What are your hobbies?
Dancing, Swimming, Piano, Scrapbooking, Sewing, Reading, Drawing/Painting

What makes you special and unique?
When I was little, I had a huge space between my two front teeth. It was great for slurping noodles but, admittedly, was not my most attractive feature. However, this space turned out to be an asset when my permanent teeth came in because they had plenty of room to grow so I didn't have to have braces. It's funny how problems often times work out to be blessings in disguise.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
Whenever school work would overwhelm me, my mom would sit me down and quote my Nana saying, "Meredith, do you know how you eat an elephant? ...one bite at a time." This overarching lesson covers study habits to daily life. When coupled with the well-known "relish in the moment," her lesson is a reminder to enjoy each day without being overwhelmed by the future. I�ve learned the truth that life is a journey not a destination. If we get caught up in what lies ahead, we�ll miss the scenery around us.

Name one thing you cannot live without.
There are many things I wouldn't want to live without (such as sweets and modern conveniences), and there are a few things that it would be difficult to live without (including my family and friends), but the only thing I truly need is Jesus Christ. He is the reason I�m here, my purpose, and my best friend. I can�t imagine getting through one day without the knowledge that I was in His care.

What is the most valuable lesson you ever learned?
From age 5 to 18, I was a competitive swimmer and was quite successful at an early age. I put too much pressure on myself, however, and when I was seven years old, I learned a lesson that forever changed my outlook on competition. Based on previous rankings, I was supposed to have won a certain race but ended up placing second. I made a horrible spectacle of myself by crying in front of my teammates and all the girls I raced. My parents hugged me and told me they were proud of the way I swam but disappointed in my reaction. They pointed out that I should be grateful for the place I got because all the girls behind me would have loved to have gotten second. From then on, I swam my best, was grateful for my successes, considered the feelings of my fellow competitors, and left my tears in the pool.

Who is your most valued role model and why?
My older sister, Lindsay. We shared a bedroom for the first fifteen years of my life and these close quarters allowed her to play her roles as my mini-mother, fashion consultant, protector, teacher, encourager, and closest friend. Godly, loving, hilarious, beautiful, independent, strong, confident, intelligent, and talented, Linds personifies perfection. Whenever she sets her mind to something, I have no doubt she will accomplish her goals and achieve them in an honest and professional manner. Through it all, she has the utmost humility and recognizes that all her blessings are gifts from God. She positively influences me through her own example and by encouraging me to be introspective and make sure I do everything for the right reasons.

What was your most unexpected moment?
In 2005, I competed in the first Miss Mississippi�s Outstanding Teen pageant. The second night of the competition, I was pleased with the way I executed my talent, but I was not expecting to receive an award because there were so many good performances that night. I was so sweaty and exhausted by the end of the evening that I didn�t take the proper steps to making myself look presentable. I was utterly shocked when my name was called for the preliminary talent award and stepped forward with my hair grossly slicked back and looking like a true "hot mess." I was so excited about the award, though; I didn�t care how awful I looked!

What is your workout routine?
Haha...there's nothing routine about the way I work out! As a dance major, I take a series of ballet, jazz, and yoga classes five days a week and stretch in my dorm room while I�m studying or reading. On the weekends, I run, swim, or take extra trips to the studio to practice. I do crunches and pushups whenever I feel inspired and walk what feels like miles each day across Bama's extensive campus on my way to classes.

What has been your biggest accomplishment to date?
As a soft-spoken person, I never would have volunteered to speak in front of thousands of people, but my love for my high school and encouragement of my sister enabled me to apply to be the commencement speaker at my high school graduation. The accomplishment lies not only in being selected for this honor but in being able to execute and enjoy this responsibility.

What is the best compliment you have ever received?
While working in Disney World last fall, one of my friends told me I "made her want to be a better person." I truly believe the greatest accomplishment in life is positively affecting another person, so knowing that I was a positive influence in her life was the greatest gift she could ever have given me.

What is your secret wish?
In addition to being able to eat whatever I want without gaining weight and having a money tree, I have a secret wish to be a Hollywood movie star. This is truly a secret, because I�ve never acted before or even taken a theatre class. I just think it would be an amazing testimony to be a Christian in a secular environment to give most of my money to charity, to live modestly, and to use my publicity to promote wholesome ideals.

