Meet Leah

Leah Roddenberry is the current Miss Florida 2021, author,  and founder of “Be a LeadHER”, a 501c3 nonprofit organization. She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Florida with a major in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences. Leah is a member of the Florida Blue Key, the oldest and most prestigious leadership honorary society in the state of Florida.

In addition to her collegiate studies, Leah is heavily involved in her UF and local community: she is a 4-year member of the Dazzlers, the official dance team of UF, a member of the Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, a Rock the Vote Florida state ambassador, and a ServiceVote 2020 Fellow for Youth Service America. In 2019, Leah was named a Brand Ambassador for Advanced Recovery Systems' Real Talk program where she engages with individuals 13+ to educate them on substance abuse and addiction.

Leah started “Be a LeadHER: Igniting the Spark Within” as a result of her own struggle with self-confidence during her youth. Leah believes that young women deserve to be taught the foundations of leadership and courage so they can learn how to tackle any situation they may face. Her goal is to lead by example and ignite the spark within every young woman, providing them with the opportunity to dream bigger and pursue goals they never thought possible.

Leah founded and currently served as president for UF IGNITE, a movement of young women who are ready and eager to become the next generation of political leaders. The UF campus chapter has instilled confidence in participants by building leadership skills and deepening their expertise around policy issues. Leah coordinates monthly workshops with community leaders so that their members are exposed to the possibilities their futures hold while learning valuable career lessons. Leah currently serves as a camp counselor for Girl’s Place, dedicating her time to empowering future female leaders. Leah is also involved with ACCENT's Speakers Bureau and the Students Taking Action Against Racism Committee. Leah received the National Youth Activist Academic Award in 2015 and ecently received the University of Florida 2021 Outstanding Leader Award.

Leah published “Leah Goes to Washington” in July 2020 in the hopes to inspire elementary-age children, especially young girls, to learn about civics in a fun and interactive way. As a spin-off of the Flat Stanley project, kids are encouraged to take the Leah character cut out and take her with them as they complete acts of service. They can take pictures doing community service or being an engaged citizen with little Leah and share with family or post on social media platforms using the hashtag #LeahsLeadHers. She also launched Leah’s LeadHership Institute and authored a companion workbook to help engage, empower and equip the next generation of female leaders.

Leah was invited to serve as an honorary Young Trustee through the Board of Trustees for Florida House, the only state embassy in Washington D.C. Additionally, she serves as the Ambassador for the Everglades Foundation and was recently appointed as an international spokesperson for the Setting Scoliosis Straight Foundation.