“The Miss Earth Organization, which I’ve been a part of for three years now, aims to teach people to be more environmentally aware in our communities. I was Junior Miss Virginia Earth 2017, Teen Miss Virginia Earth 2018, and now Teen Miss Mid-Atlantic Earth 2019. With these titles, I’ve been able to [travel] and compete on a national stage against teens across the United States with the same mission and passion. In the past three years, I’ve worked for several organizations including the Surfrider Foundation, Better Beach Project, Lynnhaven Never Now, Sierra Club, Brock Environmental Center, and many more. I even went to Puerto Rico to help with the post-hurricane damage,” said junior Alexa Arzillo. “Several people think pageantry is all about your looks, but really it’s a year-round job and only one week of it is actually dressing up and competing. My second year in pageantry as Teen Miss Virginia 2018 I received ‘second runner up,’ ‘best in public speaking,’ and ‘beauty for a cause.’ As Teen Miss Mid-Atlantic 2019, I placed as well and now with the experience and confidence I gained, I am set to compete in Teen Miss Virginia USA 2020.”