Miss Impact (Second Runner-Up): Danielle Flower

By Pamela Yang, Miss Asian American Colorado Leadership Program

Danielle Flower, 19, is Filipino-American and was born in Cebu, Philippines. Her birth family was unable to take care of her and she was put into an orphanage as an infant.

Dave and Michele Flower adopted her when she was six months old. Her brother, Josh Flower, was adopted a few years before her from Manila, Philippines. Her family had lived in Denver for seven years and then moved to Monument, Colo.

When asked about what she was most nervous for during the finale show, she said, “I was most nervous about the service question due to my introverted personality.” However, Flower answered the question with confidence and grace. She was knowledgeable of her project, to work with Operation Smile, an international children’s medical charity to surgically heal smiles and facial deformity. Her project’s goal consists of bringing awareness about cleft palate and cleft lip. In addition, she would like to create “Smile Bags” for the organization. These homemade bags would be sent to the Operation Smile staff, where their volunteers would fill the bags with various hygienic products, and be sent to the children recovering from surgery.

For her talent, Flower performed a martial arts routine consisting of back flips, somersaults and karate techniques. From a young age, she has been involved in gymnastics. She grew up with this athletic sport, which allowed her to compete competitively until she was 15 years old. During the last few years, she began the art of karate to gain self-defense and life skills. She continues this passion by being a gymnastics coach as well as teaching karate classes to young children.

Flower joined the Miss AACO leadership program because she wanted to be more involved in the Asian-American community and to serve the community as well.

Despite the long drives from Monument for Flower to attend the Denver-based events, she made an effort to be present and share her radiating personality. It was no surprise that she was recognized as Miss Congeniality by her peer candidates.

This fall, she will transfer to Casper College in Wyoming to study Occupational Therapy. In the future, she hopes to be an occupational therapist at the orphanage, The Children Shelter of Cebu for a year to get experience and give back to her birthplace. Flower’s mother is also an occupational therapist at Kilmer Elementary.

She is excited for her service project and honored for the title. She says, “I learned no matter what leadership style you have, you have the ability to make a change in the community.”