What are your hobbies?
My hobbies include cooking, sewing, playing intramural softball and volleyball, going to the gym, and traveling.

What makes you special and unique?
I believe that my determination, drive, ambition, and grounded personality make me unique. I am comfortable with who I am, I know what I want out of life, and how to attain the goals I set for myself. Integrity is something I strive for everyday in everything I do. I believe that in our society today these attributes are a rare find and they make me special and unique.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
The best advice I have ever received would be to work as hard as you can toward your goals and never settle for anything less than your best.

Name one thing you cannot live without.
I don't think I could make it day to day without my hair dryer, hairspray, and my makeup bag. I have always been taught to never leave the house without mascara, lipstick, and clean brushed hair. These are necessities to every southern lady.

What is the most valuable lesson you ever learned?
The most valuable lesson I have ever learned would be to never doubt myself and be confident in everything I do. When you doubt yourself, you are set up for failure from the beginning. A little faith in yourself and faith in God's will, will improve your chances at any competition dramatically.

Who is your most valued role model and why?
My grandmothers have been the most important role models in my life. These women have taught me what it means to be a courageous, strong, Mississippi Lady. They taught me how to cook, sew, to never settle for anything less than what I deserve, and how to be independent. Although my maternal grandmother has passed away, the values she instilled in me will be with me for the rest of my life.

What was your most unexpected moment?
My most unexpected and excited moment was when I was crowned Miss Grenada County. I worked so hard to prepare for the pageant because it has always been my dream to be Miss Mississippi. The moment they called out my name I felt an overwhelming feeling of euphoria. My hard work had finally paid off!

What is your workout routine?
I try to go to the gym at least five or six times a week, if my schedule allows. I do cardio for thirty to forty five minutes a day. I alternate leg and arm weight training every other day and abs everyday. I also play intramural softball and volley ball at Delta State.

What has been your biggest accomplishment to date?
I would say my biggest accomplish to date would be being named to the 2007 Mississippi All-State Academic team.

What is the best compliment you have ever received?
The best compliment I have ever received would be that I am grounded, intelligent, I have a good head on my shoulders, and I will go far in life. I have heard this compliment from several people throughout my life and it is far more flattering than a compliment regarding beauty.

What is your secret wish?
My secret wish is to become Miss Mississippi of course! I would also like to be able to travel to as many places as I want to go. I love visiting new countries and exposing myself to cultures outside my own.

What was your most embarrassing moment?
I have to say the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me would be on a mandatory dress up day for my sorority. I had on one of my cutest outfits with red high heels. As I was walking through Delta State's Quad, one of my heels got caught in a crack in the cement and caused me to fall in front of hundreds of people. I was extremely embarrassed, but I managed to stop laughing long enough to get back up and walk to class just in time for roll call.

What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
Sitting on my couch eating string cheese or chocolate and watching old movies on TCM is definitely my biggest guilty pleasure.

What is your favorite movie and why?
My favorite movie of all time would have to be Wizard of Oz. I probably watched this movie for the first time when I was three. I used to love to dress up as Dorothy. I loved the movie so much as a child that the first pageant I competed in I decided that I was not going to walk around on stage like the other girls. Instead, I walked around on the stage and sang "Somewhere" to the judges. Of course everyone in the audience thought it was precious, but my mom was mortified.

What is your favorite color and why?
My favorite color would have to be sky blue because I love how the sky looks on a clear day. What do you like to do for fun... relaxation... recreation?
For fun, especially in the summer, I like to swim, go fishing, and ride ATV’s. Usually when I want to relax I take a bubble bath and give myself a pedicure. Also I love to get one of the old fashioned glass bottles of diet coke or cream soda, roll down all of the windows in my car, and find a good song on the radio and sing to the top of my lungs.

What would be your dream vacation or destination?
My dream vacation would be to go on a Mediterranean Cruise and take a tour of Greece and Italy. I would also like to opportunity to go back to Scotland.

What do you like best about your hometown?
The thing I like the most about my hometown is that it is a place where I can relax, get a good home cooked meal (with cornbread and mashed potatoes), and spend time with my family in an environment where I know everyone’s name and I can really be myself.

