GOLDSBORO, N.C. — At just 15 years old, Miss Goldsboro’s Teen Ansleigh Thrash has already built an impressive resume that includes community service awards, cybersecurity advocacy, voice acting, and even video game development.
Thrash, who will represent Goldsboro at the upcoming Miss North Carolina’s Teen competition in June, recently shared her journey during an interview on WGBR.
“This is my 10th year being a part of the Miss America Opportunity,” Thrash said. “In June, I will be competing for the title of Miss North Carolina’s Teen, representing the city of Goldsboro.”
The competition marks her third time participating specifically with the Miss Goldsboro organization.
While many may associate pageantry with glitz and glamour, Thrash says there’s much more to her story.
“What a lot of people don’t know about me, especially at first glance being a pageant girl, is I’m a huge nerd,” she said. “I love video games. I love anime. I have a physical media collection of CDs and vinyls. I really enjoy reading.”
In fact, Thrash estimates she reads more than 200 books each year.
Her passion for service has also earned statewide recognition. Thrash recently received the North Carolina Governor’s Community Service Award, an honor she attributes to a lifetime of volunteering.
“I’ve been volunteering since I was like two years old,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve lived a day without thinking or doing volunteer services.”
At the center of her advocacy work is her community service initiative, SWAT — Safety with All Technology. The program was inspired by her own experience with cyberbullying at age 9.
“I wanted to turn my pain into a purpose, into a passion,” Thrash said.
Today, she is a nationally and internationally certified online safety educator for K-12 students and senior adults. Through SWAT, she visits schools and senior centers to teach digital citizenship, online safety, and the importance of maintaining a positive digital footprint.
“There are over 42 million viruses created every single day, and 80% of children and 42% of senior adults don’t feel comfortable while they use technology,” she said.
Her passion for online safety even extends into gaming. Thrash created an online safety game on Roblox, becoming one of the first to bring cybersecurity education to the platform.
“One day I looked up online safety in the search bar, and nothing came up,” she said. “I was like, why don’t I be the first person to put an online safety game on such a large platform?”
The game has already received about 200 plays.
In addition to advocacy and academics, Thrash has worked as a paid voice actor on independent projects through online casting platforms.
Looking ahead, her goals include speaking at cybersecurity conferences, attending a Formula One race, and traveling internationally — with Japan and Greece topping her list.
When asked what advice she would give to young girls interested in pageantry, her answer was simple.
“Just be yourself,” Thrash said. “The only way that I have been able to stick through pageantry and really get the most out of it is by being myself, by telling people and being proud of the fact that I am a nerd and I’m different from others.”
Beyond crowns and competitions, Thrash emphasized that the Miss America Opportunity is also one of the nation’s largest scholarship providers. Nationally, the organization awards approximately $45 million in scholarships annually, while the Miss North Carolina organization distributes roughly $113,000 each year.
At just 15 years old, Thrash has already earned nearly $4,000 in scholarship funds for her future education.
For more information about the Miss North Carolina organization or local competitions, visit MissNC.org.
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