit mine, which I felt was very fitting since I was (and still am) a student at Virginia Tech in the USA working at a major in Mining and Minerals Engineering and a Minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. I enjoyed the tour I was given by the General Manager and Human Resources Manager, and I expressed my interest in doing a summer internship with the company.

After my return to the United States, I applied for the internship position and was offered the position for summer 2013.

I was very excited about this opportunity because I saw it as a great way for me to gain experience in my future career, learn about the Sierra Leone mining industry, and also use my position as the reigning Miss Sierra Leone USA, to promote my personal platform of advocating for the recruitment and retention of girls and women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields while sharing my experience on this interesting odyssey through my blog.

As a Sierra Leonean-born woman, I believe it is very important for us, the Sierra Leonean diaspora, to pursue careers relevant to Sierra Leone and the African continent. We must make it a priority to contribute to the development of Africa. My country, Sierra Leone, is a reason why I chose the path of mining engineering in my future, and ideally I would love to work in that industry in Sierra Leone and throughout Africa in years to come. Whenever Sierra Leone and other African nations are spoken of in local and international media, there is always a mention of the many minerals we have been blessed with. However, I rarely hear of or meet young Sierra Leoneans with formal education in this industry.

There are many Sierra Leoneans employed at Koidu Limited, however few are in managerial or decision-making positions. I believe that it is very important for Sierra Leoneans and other Africans at home to earn relevant degrees and work in this field, as well as members of the diaspora to return and make their contribution with their degrees earned abroad. Investing in a quality education that pertains to mining is a great investment in Sierra Leone’s and Africa’s economy, and I believe it is our responsibility as Sierra Leoneans and Africans at home and abroad to do so. In addition, an increase in individuals seeking education and experience in the mining industry is a decrease in unemployment for the youth and Africans as a whole.

Read the full article here.

Ruby B. Johnson - Future Mining and Minerals Engineer and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2012-2014

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Media Alert - Miss Sierra Leone USA Reflects on 2013 Mining Internship in Kono: The Good, The Bad, and The Frustrations

Hello world!!!

I hope you and yours are doing well. I'm doing fantastic, thanks to the Almighty. Please take a few minutes and read the article I wrote about my experience at Koidu Limited - Part of Octea Mining in Kono District, Sierra Leone this past summer on The Network For Change blog. After reading, please feel free to share your feedback, comments, or questions with me via one of my social media outlets. Thank you. To read the full article, click on this link

Click on link below to read the full article

REFLECTIONS OF MY MINING INTERNSHIP IN SIERRA LEONE – THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE FRUSTRATIONS BY RUBY B. JOHNSON

Ruby B. Johnson,

Your Miss Sierra Leone USA.

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Ebony Affair 2013: Miss Sierra Leone USA Wins Outstanding Student Award at Virginia Tech

Hello world!!!

I hope you and yours are doing well. I'm doing fantastic, thanks to the Almighty. A couple weeks ago, I attended the 16th Annual Ebony Affair. This program is one of the signature events of the Black Graduate Student Organization (BGSO) at Virginia Tech. The theme of this year's prestigious event was "Freedom: A Fight Worth Fighting." A formal event, this dinner banquet is organized to recognize outstanding faculty, students, and community members that engage in BGSO's motto: "Lifting As We Climb." The food was delicious and I loved being surrounded in a company of phenomenal women and men of the Hokie Nation. The keynote speaker Dr. Joycelyn A. Wilson, freedom of the press and freedom of expression performances by Joy Thompson and Moises Seraphin, were empowering additions to this event.

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

A few weeks before the event, I received an e-mail from the president of BGSO, Eric Fouh, about being nominated for the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award. I was in complete shock and humbled for this; I felt honored that there were fellow Hokies out there that felt I deserved such an award. Honestly, I didn't think I would win, but elated for being nominated. As God would have it, I did win the Award! I was very shocked, and I'm sure the folks I was sitting with could tell with the gesticulations I made when my name was called out, and I don't really remember what my acceptance speech was, but I hope it was good enough because I was in complete shock! Virginia Tech is the best university in my opinion, and has given me so much, so I am always ready to give back in any way I can. I am proudly Hokie!

President of the Virginia Tech Black Graduate Student Organization Mr. Eric Fouh and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

 Once again, thank you to VT-BGSO, and I am appreciative of the fact that Virginia Tech has such an amazing organization like this which celebrates and empowers students of the Hokie community, especially the Black community. Virginia Tech is a university that is not diverse racially, but I love having organizations such as BGSO that promote diversity on our campus. To my fellow students that nominated me, even though I don't know who you are, thank you so much. I am humbled that you found me fitting for such an award, and I am proud to be a fellow Hokie like you. Also, if you can tell me who you are after reading this, I'd love that. Maybe we can grab lunch or something!