What do you like best about the state of Mississippi, besides our food & hospitality?
There are many reasons I love Mississippi. It a great place where the family is still a big priority in everyone’s lives, faith is something people are proud of, and it is a safe place to raise children. I also love the fact that in Mississippi you can drive thirty or forty miles and find a new landscape and a completely different groups of people. Mississippi is a state where you can find old country stores, cotton fields, antebellum homes, casinos, large metro areas, and beaches along the coast. Mississippi is a place where you can find anything you are looking for in a hospitable environment.

What's in your CD player or on your iPod right now?
I have XM Radio in my car which has hundreds of channels to listen to. On my presets I have a Top 20 station, country, rock, and a station that is a mix of everything that has been popular in the last twenty years. Occasionally I will browse stations that play music from the 40’s to the 90’s, classic country, 80’s hair bands, and even bluegrass.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
In ten years I see myself working on my PhD, possibly starting a family, teaching at the high school or college level and hopefully I will be a former Miss Mississippi. I always try to live life to the fullest and I am open to any great opportunity to better myself. I am sure I will accomplish much more than I have listed here, but it’s a great starting point.

Who am I?
My name is Amber Nicole Harrison and I was born and raised in Grenada. My parents names are Darren Harrison and Melissa Brown. I have two half-sisters that are six and ten years old and I have a step-sister that is eighteen.I graduated from Grenada High School in 2005 and from Holmes Community College in 2007. Currently I am an upcoming senior at Delta State University majoring in English Education.

At Holmes Community College I had the honor of being inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and I later became the chapter president. During my year as Phi Theta Kappa President I recieved the Golden Key Award and became a member of the 2007 Mississippi All State Academic Team. At HCC I became the 2006 Grenada Center Student Body Maid, Class Favorite, Student Goverment Association Secretary and Vice President, Student Ambassador, and was inducted into the 2007 HCC Hall of Fame.

At Delta State University I am active in my sorority and I hold the office of Secretary. I am a senator on the Student Government Association Student Senate and I am a member of the Student Alumni Association. Currently I hold the position of Chairman of the Delta State Univerity College Republicans. I am also active in intramurals and other activites on campus.

Tell us about your occupational experience.
My past occupations include babysitting, cleaning houses, and tutoring students in English. I have also worked as teacher at a daycare in Grenada where I worked with children from the ages of 6 weeks to 12 years. I love children and I really enjoyed being able to spend time with so many smiling faces. I have also worked as a Student Ambassador at HCC where I gave tours of the campus, worked registration, and just about any HCC event. I currently work in the office of the Dean of Education at Delta State University. I have worked a variety of jobs so far in my life and all have required me to work with people, which is something I love to do!

Tell us about your platform.
My platform is Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices to Prevent Cancer and Other Diseases.

As Miss Mississippi, I would devote my time to increasing the community’s awareness to the link between long term obesity and increased cancer risk. My family and I have been affected personally by this issue. After over thirty years of being obese my grandmother, Betty Collins, was diagnosed with colon cancer. Many years prior to her diagnosis, she tried dieting, exercising, and eventually underwent gastric bypass surgery to lose weight. Although she underwent this extreme procedure, obesity had already wreaked havoc on her body. Less than 5 years after her procedure, it was recognized that she had colon cancer, the third deadliest cancer in the United States. Seven months after being diagnosed, my grandmother passed away. Obesity is one of the main risk factors for developing this type of cancer, along with family history. Since Mississippi is the nation’s leader in long term obesity rate, I believe this is a very important issue that needs to be addressed.

In addition to participating in Breast Cancer Awareness Week at Delta State University, the most significant accomplishment to date in regard to my platform issue is the changes I have made personally to live a healthier lifestyle. A few years after my grandmother passed away I, a normal sized teenager, began to gain weight. I began to develop slight health problems because of my weight. I had reached a point in my life where I knew if I didn’t lose weight, I would have an increased risk of cancer just like my grandmother. I decided that I needed to make a permanent change in my life to prevent myself from succumbing to my grandmother’s fate. I completely changed my diet and exercised regularly. My road to weight loss wasn’t easy, but I slowly began to get results. Since 2003, I have lost over 40 pounds and have kept it off. It is still a struggle for me to keep a healthy weight, but I know all of the hard work I put in now will make it possible for me to be there for my grandchildren years down the road. I believe my struggle with weight and the problems obesity and cancer have caused in my family will make me an excellent advocate and will allow me to connect personally to the people of Mississippi. My goal as Miss Mississippi is to tell my story and inspire the people of Mississippi to adopt permanent healthy lifestyles so other families will not have to experience the loss my family has had to endure.