Local music therapist Kimberly Szabo, 25, lives out her dream of making a song for palliative care patients when the pandemic encouraged her to compete as Miss Chestnut Hill in this year’s Miss USA pageant.
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Local music therapist Kimberly Szabo, 25, lives out her dream of making a song for palliative care patients when the pandemic encouraged her to compete as Miss Chestnut Hill in this year’s Miss USA pageant.
Szabo sang in choirs and participated in theater as a student, so when it came time to apply for college, he looked for ways to use his talents with those in need.
“I just came through music therapy,” he said, “I think it suited me because I knew I was looking to paint with people, but I also really liked music, so I was looking to find that medium satisfied. “
After researching music treatment programs, Szabo implemented and accepted Marywood University in Scranton.
“We had a lot of other clinical practices, so I liked running with kids, other people with special needs, geriatric patients, all kinds of populations,” he said.
At first, the resolution to specialize in end-of-life care for everyone, she added.
“I didn’t really think I’d like a hospice, and then it turned out my internship was at a hospice and I said, ‘Wow, I like it,'” she said.
“It’s very rewarding to be there for a user at such a sensitive time and get help through this, so I enjoyed my internship wonderfully. “
After graduating from school and running in a psychiatric hospital, Szabo saw that a task was being offered for a music therapist in the Philadelphia domain and took advantage of the possibility of returning to palliative care.
“When I saw that VITAS had a task to accomplish, I knew the company because it’s offered all over the country, so I said, ‘I have to do this task,’ and I’ve been with them for two years now,” she said.
As Covid-19 made in-person visits almost last year, Szabo was able to administer treatment to his patients through video calls or by posting presentations online when his patients asked for a song.
“I created a YouTube channel during the summer because of the quarantine, it was a way to succeed in my patients,” he said.
“I would send them videos, but I would also put all those songs on my channel. I think the most productive role I played was just to show myself, in that sense.
Always attracted to the stage, Szabo became interested in competitions as a youngster and developed in Connecticut.
“They had a Miss Wolcott, the city I grew up in, and she everywhere, it’s a very general thing for us to have her there,” he said.
“That’s where I got the idea, the small town mentality of everyone who knows Miss Wolcott. “
Finally, Szabo had the opportunity to participate twice in the Miss America pageant when she was 18 and 19 years old.
“The last time I did it when I was in my first year in college . . . it’s a big commitment, and then I just started school, so I looked to focus on that,” he said.
Finally, the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown that followed led her to rethink her priorities and take the opportunity to participate in the Miss USA pageant this year.
“I wonder a little bit”do I have to do it again?”, But I imagine I ask myself this question now, I’ll keep wondering and then I’ll regret it,” he said.
“I think it’s the right time to do it now, because who knows what’s going to happen next year?”
As Szabo grew in his life, he observed a cultural shift in attitudes towards the boat in the years following his last competition.
“People today, compared to when I did it seven years ago, have a different point of view,” he said.
“I don’t think there’s anything negative about a suit component of a competition, I think it’s the mindset of the way you look at it, some other people are misogynistic or something, but I think it’s like the way I worked It’s very difficult to have this kind of field and this way of presenting myself. Array and I need to show it.
Well-known pageants like Miss USA have come a long way since their inception and are now focusing more on scholarships and career advancement for talented young people from all walks of life, she said.
“There’s a lot of controversy about the contests, and I think that’s also why they’re not that unusual anymore, but I hope other people can see the very smart sides as well. “
Szabo hopes to take advantage of the local network at his home in Chestnut Hill.
“We have this beautiful network and I appreciate the Chestnut Hill network because I grew up in a small town where everything is local,” he said.
“I appreciate all the suppliers we have here and I like to join the community. “
Sponsorships from local businesses, exposure through advertising and donations are tactics in which network members can make their crusade in the competition, he said.
In turn, she plans to return this generosity by representing Chestnut Hill in front of a national audience.
“It’s a close-knit community, that’s precisely who I am,” he said.
“I’ve made a lot of connections, and you know, I feel like it’s my home now. “
Companies interested in sponsoring Miss Chestnut Hill can email Kimberly at kmszabo6@gmail. com. The deadline for sponsorship is July 11.
Follow Kimberly Szabo on Facebook or Instagram for normal updates from the competition.