Dear Virginia!

I can’t believe it is almost the end of my first quarter as Miss Virginia! It has flown by so quickly already! Let me just say that I am honored and humbled by this experience everyday. I am so blessed that God has given me the privilege of serving this great state and my nation. I want to first say “thank you”. Thanks to the Miss Virginia Board of Directors, all of the volunteers, sponsors, and supporters of this tremendous organization. You are the very blood of the veins that keeps this body working. I am forever grateful to you for this position.

Before there was a dream of being Miss Virginia and even before the opportunity of going to Miss America was available, I knew that I wanted to make a difference in someone’s life the way this organization made a difference in mine. In Orlando, while attending Miss America’s Outstanding Teen, I met the other 52 contestants vying for the title of Miss America, and let me tell you that our country is in great hands because it is being served by these young women.

My very first experience with a Miss Virginia was when I was in high school and it was life changing. I wasn’t always a “pageant girl”. I didn’t dress “girly”, have designer clothes, or much confidence in myself. I never had a date to a homecoming or a prom. I was made fun of constantly because of my forehead, sideburns, and braces. Quite frankly I didn’t “fit in”. As a result of what some believe to be normal pressures of high school, I began to be a very negative person. It seemed as though the only thing I did have was a mean right hook! I was constantly getting into fights and trouble at school because it wasn’t a positive experience for me. But, one day Nancy Redd came into my school for an assembly and for me, a new life began that day. She talked about how I was the master of my own destiny, and how I can use negativity to create positive opportunities. That very day, I decided to try out for the school musical. I didn’t read music or know anything about acting but I knew that I loved to sing and I needed to turn my negative energy into fuel to drive my dreams.

That one experience is what this organization is all about. From that day forward, I took pride in my looks, attitude, and future. I am most certainly not an expert, nor have I always walked the straight and narrow in the journey of finding my own path. But I know that my very refusal to fall into what is seen as society’s definition of the norm is exactly what qualifies me to try to make a change and encourage people to be comfortable in their own skin. I want to make a difference in this world. I am a champion for the underdog and I let people know they have the ability to change their atmosphere and make the difference in not only their lives but the lives of the people around them.

I have been privileged to speak to thousands of teens throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. It has become very clear that there are many teens out there that are just like I was as a teen. But not only are they fighting, they are making decisions about sex and other risky behaviors, such as drugs and alcohol, as a means to discover who they are or just to be a part of the “cool crowd”. As Miss Virginia, I have been able to let these young people know that being cool is about being a leader.

Over the last three months, I have also spent a lot of time organizing fundraisers for the Children’s Miracle Network and visiting their hospitals. I have a Godson who suffered seizures and was comatose for over 3 months and a foster sister who had several major operations to remove tumors resulting from juvenile AIDS. I have witnessed the miracles that CMN has helped to facilitate. One of my favorite appearances thus far was when I had the joy of visiting the Children’s Hospital of the Kings Daughter’s in Norfolk. I met some very special young people and was able to participate in school time and the hokie pokie. A three-year-old girl made me a crown out of construction paper and stickers. She took the time to think about me in the midst of her struggle. Talk about humbling!

As most of you all know, my platform is about education and advocacy with regard to HIV/AIDS. Since winning the title of Miss Virginia, I have been able to help raise money for the Ryan White Clinic in Charlottesville. I am also in the process of raising money for AIDS Walk Washington, where I will be walking along side my loves, Shawn and Gwenn (they are hands down the coolest!). If you want to contribute or be a part of our team’s fundraising efforts please visit http://www.aidswalkwashington.org and search for Team Supersnack.

I am so excited to be in the process of launching a jewelry line that will benefit the National AIDS Fund! In conjunction with Rebecca Worth of Sylvan Spirit, we have designed some great trendy pieces that we can’t wait to get on the market. These pieces will be available online within the next few months and we are also in the process of pitching this product line to major stores nationwide. Keep your fingers crossed! This could potentially be a great fundraising tool to give much needed funding to education and treatment initiatives for HIV/AIDS.

Everyday when I get in my car, whether I am heading to a meeting, ice cream social, fair, school, CMN hospital, or football camp, I am inspired and dedicated to bring a passion to this position every moment. To each titleholder out there, I encourage you to cherish the moment. Don’t worry about logging community service hours or filling up your scrapbook because, minute-by-minute, you will meet some of the most amazing people in your lifetime and you don’t want to miss it. Oftentimes, I am so busy connecting with people and listening to their stories that I don’t realize that I have been there well past my appearance time or I don’t remember to take a picture of the event. But what I do have is an amazing memory and a heartwarming feeling that will never fade.

I am so looking forward to the experiences that are to come.

Your Miss Virginia,
Caressa Cameron