My Miss Sierra Leone USA sash and BGSO Award,
two awards I'm very grateful to have received!

Reading the message on the Award plaque really puts a smile on my face, and this is an award that means so much to me. Service is important to me, and my personal platform as Miss Salone USA is advocating for SHERO and the recruitment and retention of girls and women in STEM fields. I love my Hokie community, and I will continue to live out our university's motto Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) to: Virginia Tech, Sierra Leone, USA, and girls and women worldwide. Bay Gכd in pawa! In closing the event, Vice President of BGSO Devon Lee stated that "freedom is not for one person but for all" and he asked each and everyone in audience to ask themselves, "What am I fighting for?" Those last words really resonated to me, I've got answers but I still ask myself that in everything I do from now onward and so should you.

Ruby B. Johnson,
Your Miss Sierra Leone USA.

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Photo credit:

Silas Photography

Adventures of Miss Sierra Leone USA - Life in Salone (Part II)

Hello world!!!

I hope you and yours are doing well. I'm doing awesome, thanks to the Almighty for continuous blessings and lessons. I've been very busy, as usual, and realized that I'm behind on updating you all on this blog about my Kono/Salone adventures. I've uploaded some pictures below. For more frequent updates, I highly recommend you all to Like and follow me on my facebook page.

2013 Octea Mining Intern and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2012-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Few weeks ago, I worked with the load/haul department. I got to see how the materials (granite, kimberlite, or laterite) are transported from the pit to the stockpile, and then to the plant. Another awesome opportunity is that I got to see how the excavators and haul trucks work, and also learn how to drive them. In the photo above, I'm sitting in one of the Koidu Limited's haul trucks; haul trucks are off-highway, two-axle, rigid dump trucks specifically engineered for use in high production mining and heavy-duty construction environments.

2013 Octea Mining Intern and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2012-2014 Ruby B. Johnson
Mining rocks...pun intended!

I am standing on granite rocks in the photo below that were previously blasted. Being that I got to work in a pit that contains the diamond-bearing rock, kimberlite, I like to proudly say that "some people wear diamonds, I get to walk on diamonds!" and also "some people work to buy diamonds, I get to work with diamonds!"

Kimberlite rocks at a pit in Octea Mining's Koidu Limited

These may look like regular rocks to the normal eye but they're actually kimberlite rocks. Kimberlite is an inequigranular igneous rock, and the rock that bears diamonds! Kimberlite pipes are the most important source of mined diamonds today. With this internship in Koidu with Koidu Limited, I'm learning a lot about these rocks and all things mining engineering because that's what is mined here, known as Octea Mining's Koidu Kimberlite Project.

Beautiful town of Koidu, Kono District, Eastern Province, Sierra Leone

2013 Octea Mining Intern and Miss Sierra Leone USA Ruby B. Johnson with some members of the Surveying team.
I had so much fun working with these guys, and they always made me laugh.

2013 Octea Mining Intern and Miss Sierra Leone USA Ruby B. Johnson with some members of the Surveying team.
 I had so much fun working with these guys, and they always made me laugh.

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson
About to eat dinner with a former classmate from Murraydeen Preparatory School

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson
"Shine bright! Never dull your shine for somebody else. You're born to be a star!!!"

THE COTTON TREE
Located in the center of Freetown, separating the Western and Eastern Area

Sign at the Freetown City Council building

Kam mek wi it o
Eating lunch at Lungi International Airport

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Bracelets: Green, White, Blue
Nails & Top: Red, White, Blue
Ruby B. Johnson, Miss Sierra Leone USA, Proudly Sierra Leonean American

Fambul den, this is Salone!!!

"Our lives are defined not by the titles we earn, but rather by the service we render" 

Erika Harold, Miss America 2003 and Attorney

Ruby B. Johnson,

Your Miss Sierra Leone USA.

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Adventures of Miss Sierra Leone USA - Life in Salone (Part I)

Hello world!!!

Hope you and yours are doing well. I'm doing well, thanks to the Almighty. As some of you may know from my previous blog posts and facebook updates, I am currently in Kono, Sierra Leone doing an internship with Koidu Limited (Part of Octea Mining). I work Mondays (8am-5pm) to Saturdays (half day, 8am~12:30pm or later); on scheduled blasting days (Tuesdays and Fridays), I get off later. A couple of weeks ago, I got to work lengthily with the Blasting department and even got to ignite the fuse for the blast, make sure you check out a video I recorded of this moment on my Youtube channel.