What was your most embarrassing moment?
When Miss America 2005, Deidre Downs, came to my hometown of Tupelo to promote her platform, I got to meet her and try on her beautiful crown for a picture. However, I was so giddy when she placed the crown on my head that it slipped off, hit the back of my chair, crashed into the ground, and made drunken circles as jewels flew in all directions. It was the longest five seconds of my life, but Miss Downs was so kind and made me feel better by telling me about her most embarrassing moment (which wasn�t nearly as clumsy or embarrassing as mine). I now hold the dubious honor of breaking Miss America�s crown and most likely some bad pageant karma!

What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
Bluebird brand powdered doughnuts. It�s bad enough that I can consume the entire 1500 calorie package by myself, but the real guilt lies in the fact that I have a hard time sharing this tasty treat with my brothers who commonly exclaim, "Chubs ate all the powdered doughnuts again!"

What is your favorite movie and why?
Southern belles and hoop-skirts, plantations, romance, history, war and restoration, epic music and great quotes - it just doesn�t get any better than GONE WITH THE WIND. The movie also contains my utmost literary role model, Melanie Hamilton, the kind-hearted idealistic wife of Ashley, and she brings so many redeeming qualities to the film.

What is your favorite color and why?
My favorite color has always been blue simply because I think it's beautiful. My sister is a pink fanatic, so growing up, we would get the same style clothing and accessories only in different colors.

What do you like to do for fun... relaxation... recreation?
I enjoy conversations that include sunsets and rocking chairs, curling up with a good book while drinking hot cocoa, playing the piano, dancing randomly in hallways and in my dorm room, listening to mixed CDs that my friends give me, swimming, snuggling, and sewing. I love going shopping with my mom in our little Tupelo mall, taking trips to Oxford and Memphis with my sister, traveling, having �pizza and a movie� nights, camping and hiking, going to ballets and shows, and playing in my favorite home away from home, Disney World!

What would be your dream vacation or destination?
I desperately want to go to the Middle East. I want to see where civilization began, to walk where Jesus walked and performed miracles, and to witness the splendors of the ancient world.

What do you like best about your hometown?
I like how I can drive across town without getting on a highway. I like that I can go to Wal-Mart at night without having to worry something bad will happen. I like that it has a pleasant mix of chain businesses and "mom and pop" stores. I�m proud of how rapidly Tupelo has grown and how, for a non-metropolitan town, we are known nationally for our furniture market, North Mississippi Medical Center, and, of course, Elvis Presley�s birthplace. Most of all, I take pride in having graduated from one of the most prestigious schools in Mississippi. The Tupelo High School campus alone is impressive from afar, but it�s upon closer inspection that its true value becomes apparent. Our community is uniquely unified in its support of our public school system, and it is because of this communal and parental support that students perform so well.

What do you like best about the state of Mississippi, besides our food & hospitality?
Because Mississippians faithfully re-elect our politicians, Mississippi consistently has strong representation in the US Congress including former Senate Majority Leader, Trent Lott, and Thad Cochran who has served as chairman of the Senate Appropriations committee and was named one of America's best senators by TIME magazine. I'm proud of the way all of Mississippi's politicians represent their constituents and of the faith Mississippians have in their representatives.

What's in your CD player or on your iPod right now?
I�m embarrassed to say I have my Celine Dion Christmas CD playing in my car. I�m pretty much a Santa�s elf at heart, so I whip out the Christmas music randomly throughout the year. On my iTunes, I�ve been listening to the Across the Universe soundtrack and Les Newsom�s sermons from RUF at Ole Miss.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
After graduating from Alabama and receiving my masters in education through the "Teach For America" program, my life's "rough draft" says I will be an elementary school teacher in Mississippi and ballet teacher/choreographer. I will be married with two kids in a very cute "Pottery Barn" home. I will have Sunday afternoon reunions with my three siblings and their children at my parents' house after church and live happily ever after. It�s fun to know, however, that life isn�t that predictable. I have many twists, turns, slides, and backtracks to make. After all, ten years ago I never would have imagined I would be vying for the title of Miss Mississippi, but here I am.

Who am I?
My family is the most important thing in my life, and to understand me, you have to understand them. My very accomplished parents have always shown me the importance of making good grades and working diligently in everything I do, and they balance their encouragement perfectly with love and understanding. My mom, a southern belle native of Jackson, is the greatest example of a godly woman I have ever witnessed and has taught me everything from etiquette to reformed theology. My brilliant father inspires me with his work ethic, discipline, and love for my mom, and he makes me feel valued the way all girls should be. As the youngest of four children, my siblings played an integral role in shaping who I am today. Brett and Trey were a perfect balance of showing me playful "tough love" while being my protective big brothers, and Lindsay was my best friend and encyclopedia on growing up.

