​Miss New Jersey's Belle Nicholas stopped by Rowan College of South Jersey to talk about her journey as a mental health advocate and more.​​

Belle Nicholas, reigning Miss New Jersey 2025 and former administrative assistant of Student Life at Rowan College of South Jersey–Cumberland (RCSJ), has long been a champion for mental health awareness. Nicholas recently visited her old stomping grounds on the RCSJ–Cumberland campus and candidly shared her experiences as an advocate for mental health and wellness. 

Nicholas, 26, has been diagnosed with clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder, low self-esteem and was recently diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), among other mental health challenges. While her journey with mental health has been a struggle, Nicholas has found a way to manage those challenges with determination, compassion, and grace.

The Wenonah resident and former Miss Seashore Line 2025 is a staunch supporter of enlightening the masses about mental health awareness and has seen some overall improvements in mental health advocacy over the last decade. 

“I'm really proud of … the work that's occurred to make that change. That change has been impactful, but I also think we have a lot more room to grow," Nicholas said. “I say that because, yes, there has been improvement and there has been change in the conversation and the acceptance level, but my belief is we have to take a step beyond the conversations; we have to take action."

Nicholas, a clinical psychology graduate student at Widener University, keenly recognizes the value and importance of conversation. “One of my main things that I love to do is going and speaking at schools," she said. “I've spoken with over 2,000 students across the state sharing my mental health story and then sharing resources and talking with them about how to ask for help from their parents or someone they trust." 

During the 2024 and 2025 Mental Health Awareness Months, Nicholas toured multiple schools across New Jersey and presented her “Shout Our Struggle Presentation" for students eager to hear her messages of resiliency and empowerment. 

Nicholas, who works on therapy and testing cases for autism, ADHD, and more as a doctoral extern, said the presentation, “Starts off speaking about my lived experience in high school and then transforms into an educational conversation about what is mental health. What are the signs there [is] a mental health struggle? How do we not just talk about mental health in the sense that mental health is something negative? What does good mental health mean?" 

“My main focus is the presentations," she continued, “because I think it's so much more powerful when you're in person connecting with people."

While conversations do help move the needle in terms of mental health awareness, she acknowledged that talk can only go so far. “We need to have action in our legislation so that care is accessible," she said. 

“We need to have action in our schools so that they're properly supporting our students. We need to have action from families and parents, so they know what to do if there is a problem with their children and so that their children know that [they] can go to mom or dad or grandma or grandpa and tell them what's going on and ... can get support."

Miss New Jersey walks the walk

Nicholas describes the last few years as an opportunity for advocates to break the stigma and transform the mental health narrative. When it comes to putting words into action, Nicholas, who graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre and a minor in Spanish from James Madison University, doesn't just talk the talk – she literally walks the walk. 

“I [along with Haley Marks] host the Wenonah Green Mile - Community Walk and Resource Fair for Mental Health Awareness and we've raised $1,800 in the last two years," she said. “We've had upwards of 75 walkers come together for mental health awareness. All of that money becomes actionable because it's used by the Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, which is a statewide program to support people … who are in recovery." 

Nicholas, who is a proud “South Jersey girl," hosts the annual community event in conjunction with her Shout Our Struggle initiative. According to her website, “Shout Our Struggle gives a voice to survivors and uses storytelling, fundraising, and advocacy to inspire community action and build resilience." Shout Our Struggle, which started out as a podcast, has evolved.

“I think it's grown a lot," she said. “It's shifting to becoming a bigger project with another mental health nonprofit in the state, Mental Health Association in New Jersey. I've also shifted my focus a little bit, really focusing on the school tour."
 
RCSJ's impact on her journey
 
The reigning Miss New Jersey proudly revealed that a good portion of what she started with Shout Our Struggle was conceived by certain concepts and ideas she learned at RCSJ. In her first month working as an administrative assistant, Nicholas earned a certificate in a mental health training course taught by the Mental Health Association in New Jersey. 

“I obtained that certification while I was working here, and that education and training other people in Mental Health First Aid is a huge part of Shout Our Struggle," she said. “A lot of my thoughts on prevention on a community level come from those lessons."

Additionally, Nicholas revealed that working at the College taught her a plethora of valuable skills she uses frequently, including event planning. She coordinated RCSJ–Cumberland community building events such as the annual Fall Fest, Thanksgiving Adopt-a-Family, the Celebration of Lights, plus more. 

“In fact, … working with and networking with other groups on campus in order to make those events happen was huge for me. The experience helped me to run local [pageant] competitions for girls who were on their way to the state competition. “It helped me plan [the Wenonah Green Mile event] because I pretty much learned how to put an event together on a budget really well here – and to make it effective and to make it fun.

“I also learned a lot about mental health and what mental health looks like for students, what mental health looks like for employees, and how to show up for people in my community in ways that were impactful. And how to create camaraderie among a community that deserves it because there are so many good people here."

Nicholas also appreciated the College for allowing her to be her. “What always happened for me at RCSJ is I was supported and celebrated for being exactly who I was – for being a pageant girl, for caring about mental health, for having a lived experience story, for wanting to decorate my office with flowers and rainbows and good vibes signs," she said. 

“People loved that and everyone embraced that. Part of what made me good at my job was ... people around me celebrated me and supported me and wanted me to be successful. And, yes, I was able to do things for the community, but I wouldn't have been able to do it effectively if the people on campus weren't supportive of me." 