Life at Koidu Limited - Part of Octea Mining
Holes that have been charged and stemmed for blasting

One of the awesome things about my job at Koidu Ltd is that I get to work with other departments of the company besides mining. This past Tuesday, I got to spend a day with the Community Development department and shadowed the Department's Head, Henry Vaag, along with his volunteer, Bisatu. Being that it was a blasting day, I escorted Mr. Vaag and Bisatu around town to make sure residents living close to the mine and hazardous blast areas surrounding evacuated before the blasting happens at 5pm. After the blasting, Mr. Vaag also goes around town to check the status of homes in the community and make sure they were not affected by the blast and residents were safe in the Safe Blasting Zones; there was only one incident in which a flyrock hit the roof of a zinc home that's was covered with a tapoline. The fallen rock was collected as well as information about this shelter; it was immediately arranged for the roofing to be fixed on that day for that house. Instances such as this rarely happen, because Koidu Limited created a Resettlement Program for the community in which they built homes for families that's farther away from areas that could be affected from the blasting, and gives the families an opportunity to move away from their former houses that are unsafe for blasting purposes.

Octea Mining Intern and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson with Mr. Sahr Randolph Fillie-Faboi

On this same day after driving around the community post-blasting, Mr. Vaag, Bisatu, and myself paid a quick visit to the house of the former Resident Minister East, Mr. Sahr Randolph Fillie-Faboi (shown in the photo above). He spoke with me about his experience in Public Service, working at the United Nations in New York, current events in Kono and Sierra Leone, and many more.

Kimbadu Community Healthcare Centre

On Wednesday, I got to spend another day with the Community Development's Head, Mr. Vaag, along with his volunteer, Bisatu. While in town, we paid a visit to the Kimbadu Community Healthcare Centre in Kimbadu. This center was funded and built by Koidu Limited - Part of Octea Mining, and formally opened in November 2011. The building was officially opened by Mr. Andrew Hart, Vice President of the Tiffany & Co. I spoke with the hospital staff and interacted with few patients during my visit, and got to learn about the history of the Centre. I'm pictured with one of the cutie patients, Little Mr. Mac. 

Left-Right:
Ibrahim Jalloh, CHO (Community Health Officer),
Octea Mining Intern and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson,
Agnes K. Ansumana, SECHN (State Enroll Community Health Nurse), and
Elizabeth M. Saquee, MCHA (Maternal and Child Health Aide)

Octea Mining Intern and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 with little cutie patient, Mac

Kimbadu Community Health Centre built by Koidu Limited - Octea Foundation

Kumba, Market woman at Kimbadu Local Market, with daughter and customer

This is Kumba, one of the market women at Kimbadu Local Market. Carry her beautiful daughter and attending to customers, she spoke with me for a while about the activities of the market and interesting facts about the people of ‪‎Kimbadu‬ and ‪‎Kono‬ District. Check out the beautiful and natural color of the palm oil she's selling.

Food (palm oil, pepper, etc.) display at Kimbadu Local Market

Fambul den, this is Salone!!!

Ruby B. Johnson,
Your Miss Sierra Leone USA.

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Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013 Featured on Kono's Premier Radio Stations

Hello world!!!

I hope you and yours are doing well. I'm doing fantastic, and loving my time in Sierra Leone. On Friday, August 2nd, I was featured as a guest on Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) Kono's 90.2 FM and Eastern Radio Kono's 96.5 FM. As some of you may know from my previous blog posts, I am currently in Kono, Sierra Leone doing an internship with Koidu Limited (Part of Octea Mining); due to the fact that I am primarily here for this work experience, I have very little time to do extracurricular activities, but I am trying my best to perform some of my duties as Miss Sierra Leone USA. If you follow me on facebook, you are aware that I've been documenting my life in Kono through pictures and sharing interesting facts and things about this wonderful district and the town of Koidu. View the many photos of my time so far on my facebook page.

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson at Koidu Community Field during the training session for Diamond Stars Football Club of Kono

On Friday morning, I was featured on SLBC Kono 90.2 FM's Good Morning Kono, which comes on at 7am-8am. After my usual workout in Koidu Ltd's gym facility till 6am, I was very energetic and ready to head to the SLBC studio. This was the first radio interview I've ever done; performing on a live broadcast is nothing new to me anymore since my debut 3 months ago on SLBC TV during my Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013 Official Homecoming. I was very excited and eager to formally introduce myself to the people of Kono. This news program is hosted by the intelligent and beautiful, Ms. Mariama Suma, who co-hosted with other news presenters during the broadcast. The program is usually done in english, but I requested from Ms. Suma and the show's producer that I do my interview in Krio. I wanted to do so because I felt that I could reach to greater masses if I spoke in a Salone language and give respect to our elders and other members of society that may not understand and/or speak english. A link to an excerpt from my interview is provided below.