As for my personality, I�m sometimes quiet in big groups, but I love one-on-one conversations and meeting new people. I like to make others feel good via compliments, kind notes, massages, and back scratches, and I love hugs, little kids, smiling faces, and bursts of joy. I enjoy learning and watching others excel their respective fields. I root for the underdog and have always been an over-zealous cheerleader at heart. I�m a dependable friend but reliably unreliable at answering my phone. I live in t-shirts and ponytails but love to get dressed up. I�m quite frugal with my own money but enjoy a splurge every once in awhile. I�m organized, artistic, and versatile, gentle, kind-hearted, and understanding, playful, friendly, and energetic, principled, responsible, and confident in who I am. I believe in fairy tales and happily ever afters. I know there is more good in this world than bad and there is potential for greatest in everyone. I am not proud, but I take pride in myself, my family, and my home. I�m excited about life, what is yet to come, and the opportunity to make a difference.

Tell us about your occupational experience.
Most recently, I spent the past fall semester in Disney World working in the Entertainment department through the Disney College Program. I lived in an apartment near Disney property with other college program participants and spent my four months creating magical moments for guests and playing in the parks on my days off. In October, I was selected to be a dancer in the Magic Kingdom Christmas parade and spent my holidays smiling and spinning for thousands of guests each day. It was an incredible experience to work in a family-oriented environment for a company known for its guest relations.

In the months leading up to Disney, I spent my summer in a completely different environment-- instead of performing for a multi-billion dollar company I was mentoring to ten year old girls in the humble country setting of French Camp, MS. As a counselor for Camp of the Rising Son, I had the opportunity to lead devotions, activities, and camp-outs and be an on-call "mom" for twelve little girls in my cabin each week. I learned an inestimable amount about myself, kids, and what parenting/teaching skills work best for me, and I'm excited to return to CRS this summer once again as a counselor.

In the summer of 2006, I had the unique opportunity to perform as a senior dancer for the Miss Mississippi and Outstanding Teen pageants in Vicksburg. I look back on those four weeks with fondness and oftentimes laughter at the many humorous things Mallory said. I can remember almost every detail about our rehearsals, our breaks, the energy of each performance, and even all our choreography. I wish I could do "Defying Gravity" just one more time...

The rest of my work experience contains two summers as a lifeguard, one year as a ballet teacher, five summers as an assistant to my swimming coach, and various adventures in babysitting.

Tell us about your platform.
Role models, including my family, church leaders, teachers, and people I�ve read about in history books, have always been a big part of my life and have helped me to make the right decisions through their example and influence. I have been blessed to part of a good family, good school district, and wholesome community, but many children aren�t that lucky. There are negative images displayed in the entertainment industry and in public settings, and children need wholesome role models to combat problems with violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and premarital sexual intimacy to name a few.

Walt Disney claimed, "Our heritage and ideals, our code and standards�the things we live by and teach our children�are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideas and feelings." In concordance with his statement, I believe the best way to take a stand against the desensitization of America�s youth is for adults to be verbal about their standards and expectations and simply to be involved in the lives of children and teens. Personally, I have embodied the ideals of my platform by working as a camp counselor, "Give Kids The World" volunteer, mentor in Tuscaloosa and Tupelo, ballet teacher, swimming instructor, and being involved in activities that allow me to influence those around me.

The essence of my platform, however, is to encourage all people to be role models�to be involved in mentoring programs, yes�but mostly to make moral decisions that they would want others to emulate. All our lives are intertwined whether we realize it or not... we influence each other whether we like it or not. Just as positive role models make a difference so do negative role models. The first step to improving the future is to improve ourselves.

As role models, we need to direct children�s motives as well as their actions. Cheating in school is a problem that is rampant among strong and weak students alike, and I think this is due in part to the emphasis placed on achieving good grades rather than the true goal of acquiring knowledge and prudence. I also believe that we are a generation of resume-builders. Our involvement in activities, internships, and community service should spawn from the desire to improve ourselves and our surroundings rather than receiving recognition. Even being kind to others should not be done in an effort to be well-liked but to affect positively each other. Finally, I believe the source of all problems among youth could be remedied if they felt truly valuable, and this is where role models sincerely come into play. In addition to being positive examples, mentors are a source of strength and confidence-building. Students who are confident in themselves do not need to use drugs or get drunk, to receive physical attention, to cheat, or to require recognition for good works. Favorable role models make a difference and everyone can be a part of the change.