It truly doesn’t feel like it has already been a year since I was crowned Miss West Virginia 2022. I have traveled 39,500+ miles, been to 20 different states, and 32 counties in West Virginia to fight for the industry that feeds us. I have used my crown as a microphone to not only amplify my voice but the voices of those who put food on our tables, fiber on our backs, and fuel in our vehicles. “Growing Up, Growing Ag” was never about just having a platform. It was, and continues to be, my life. No matter where I go, I will always be an advocate for agriculture.
K. Garcia Productions
The woman who stood on that stage and ugly cried in 2022 isn’t the same woman that stands here today. However, I will probably still ugly cry on the stage again this year. (That won’t change.) But I have grown over the past year to understand who I am and the woman I want to be in this world at a much deeper level. That woman was always waiting under the surface and the Miss America Organization helped to bring her out. I am so much stronger in my convictions and steadier in my voice. I am surer of my decisions and proud of my accomplishments.
To the women about to compete for the job of a lifetime, remember that “you didn’t come this far to only come this far”. Whether you win or not, you have put in so much work to get to this point in your life. Don’t give up now. You didn’t come this far to stop. Take advantage of every single minute that has been given to you, lift your chin, and try again.
This year has completely changed my life in more ways than I can imagine. My future couldn’t be clearer, and I couldn’t be more excited. I know that I am so much more than the labels that could be placed on me. I am an agriculturist. I am a scientist. I am a woman. I am an educator. I am an advocate. And I will forever be…
Elizabeth Lynch,
Miss West Virginia.
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