What are your hobbies?
Reading, photography, music of all kinds, cheerleading, outdoor activities such as horseback riding and fishing, writing poetry and song lyrics, and attending football, basketball and baseball games.

What makes you special and unique?
I am unique and special because I am a good listener. Most of us are so focused on our busy lives that we have difficulty giving true attention to the people around us. I have been blessed with excellent listening skills which, when combined with my open-mindedness and empathy for others, makes me a good person in whom to confide. Also, I am unique because I am a lefty and I love music more than food (and that's saying a lot!).

What is the best advice you have ever received?
The best advice I have ever received is to remember that everything happens for a reason. When disappointing or painful events occur, it is comforting to know that they are not just random "bad luck" but that they have a purpose. These events help us to learn compassion for others, to become stronger, more courageous people, and to know ourselves. On the other hand, God uses successes and joyful events to keep us optimistic, give us self-confidence, and "sweeten" our lives.

Name one thing you cannot live without.
I cannot live without my journal. I have kept a journal since I was ten years old and continue to do so nearly every day. My journal consists of anything that happens to go through my head--from everyday, mundane entries to poems, doodles and song lyrics. My journal is my friend and confidant--it helps me solve problems and gain insight into myself and my life. I do not know how I would survive without it!

What is the most valuable lesson you ever learned?
The most valuable lesson I have learned is that you should not compare yourself with others because everyone is unique. When I was younger, I often compared myself to other girls--whether it was in gymnastics, piano, academics or fitness, I sometimes felt that I did not measure up. As I grew older, I realized that we are each unique, have our own special gifts and talents, and that we should create our own shadow, not live in someone else's.

Who is your most valued role model and why?
I am fortunate to have several great role models. I love, admire and try to emulate each of my grandparents, Pawpaw, Gigi, and Grandma, because they are wonderful "salt-of-the-earth" people. I especially value my Grandma's simple ability to enjoy life. A lot of people pass through life as if it is an obstacle course--something merely to overcome or get through--but Grandma makes the most of each day. She inspires me to enjoy each day to the fullest.

What was your most unexpected moment?
When I was in the fourth grade, my best friend's dog had puppies, nine in all. Taylor and I kept a close eye on the box which served as delivery room and nursery, growing excited each time we peeked in and saw a new pup. A few days after the puppies were born, I had to undergo an emergency appendectomy. While I was recuperating at Baptist Hospital, Taylor and her mom snuck in to visit carrying a mysterious gift bag which I assumed contained a book, game or puzzle, but when the bag was opened, all nine puppies tumbled out onto my bed! The pups had come to play and cheer me up!

What is your workout routine?
My workout routine consists of a variety of activities which keep it from becoming too "routine". I regularly attend spin and ab classes at The Club. If I cannot catch a class, I work out on my own. I also do yoga and weight training for flexibility and strength and swim laps or run (one to three miles, every other day) for endurance. I tumble and cheer at school--believe me, cheering is a workout! I enjoy horseback riding and have taken up kickboxing and tennis. By engaging in so many different activities, I work all areas of my body and am challenged rather than bored.

What has been your biggest accomplishment to date?
Being named National Merit Commended Scholar and being chosen Third Alternate in the Mississippi Junior Miss Program within a few weeks of each other are my biggest accomplishments to date.

What is the best compliment you have ever received?
You know that feeling you get when you have been away from home or out of town for a while and you finally get back home? It is a comfortable, welcoming, warm kind of feeling. Someone once told me that spending time with me gave them that feeling. It was the sweetest, best compliment I have ever received.

What is your secret wish?
Since Johnny Depp is already married, I'll have to confess my other secret wish which involves coaching gymnastics. Although not my career goal, I would love to own a gym and help teach gymnastics to future Olympic hopefuls.

What was your most embarrassing moment?
While on a Gulf Coast Katrina relief trip, I shared a camper with six other girls. I volunteered to take the first shower since I was used to waking early, and set my alarm for 4:30 A.M. The next morning I climbed in the camper's bathroom (which was about the size of a small refrigerator), turned on the shower and lathered up. While reaching for my shampoo, I somehow fell head-first out of the shower and out of the bathroom, sliding to the other end of the camper. Naturally the noise woke the other girls who found me lying on the floor, stark naked and dripping wet. To add insult to injury, by breakfast the entire youth group had heard about my misadventure and teased me without mercy!

What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasures are bubble baths, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and playing solitare on my computer to put myself to sleep.

What is your favorite movie and why?
The Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy--it combines my love for adventure with my love for Johnny Depp.

What is your favorite color and why?
Yellow--if "happy" were a color, it would be yellow.

What do you like to do for fun... relaxation... recreation?
For fun and recreation, I love to hang out with my friends, including Girls' Night Out which involves "Grey's Anatomy", pizza, and brownies (more accurately, Girls' Night In). I enjoy going to football, basketball and baseball games, as well as to museums, zoos, shows, ballets, plays, etc. I also like traveling, especially to the beach, and photography. For relaxation, I like to play my piano and harmonica, write song lyrics, go fishing, swim laps, and watch "Friends" and "Golden Girls" on TV.