While Nicholas felt supported, a couple of Nicholas' former colleagues shared their thoughts about how they felt supported by her. 

“Meeting Belle at RCSJ gave me the opportunity to be a guest on her Shout Our Struggle podcast where I was able to genuinely share experiences about my life including motherhood and my journey through social work like never before," said Ruby Aparicio-Pagan, director, Behavioral Services, Center for Wellness and Support. 

“Those were the type of gestures Belle brought to RCSJ that made us feel accepted, included, and cared about through her encouragement and warm smile."

“Belle has had a personal impact on me," said Carlos González-Muñoz, senior student development advisor, RCSJ. “She once gave me a note that read, 'I have what it takes to be successful, and I am deserving of good things.' I still keep it with me and glance at it whenever I need encouragement, because from her, I knew it was genuine."

One event Nicholas helped to introduce to bring RCSJ employees together is the RCSJ–Cumberland Summer Corn Hole Tournament. This event is in its fourth year. When Nicholas was told the tournament still exists a big, bright smile appeared on her face. 

“It does make me very happy to hear that because I do think it's important for employee mental health to have fun things like that," she said. “That was so important to me because I've always wanted to be a person that helps other people feel better. That's something that I think the experience of working here really shaped me to do and now I get to do it all the time as Miss New Jersey."
 
Fourth time's the charm
 
After placing in the Top 10 of the Miss New Jersey competition the past three years – including a first runner up finish in 2023, she finally won the crown. Nicholas, who also won the talent competition during the pageant, described the moment she was crowned as seeming surreal. 

“I didn't believe it. I couldn't close my mouth because I was so shocked," Nicholas said, while joking that her mom was in the audience hoping the newly crowned queen would quickly pick her mouth up off the floor. 

“When you work so hard for something and your dream comes true, it's very overwhelming because everything kind of happens in your brain at once. So, it's 'Oh, my gosh. I can't believe I did this. Wait. Is this real life?'" 

Although she was surprised by winning, Nicholas expressed that she felt incredibly grateful and credits the Miss America Organization for helping her to evolve as a human being. When asked why she continued to enter the competition after not winning in three tries, she talked about the value of building relationships as well as the support she's given and received from her fellow Miss New Jersey contestants. 

“First of all, I had a great time. Second, I felt like there was more room for me to grow in the organization. And the structure it provided me and the people who were empowering me weren't through with me yet," she added with a laugh. “It's helped me get into grad school by giving me scholarship money, of course, but also networking skills, public speaking skills – that's a huge part of it. 

“It's helped me grow in my self-confidence by connecting me with women who uplifted me, with mentors who believed in me and helped me find my voice."

What has also grown is Nicholas' ability to manage and overcome mental health challenges during strenuous moments, including while competing in Miss New Jersey. 

“I think I just lean on my support system and when I feel stressed, I talk to them," she said. “I think just finding ways to balance … I have to set boundaries with myself. I think that I was very intentional about it because of the things that were showing up for me – the self-esteem problems, the anxiety, all of that was showing up in Miss New Jersey. 

“Working through it was not like, I need to work through this so I win Miss New Jersey, I needed to work through this so that I can be healthy and feel good. That's bigger than any crown that I could ever win."

As the Miss New Jersey titleholder, Nicholas is excited about the positive effect her newest high-profile platform will provide for her mental health advocacy. 

“It shows other people with lived experience that you do not have to be defined by that experience, that having a mental health diagnosis … or having anxiety or depression doesn't have to limit you," she said. “You can be successful, and you can be celebrated because of that experience which I think is so important because we do need role models. 

“Even as someone who has become a leader in this community, I need role models to look up to say, 'Wow, this is something I can live through and something I can take with me and use to empower me and use to find my purpose.' And of course, the title of Miss New Jersey comes with a megaphone and more people are going to hear my story and my message than they did before."

Unity in the community is a subject Nicholas is passionate about and discusses at great length. When asked what compels her to put an abundant amount of time and energy into uplifting the community, she said: “I just think it's important to care about other people. I think about all of the people who have helped me to become who I am and have supported me through tough things and good times, and I want to give back to that." 

“I feel it is important to pay it forward," she continued, “but on a really basic human level, I just want to see other people do well. I want to see other people thrive and feel supported, and I love that Miss America has become a method for me to do that."
 
Goals for Miss America experience

Competing for the Miss America Opportunity is a once in a lifetime experience for its contestants, and Nicholas plans to make the most of her opportunity. She said she is taking an approach that is “more personal growth based." “I set goals for myself like living in the moment, creating connections with the girls there." 

Nicholas did admit, with a smile, that it would be amazing to be the first Miss New Jersey to become Miss America since Suzette Charles in 1984. “I would love to be Miss America. I think that would be a great experience. I think it would be awesome for the mental health field to have a representative in that way. 

“And, I think it would be really empowering to many women to hear a young woman who looks like them, has experiences like them talk about rising above their mental health struggles. I want to enjoy it and have fun and focus on making connections, representing New Jersey and making the people who have invested in me proud." 

Miss America 2026 takes place from September 2-7 at the Walt Disney Theater in Orlando, Fla. 

For information about Rowan College of South Jersey Center for Wellness & Support programs, visit RCSJ.edu/cws/​​

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