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A Plum mother passionate about maternal mental health will soon have an opportunity to represent the borough and promote her causes on an international stage.

Mrs. Pennsylvania, Danielle Bonura, heads to Kingsport, Tenn., in July for the Mrs. International Pageant where she will meet and compete against nearly 60 women from around the world.

The pageant showcases accomplishments of married women who have a platform and do a lot of volunteer work. Phases of competition include a personal interview, on-stage question as well as evening gown and fitness wear.

“It really is an honor, and I’m very excited and looking forward to meeting all of these women from around the world,” Bonura said. “It really is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Bonura’s platform is Maternal Mental Health Matters- Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder Awareness.

She felt the impact of both of those things after bearing her son, Will, who is now 2.

“When I was going through it, I realized there was an outstanding stigma,” Bonura said. “Women did not reach out for help, and there was a lack of awareness and resources. I began advocating with a lot of different groups.”

Those groups include 2020mom, Postpartum Support International and Mom Congress, which lobbies for improved legislation and policies for maternal health care and mental health care nationwide.

She also shared her story with state Senate members and House representatives as a partner with the Strong Mom Strong Baby Coalition in PA in an effort to lobby for making early intervention services accessible to families affected by postpartum depression throughout the state.

Bonura created Destination Motherhood, an online community and podcast where women share stories of their journey through motherhood, resources and all things maternal mental health.

She also developed Happy Hour for Happy Moms, an awareness project that can be held virtually or in person to come together in solidarity and support of mothers and families affected by perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Her eventual goal, she said, is to create a nonprofit.

The international contest runs July 23-24.

Bonura, 34, won the state title in April in Altoona.

Early life

Bonura grew up Danielle Kaizer in the small town of Reynoldsville, Jefferson County, and began competing in pageants at age 9.

“It’s very rural,” Bonura said of her hometown. “It is a very small town, and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world,” she said. “We’re very fortunate to be able to go back. I have a lot of family that still lives there. There were three stoplights in my town.”

She became the Jefferson County Fair junior queen, the fair’s queen in 2006 and Laurel Festival queen in 2007.

Bonura returned to the stage a few years ago after a decade hiatus to focus on other interests.

“Pageantry really does teach a lot in terms of professional interviewing skills, and it’s really been important in my life,” she said.

She credits her parents for helping her become the person she is today. Her mother is Lori Buckley, and her father is Thomas Kaizer. She also has a stepmother, Vanessa Kuntz, and a stepfather, Joseph Buckley.

“My parents always taught me the importance of a positive attitude, confidence, and dedication,” Bonura said. “Hard work and persistence pays off. They have always been incredibly supportive of everything that I have set out to accomplish in both pageantry and in life. My dad even went shopping with me to pick out my evening gowns.”

Education and family life

Bonura graduated from DuBois Area High School in 2005 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration and international business from Thiel College in 2009.

She met her husband, Billy, at Thiel in 2008.

Bonura earned a master’s degree in business administration from Seton Hill University in 2013.

The couple moved to Plum in 2015, got engaged that same year and married in 2016.

Bonura works as a talent acquisition specialist for a global leader in the automotive industry. Billy Bonura works at the family business, Bonura Cabinets in Plum.

The couple also has a pet dog called Weimaraner Levi.

More information about Bonura and her causes is available on Instagram @mrspaintl and @destinationmotherhood.dm.

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