Miss Virginia, Virginia ABC teach students about making smart choices

As a biochemist and pharmacy student, Miss Virginia Camille Schrier understands the importance of making safe and healthy choices.

She will share her message of drug safety and substance use prevention with students in Virginia elementary schools as part of a Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) education and prevention program.

Virginia ABC has a long-standing partnership with the Miss Virginia Organization. Last year, Miss Virginia Emili McPhail visited 72 elementary schools reaching 19,232 students with her message about making smart choices. This was a 71% increase over the 9,107 students reached in 39 school visits during the previous year. Virginia ABC’s Education and Prevention Section is continuing that relationship with Schrier for the Miss Virginia School Tour in 2019-20.

Supported by a $17,500 ABC grant, her tour will feature programs at elementary schools across the state throughout the school year. Schrier, currently a graduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Pharmacy in Richmond and 2018 graduate of Virginia Tech with degrees in biochemistry and systems biology, was named Miss Virginia in June.

During the pageant, Schrier won the admiration of Miss Virginia judges performing an onstage science experiment to demonstrate the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide for her talent. She plans to include some version of the experiment—a mix of chemicals into beakers yielding an explosion of blue and orange foam-like substances—during her visits with elementary school children.

When it comes to substance use, she plans to include messages about healthy, smart and informed decisions. Students will also learn:

• what positive choices are and how to make them and how to say “no” when something is not healthy for their bodies
• what it means to be a leader in their community and among their friends
• how to identify who is a trusted adult and understand the role they play in their lives.

“My ultimate goal during the tour is not only to educate kids about drug and alcohol dangers, but also to inspire them to be true to themselves, recognize their own individual strengths and talents, and embrace what makes them unique because THAT is what will ultimately lead them to success,” said Schrier.

The Miss Virginia Organization and Virginia ABC share the combined goal of educating students about making positive decisions to better prepare for success.

“As Miss Virginia travels around the commonwealth speaking to young children, it’s important to share age-appropriate information about drugs and alcohol to protect them from dangerous behaviors as they grow older,” said Virginia ABC Education and Prevention Section Manager Katie Crumble.

Schools interested in scheduling a Miss Virginia appearance may request a school tour stop by visiting www.abc.virginia.gov/education/programs/miss-va.

The Virginia ABC Education and Prevention Section provides free publications that can be ordered online. This includes one created specifically for elementary school students, which is distributed to all tour stop participants.

For the order form, visit https://www.abc.virginia.gov/education/publications.