I Take Preston Strong to Schools!

This is quite possibly maybe my favorite part of the job, that is of a delegate for Miss Mississippi. Preston's story inspires hope and strength, and though, sharing the signs and symptoms of something as big and scary as a brain AVM to younger students is far-fetched, here I like to take a different approach with such audiences. My story of choice is The Invisible String, a tale that highlights that even when we aren't with our loved ones they are always in our hearts.

To date, I have visited over 10 schools in 3 different Mississippi counties with over 800 students in the few months I've held the job of Miss Greenville. Finding new ways to make what can be a serious topic for students has been such a joy and it's one I will continue to devote my time and creativity.

When sharing with older students, I think my favorite aspect of sharing Preston Strong is when it’s time for questions and answers. This is when I really get to know students. It’s exciting to hear their unique and quite insightful takeaways from Preston’s journey and the AVM as a disease itself. This also typically leads the conversation to how we can turn painful or difficult experiences into something that makes us stronger or even finding purpose from them. And even how it can be two of the same. Not everything has to be perfectly glazed over to have meaning and value. I think Preston’s story shows that. We didn’t know what we were doing most of the time, but as a family, we committed ourselves to being tedious and devoted to making sure Preston was always cared for.