Sisterhood Spotlight

What personal experiences have most shaped your mission during your time as Miss Virginia 2024—and beyond?

My grandmother, Gladys, has significantly shaped my mission as Miss Virginia. Growing up, I spent a lot of time with her. In those moments, she taught me about faith and treating everyone with kindness. She also instilled in me a yearning to put a smile on others' faces by always wearing a smile. Toward the end of her life, she had dementia, and music was one way we were able to connect still. At that time, I realized music was a healing power and could be used to connect us all. As Miss Virginia, I am fueled by the mission of helping all people experience the transformative power of music through my community service initiative, Bridging the Divide: Music is Unity, while also exuding the characteristic I remember most about my grandmother Gladys, putting a smile on the faces of others.

As a role model for so many young women across the Commonwealth, how do you stay grounded and intentional in a world full of distractions and pressure?

Faith, first and foremost, keeps me grounded and intentional. Faith helps me remember that one: it's not all about me, and mostly, the great things I do have very little to do with my abilities and are more about what God wants to do through me; I'm simply a vessel. The women who came before me, like my mother, Carolyn, and grandmother, Gladys, also keep me grounded and intentional. I remember the prayers they prayed and the investment they made so I can be here today. And lastly, it is the young women I meet daily. I watch their eyes light up as they see me and realize they can aspire to do more.

The Sisterhood Spotlight celebrates women who are resilient — explain your persistence in seeking the title and what motivated you most.

What initially kept me persistent along this ten-year journey to becoming Miss Virginia was that I saw myself getting better each time and knew that if I continued to work hard, I could win eventually. Then, somewhere along the way, my perspective changed. I realized how much I had learned and earned through the process. I realized it wasn't about a crown but my impact on my community. If I decided to stop, what message would that send to the communities I was impacting? As Miss Virginia, I now realize that every stage we go through is preparation for the next, and there's a purpose in waiting.

We know you are a talented musician. Beyond music, where can young women find inspiration or resources to take that next step with confidence?

Young women can find inspiration or resources to confidently take that next step by participating in activities outside their comfort zone. Pageants were outside my comfort zone and were not on my radar. Yet, through areas of competition, like the private interview or on-stage question, I gained confidence in my story and contribution to the world. From this experience, I yearned to participate in other activities outside my comfort zone. Along this journey, I have found some unofficial mentors -- people who were doing what I wanted to do and encouraged me to do the same, while others I only witnessed from afar, but their lives served as an instruction manual for how I could reach my goals.

About Carlehr Swanson

Carlehr Swanson, Miss Virginia 2024, is a Richmond native and accomplished musician dedicated to service through music. A Ph.D. student at the University of Virginia studying Critical and Comparative Studies in Music, she also holds degrees from George Mason University and the University of Miami. Her community initiative, “Bridging the Divide: Music is Unity,” uses music to connect with isolated individuals in schools and nursing homes. As Miss Virginia, she also serves as a spokesperson for the Virginia ABC’s School Tour program, promoting healthy choices to students across the Commonwealth.