Investing in Youth Voices: Maliyah Chance on Mentorship and Mental Health

Mar 6, 2026

Before Maliyah Chance became Miss Alberta, she was a teenager stepping onto the pageant stage for the first time, unsure of where it might lead, but open to discovering what it could teach her. 

Her pageantry journey began seven years ago, it was her first title that quietly changed the direction of her life. “[Pageantry] really pushed me to figure out what my purpose was,” she shared. It wasn’t about the win itself, but about what came with it, the visibility, responsibility, and the realization that her voice could reach beyond herself. 

At the time, her purpose felt closely tied to identity. “My focus was around advocating for my Lao community,” Maliyah explained. She spoke about representation and belonging about creating spaces where it hadn’t always existed. As she continued in pageantry and leadership, those early values stayed with her, even as her understanding of impact deepened. 

With time, her reflections turned inward. 

“I looked at what I wished I had when I was a kid,” she said. Growing up with a loving mother and father, Maliyah still recognized moments where something additional may have helped. “I didn’t have too many mentors growing up.” That realization didn’t come with bitterness. It came with clarity. 

She began thinking about how much of growing up involves learning to cope, often without guidance. Just as importantly, she emphasized the need for young people to understand themselves and the impact of using their voice.  

As her pageantry journey continued, Maliyah eventually won Miss Alberta in 2025, a title that recognizes not only confidence and communication, but commitment to community and service. By then, her purpose was clearer. She saw the platform not as a spotlight, but as a responsibility to invest in others. 

That commitment shows in her mentorship through Big Brothers Big Sisters, where consistency, trust, and relationship-building are central. For Maliyah, mentorship isn’t about directing young people’s paths, it’s about walking alongside them as they build resilience, confidence, and self-understanding. 

Her approach closely aligns with the work of Canadian Mental Health Association – Calgary Region, particularly through initiatives like YouthSMART that center youth voice and early mental health support. At CMHA Calgary, we know that mental health care often begins with connection, long before a young person reaches crisis. 

When Maliyah talks about impact, she brings it back to people. One quote continues to guide how she measures success: “If someone has breathed easier because you have lived, that is to have succeeded.” 

For her, leadership whether as Miss Alberta, a mentor, or an advocate, is not about personal recognition, “if you can affect one life positively, that causes a ripple effect in others.” 

Maliyah reminds us that success isn’t defined by recognition or accolades. It’s found in the quiet moments of when a young person feels more understood, more confident, or simply less alone than they did before. 

Investing in youth mental health doesn’t always start with big gestures, but with presence, care, and the belief that every young person has a voice worth listening to. If you’re interested in learning more about CMHA Calgary’s YouthSMART program please click here. 

The photos included in this article were captured by Tony Chan.