House Resolution 100

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING MISS IZZY KARNS FOR BEING CROWNED MISS TEEN VOLUNTEER AMERICA.

WHEREAS, Miss Izzy Karns was named Miss Teen Volunteer America at the Miss Teen Volunteer America pageant, which is hosted by the Miss Volunteer America Organization, a nationwide, service-oriented scholarship program based in Tennessee that seeks to empower young women across the country through educational scholarships and extraordinary opportunities; and

WHEREAS, the mission statement of the Miss Volunteer America Organization is "volunteers working to educate and inspire our next generation of volunteers," and the five points of the crown awarded to Miss Karns represent the SERVE acronym: Scholarship, Empowerment, Responsibility, Volunteerism, and Education; and

WHEREAS, Miss Karns is a freshman at the University of Southern Mississippi, where she is majoring in business and minoring in social media and content strategies, with the goal of one day opening her own business; and

WHEREAS, before becoming Miss Teen Volunteer America, Miss Karns had the distinct honor and pleasure of serving as Miss Mississippi Teen Volunteer, and during her tenure in that role, she served as a spokesperson for the Mississippi Highway Patrol's DRIVE Campaign to educate teens on the importance of safe driving; and

WHEREAS, after winning the national pageant, Miss Karns will now serve as the brand ambassador for The Salvation Army and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; and

WHEREAS, with her work with The Salvation Army, Miss Karns has filmed PSAs and raised awareness on how citizens can "Do the Most Good" in their communities in partnership with The Salvation Army; and

WHEREAS, in her volunteer role with St. Jude, Miss Karns has also raised thousands of dollars for St. Jude as a member of the St. Jude Leadership Society; and

WHEREAS, Miss Karns truly has a heart for volunteering and serving those around her, and she is also equally as passionate about advocating for shelter pet adoption, so she founded her organization, Choose Rescue, three years ago, and to date, she has raised over $21,000 for animal shelters across the state and has hosted multiple adoption events; and

WHEREAS, in addition to her role as Miss Teen Volunteer America, Miss Karns also owns her own social media branding company, Let's Get Social, and through this, she manages social media accounts for four successful Mississippi owned businesses and offers consulting to individuals wanting to build their brand on social media; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize and honor fine Mississippians, especially those such as Miss Izzy Karns, a young woman who exudes poise, class and a tender heart, and serves as an asset and wonderful role model to young girls throughout the great Magnolia State and the nation, bringing honor to her community and the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend and congratulate Miss Izzy Karns for being crowned Miss Teen Volunteer America and express best wishes for continued success in all her future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Miss Izzy Karns and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.