Madison (“Maddy”) is a 17-year-old rising high school senior and high-achiever maintaining a 4.0 GPA with numerous extracurricular activities.  She has been a Varsity Cheerleader since freshman year, plays on her high school lacrosse team, is active with the “Beach Buddies” program supporting the special needs classes, Future Business Leaders of America, the Fashion Club, the National Youth Leadership Forum for Medicine, and a traveling lacrosse team based in Richmond, VA. 

Madison’s twin brother, Bryan, is a child with special needs and this has been the inspiration for Madison’s goals for community involvement and the pursuit of a career in medicine. Madison has built relationships with Virginia Special Olympics, the “Tiny Superheroes” charity to assist them in empowering children with illness or disabilities with hope and courage, and Best Buddies International to advocate for and support the three pillars of one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Madison was named Miss Virginia Teen USA 2017 in November last year and will represent Virginia in the Miss Teen USA pageant in Phoenix, AZ July 28th and 29th 2017.
 
Madison’s Miss Virginia Teen USA Website message:
I am very excited for the opportunity to represent Virginia alongside Miss Virginia USA, Jacque Carroll, during the coming year.  I want to say “thank you” to the Miss Virginia USA / Miss Virginia Teen USA organization, the extraordinary Teen contestants, the judges, and our wonderful sponsors for allowing me this great honor.  I have so much that I want to do this year, I can’t wait to get started.  I want to raise awareness of the challenges children with illness and disability face and the programs that benefit them.  The message is “get involved”.

There is a phrase that describes me, and has come to help me to discover the path I want to take for the future.  "Make a difference!  I can and I will!"  The real meaning for me, is three things:

1. I have already experienced the joy in doing things that make other people’s lives better, particularly other kids.  Sometimes it is just little things, like getting involved with the special needs classes at school and the "Beach Buddies" group at my high school.  Other times it is taking a stand to eliminate bullying both in school and when it takes place over social media.   
2. Believing in myself.  Confidence.  Not over-confidence but enough confidence to take action.  This comes from working hard to succeed.  For me “confidently beautiful” is not something you achieve and then you are done.  It is all aspects of how you live your life, take care of yourself and take care of others.
3. It is building the confidence in my own ability that leads to a commitment that "I will" make a difference.  My twin brother Bryan is a child with Down Syndrome.  Even though he is technically my "big brother" (he was born first), I have always been the one looking out for him at school (don't tell him I said that).  I also feel the anxiety every year when he goes for checkups and blood tests because children with Down Syndrome have a higher chance of developing serious illnesses.  I think this is what really influenced me to work hard enough in school to achieve my goal of getting into a good Pre-Med program and ultimately Medical School.  I want to be a Pediatric Oncologist.  That is ultimately the difference I want to make - I want to be a part of making the lives of those children with the toughest imaginable situation - childhood cancer - better. 

"Make a difference"
"I can"
"I WILL”