WHY YOU KNOW HER: The 22-year-old Virginia Commonwealth University broadcast journalism student, a Fredericksburg native, was named Miss Virginia in June 2009 and became Miss America on Jan. 30.
Cameron’s stint as Miss America has been a whirlwind of charitable appearances, TV shows, parades, sporting events and ceremonies such as the White House Christmas tree-lighting.
During the year, she met President Obama, won the prestigious Whitman Walker Award for her dedication to HIV/AIDS awareness and was named one of the top 10 African-American activists fighting AIDS by Black Entertainment Television.
In May, Cameron spent five days in Germany visiting U.S. military personnel and their families, talking to American children attending Defense Department schools and visiting wounded service members at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
The voice that helped her win the pageant was called upon to sing the national anthem at a Washington Nationals baseball game and a Richmond NASCAR race.
She has chronicled her reign on a blog on the Miss America.org website.
Cameron was able to come home to Virginia for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The year has gone quickly – at times. “It has and it hasn’t,” she said, squeezing in a quick phone interview from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
“There are days when you’re really, really homesick, but at the same time, I’m thinking that this time last year, I was packing my bags to leave” for the national pageant.
Julie Young
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