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson featured on Good Morning Kono on SLBC Kono 90.2 FM

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson featured on Good Morning Kono on SLBC Kono 90.2FM

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson featured on Good Morning Kono on SLBC Kono 90.2FM

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Topics discussed involved: my experience so far as Miss Sierra Leone USA; time and place the MSLUSA Pageant was held; my duties as an intern at Koidu Limited and working in the Mining department; my thoughts and experiences so far in the town of Koidu and the people of Kono; my decision to study Mining and Minerals Engineering and my coursework at Virginia Tech; my intentions for Sierra Leone in the near future as a working Mining Engineer; my reason of participating in the Miss Sierra Leone USA 2012 Pageant; my personal platforms which are Advocating for SHERO and Advocating for the recruitment and retention of girls and women in STEM fields; my worst experience so far during my time of service as Miss SLUSA; my advice for girls that aspire to be models or get into pageantry in Sierra Leone; breaking stereotypes about pageantry and roles of women in society; and many more. Special thanks to the SLBC Kono 90.2 FM crew and production team. They were such wonderful hosts! Hope to see you all in the near future, especially Ms. Suma. I'm also thankful to the amazing people I get to work with at Koidu Ltd., who tuned in to listen to the show while on their way to work that morning. They gave me so much positive feedback and thought I was a great representative for the company!

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Ms. Mariama Suma (Host of Good Morning Kono) and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson with Hosts and Production Members of SLBC Kono 90.2 FM
Left-Right:Mr. Abu B. Sillah, Mr. Francis Gbendeque, Miss Sierra Leone USA 2012-2014, Mr. Abass Foday Kallon (Producer), Mr. Sylvester Aruna, and Ms. Stanley Jimmy.

Later in the evening after getting off work at 5pm, I had some errands to do in town, and then headed to Eastern Radio Kono's 96.5 FM's studio for my interview on The Bundle at 6pm. For the entirety of this 1-hour program, I was the featured guest and was asked a range of questions. On this show, I talked about: my internship at Koidu Limited and responsibilities as an intern; my vision for girls and women in Kono ad Sierra Leone as a whole; the history of the Miss Sierra Leone in DC organization (MSLDC Inc.) and its vision for its contestants and titleholders; requirements of Miss SLUSA contestants and the final night presentation, my adventures so far as Miss SLUSA so far; my purpose of founding When You Believe Foundation, Inc. and its programs so far; my advocacy for autism research and raising awareness; and many more!

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson featured on Eastern Radio Kono 96.5FM's The Bundle

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson featured on Eastern Radio Kono 96.5FM's The Bundle

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson featured on Eastern Radio Kono 96.5FM's The Bundle

Besides getting to speak lengthily about various topics with Mr. Mbayoh, I received text messages and calls from the community during the broadcast. I love that the show creates an opportunity for their guests and listeners to interact with each other during the live shows. It was such a humbling and gratifying feeling to receive a multitude of warm and welcoming messages via text messages and phone calls. There were a couple of questions involving criticism about mining practices and company conflicts regarding Octea Mining and the mining industry in Sierra Leone, however, I thought I handled those hot-button questions accordingly. Rather than reacting negatively, it made me realize that being in a public position makes me an individual of praise, but also an individual vulnerable to criticism. While preparing for the Miss SLUSA 2012 Pageant I focused a lot on the Question-and-Answer segment and practiced with my family and friends, and one thing I learned to do was to always listen to and understand the question, do not hastily give a response, and give the accurate response to the question and nothing less. Now that I've won the title/crown/sash, I continue to practice this segment in my daily life while representing the MSLDC Inc. organization and myself in moments such as this interview.

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson featured on Eastern Radio Kono 96.5FM's The Bundle

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson featured on Eastern Radio 96.5FM's The Bundle

One of the highlights of my time of service as Miss Sierra Leone USA is getting feedback from the people I represent and serve, and the moments I received these awesome comments fits exactly into that highlight. Hearing statements such as: "you're an inspiration to our girls;" "we're proud of you;" "keep it up;" "you're a patriotic Sierra Leonean;" "thank you for not forgetting your home and coming back;" "we need more girls and women doing what you do;" "continue to proudly wave the green, white, and blue flag;" and many more made me very proud to be a Sierra Leonean woman and to have the blessings of wearing the Miss Sierra Leone USA 2012-2014 sash in that studio. I am grateful for the people of Kono to have taken their time to not only tune in to the show, listen to what I had to say, but also share their opinion in form of text messages and phone calls. Very grateful.

Mr. Samuel Mbayoh (Host of The Bundle) and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Watch my interview on Good Morning Kono on my youtube channel.

Fambul den, this is Salone!!!

Ruby B. Johnson,

Your Miss Sierra Leone USA.

Like my Facebook Page & Follow me on Twitter (@MissSaloneUSA)