The Miss America Pageant will air Saturday, January 26 LIVE on TLC.
Miss Wisconsin resume:
Name: Christina Thompson
Title: Miss Wisconsin 2007
Hometown: Kenosha, Wisconsin
Date of Birth: September 22, 1984
Education: Vanderbilt University, 2006 graduate, Bachelor of Music in Violin, Voice Minor
Tremper High School, 2002 graduate
Platform Issue: Supporting the Arts: A Holistic Approach
Scholastic/Career Ambition: Obtain an MBA in Arts Administration
Become the Director of Education and Outreach for a Symphony
Talent: Classical Violin – "Praeludium and Allegro"
Scholastic Honors: Vanderbilt Dean's List; National Dean's List; Sigma Alpha Iota Collegiate Honors Award; Fulbright Scholar Finalist; Graduated cum laude.
Leadership Roles: President of Vanderbilt chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, professional Music Fraternity; Volunteer Violin Teacher and Mentor to underprivileged students in Nashville and Madison; Head Resident in the German wing of the International dormitory at Vanderbilt.
Accomplishments: Created a partnership with Arts Wisconsin to become a state-wide advocate and spokesperson for the arts in Wisconsin; Achieved teaching certification in the Suzuki Method at Vanderbilt; Promoted to highest student leadership in a Vanderbilt dormitory.
Interesting Facts: Performed in The Vagina Monologues to benefit domestic violence victims in Nashville; Studied abroad in Berlin and gained intermediate fluency in German; Played violin in two concerts for hip-hop star Kanye West; Skied since the age of three and snowboarded since the age of 13; Played singles and doubles tennis competitively in high school; Conversed in Spanish on a Spanish channel talk show.
Employment: Membership Coordinator, Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras; Administrative Assistant, Tanglewood Music Center/Boston Symphony Orchestra; Head Resident and Resident Adviser, Vanderbilt.
What impact can the Miss America Organization and its contestants have on society through the partnership with the Children's Miracle Network?
By raising funds and awareness for the families served by Children's Miracle Network, MAO and its contestants are making an important statement: We value and insist upon the highest quality of life and healthcare for all of our nation's children and their families, regardless of their socio-economic background. Since CMN serves over 17 million children, we can also shed light on the magnitude of need for the services provided by CMN. Chances are, most of us know someone whose life has been impacted by the resources of CMN.
What is the best way to make Miss America more relevant to people your age?
We need to take the Miss America program into the main setting for people of my age: college campuses. I propose creating a series of nationwide campus events for college students and their organizations to serve as volunteers and fundraisers for CMN, along with MAO contestants. This event will unify the volunteer efforts of universities, MAO, and CMN around the common cause of CMN, while also reinforcing the relevancy of MAO as an organization dedicated to service, scholarship, and civic engagement.
If you could create and produce one single event that would best utilize the partnership between the Miss America Organization and Children's Miracle Network, what would it be and how would you do it?
I would create a nationwide "Perform-a-thon Day" for all local, state, and national contestants in the Miss America program to obtain pledges by performing at their local Children's Miracle Network hospital. This would bring together contestants, hospital patients and their families for a fun-filled day of entertainment, while actively increasing awareness and fundraising efforts for Children's Miracle Network and the Miss America Organization.
Miss Wisconsin Platform:
Name: Christina Thompson
Title: Miss Wisconsin 2007
Supporting the Arts: A Holistic Approach
The arts are at the core of the quality of American life and culture. The arts unite our communities and nation by celebrating diverse perspectives and distinct and numerous forms of cultural and individual expression.
Exposure and participation in music, dance, theater, and the visual arts are vital to the development of our children and our communities. Therefore, I am championing a "holistic approach" to supporting the arts, focusing on three key areas: The impact of the arts on the economy; Arts Education; and the Arts in Healthcare. This multi-dimensional approach encourages individuals, businesses, government agencies, school districts, and non-profit organizations to participate in and support the many artistic endeavors in our society.
Nationwide, the arts generate over $166 billion annually in economic activity, striking proof of how investment in and support of the arts and creativity strengthens our nation's economy. Yet school districts continue to cut music and arts education from their budgets and curriculums, making it ever more necessary to develop sources of private funding. While lobbying the government at all levels is vital to containing and reversing this trend, we can no longer rely solely on government funding or on individual sponsors to uphold our nation's high standards for the arts in education and in culture. Through both personal and written contact, I have lobbied the Wisconsin State Legislature and our U.S. Senators for increased funding for the arts. As Membership Coordinator for the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras, I implemented the annual Musical Notes Campaign in 2007, a fundraiser in which our students wrote letters to family and friends raising awareness about the arts and asking for donations. This year's fundraiser surpassed our goal of $40,000 to support the orchestra program.
An arts education is critical in preparing our youth for the future: Involvement in the arts raises test scores and overall academic performance, and enhances self-esteem, teamwork, and discipline. Studies show the impact is particularly significant on underserved and at-risk youth. As a volunteer violin teacher/mentor to over 20 underprivileged children in Nashville and Madison, I observe this first-hand: One of my students Kyra, using the confidence and discipline gained through violin lessons, became the first in her family to attend college.
To reach those whose health prevents them from attending arts-related events, I am promoting Arts in Healthcare.
Access to the arts promotes healing through improved self-worth, lessened sensation of pain, and enhanced quality of care and communication between staff and patients. As President of the Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity at Vanderbilt University, I organized and participated in performances at hospitals, half-way homes, and nursing homes. As Miss America, I will expand upon these experiences to bring music and the arts to patients and their families served by the Children's Miracle Network, while raising awareness of the significant role the arts play in providing the highest quality of life for patients and their families.
Combining my education and experience, I will utilize the role of Miss America to spearhead a nationwide campaign to support the arts. By expanding my existing partnership with Arts Wisconsin to partner with their national affiliate, Americans for the Arts, I will be an arts advocate and spokesperson on the national level. The prestige and influence of the Miss America title and Organization will enable me to reach wider audiences and provide media visibility for my platform and the Miss America Organization. This, in turn, will allow me to influence communities, businesses, and individuals to support the essential role of creativity and expression in our society. By engaging in these activities, I will also promote the core values of the Miss America program: Personal growth through community service and scholarship, and the empowerment of individuals to create better communities and a stronger nation.
My call to action for providing access to the arts includes: Partnering with arts organizations nationwide to implement fundraising and outreach programs; Lobbying the government for continued and increased support of the arts, especially in education; and Leading the movement for incorporating the arts in the healthcare system, with a focus on bringing music and the arts into Children's Miracle Network hospitals and other healthcare facilities. The modern Miss America is a leader who promotes individual empowerment and civic engagement. I am ready to be this leader.