What would be your dream vacation or destination?
My dream vacation would be one in which I set foot on all seven continents! One day I hope to see the world. I have a profound interest in different cultures and would like to indulge my interest by visiting India, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, and other exotic locations.

What do you like best about your hometown?
If you live in Madison, it is virtually impossible to walk into the grocery store without seeing someone you know and having a ten minute conversation with them. Even though Madison is growing by leaps and bounds and has sophisticated restaurants and trendy shops, it has maintained its friendly, small-town feel.

What do you like best about the state of Mississippi, besides our food & hospitality?
I like best and am proudest of the character and quality of Mississippi's residents. I do not think that any other state could have handled the aftermath of Katrina any better, or perhaps as well as, Mississippi. Our teamwork, volunteerism, and continued optimism have allowed this state to make tremendous strides in rebuilding the coast. With the help of volunteers from other states, to whom we are grateful, we have accomplished what was once said to be impossible.

What's in your CD player or on your iPod right now?
Across the Universe soundtrack, The Beatles, Elton John, North Mississippi Allstars, Ninth Hour, Shane & Shane, James Taylor, Billy Joel, Neil Young, Nickel Creek, Trans-Siberean Orchestra, Dave Matthews Band, Rod Stewart, Hootie & The Blowfish, Otis Redding, and Wilco.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
I see myself in ten years pursuing a career in music production, either working for a record company or owning my own studio. I will be married to the man of my dreams, have two wonderful children, and own a lot of horses. I will be active in my church and community, especially working to promote organ and tissue donation through local organizations.

Who am I?
I like being me! As Oscar Wilde said, "Be yourself. Everyone else is taken." I love chocolate, Italian food, hushpuppies, music of all kinds, and being outdoors. I hate spiders. Both my sister, Rachel, and I are both left-handed--what are the odds of that?! I spend most of my time going to school and church, mentoring, cheerleading, exercising, volunteering, playing piano, watching the news, reading, writing poetry and lyrics, shopping, and hanging out with my friends, family, and my cat, Dixie.

My favorite author is C.S. Lewis--my favorite book, "The Great Divorce". The Beatles are one of my favorite bands. If I could do one thing, it would be to travel around the world. One of my most admired people is Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice--I hope that one day she will be president of the United States.

Friends, teachers and family descibe me as open-minded, easy-going, independent, positive, mature, competitive, determined, aspiring and goal-oriented. I truly believe that I am at my best when helping others--that is why volunteerism and community service are so important to me. I am a member of and/or volunteer for a number of organizations including the VFW Ladies Auxiliary, JAMR Crown Club, Jackson Symphony League, Salvation Army, Red Cross, MAADCAP, Toys for Tots, Stewpot, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Nothing But Nets, Make-a-Wish, Make-a-Difference, and Food for Families. It may sound trite, but when I volunteer I honestly feel that I receive more than I give.

Tell us about your occupational experience.
When I was fifteen, I worked at McAlister's Deli as a waitress/cashier, and then later worked at Fetish, a women's boutique, as a sales clerk. Both jobs taught me how to deal with the public and that the customer is always right (even when they're not), and these jobs led me to make a personal commitment to always be extra nice to waiters, waitresses, and sales clerks!

But by far my most enjoyable, challenging and rewarding job has been as a gymnastics coach for Courthouse Gymnastics. I have a knack for working with children and I love gymnastics, so this job is just right for me. Coaching requires stamina and patience (traits I learned as a gymnast), but the reward comes when one of the students masters a new skill and gets to "ring the bell" to the applause of everyone in the gym. As a gymnastics coach, job satisfaction is not measured by the size of the paycheck but by the smiles of the young gymnasts when they have worked hard and reached a goal.

Tell us about your platform.
Organ and tissue transplantation saves lives! It is an increasingly successful treatment option for many deadly diseases; however, there are not enough donor organs for the growing number of people needing them. Today there are 98,046 people on the organ transplant waiting list. Every ten minutes a new name is added to the list and each day seventeen people die waiting for a lifesaving transplant. By contrast, there are only approximately 10,000 organ donors in the United States each year. That's an enormous gap.

Promoting organ and tissue donation is more than just a platform for me--it is a personal mission. Ralpn McDonald, a dear friend and one of the most courageous people I have ever known, suffered from a rare and potentially fatal liver disease. Because of a liver transplant, Mr. Ralph's life was extended and he was able to spend precious additional years with his family. These years were a gift made possible by a stranger, an anonymous organ donor. What a legacy!

My mission is to spread awareness of the need for organ and tissue donation--especially to my generation. I am doing this to honor Mr. Ralph's memory and ultimately to help save as many lives as possible.