Each contestant at the Miss Mississippi Pageant has a passion, and that passion often translates into her pageant platform.

This year’s 44 contestants will bring a variety of passions to center stage, ranging from cancer research and mentoring to financial wellness and abuse prevention.

Contestants said their platforms address serious social issues and stem from personal experience or the experiences of close family and friends.

Miss Vicksburg Katie Busby’s platform, You Can Tell (Child Abuse Prevention), stemmed from the trials of a close friend and her brother’s suicide.

“When I was 13 my brother committed suicide, and I think the root of the problem was he was neglected as a child. Child neglect is a form of child abuse,” Busby said. “I think if he had had support early on, it might not have led to that. It has really motived me, and I’ve grown a lot from it.”

Busby said she realizes the level of sensitivity needed to address her platform. In addition to her work with organizations like the CAP Center and Prevent Child Abuse America, Busby said she has recently began plans to create community outreach events focused on reaching children affected by abuse.

“I’m focused on the children,” she said.  “I want them to feel comfortable enough to open up about what’s going on in their lives. It’s very challenging because this isn’t an easy topic. With children you have to form a relationship with them before they open up to you. They have to trust you, and that’s one of the hardest issues with child abuse.”

Like Busby, other contestants address issues in their platforms they said they feel need to be brought to the forefront of the public conscience.

Miss Mississippi Delta Community College Jessica Brooke Tedford emphasizes animal abuse prevention in her platform It Takes a Little Effort to Make a Big Difference in the Life of an Animal.

“People don’t really know how many homeless and neglected animals there are or how much it actually takes to provide for these animals in shelters or rescues,” Tedford, who has two dogs, two cats and is expecting a kitten after the pageant ends, said. “People don’t really know what neglect is. Leaving a dog outside on a chain their whole lives is neglect, whether they think about it or not.”

While Busby and Tedford tackled social welfare issues close to their hearts, other contestants addressed educational issues close to theirs.

Miss Madison Metro Katie Sims said that listening to her friends prompted her to create her platform, Freedom From Financial Foes.

She said her platform promotion spans from using financial coloring books in elementary schools to helping lead a budget course for young brides.

“The ultimate goal is to provide personal finances classes in high schools and colleges,” Sims said.

“It’s so easy to swipe a card now, and they’re about to graduate and step into the real world. They just need some guidance.”