Meet Miss SEO 2008

Kylie Johnson
Miss Southeastern Ohio 2008
c/o Miss Southeastern Ohio Scholarship Program
495 Spring Valley Drive
Zanesville, OH 43701
Phone 740-819-3170
email

PHOTO GALLERY

The past several months have kept the environmentally conscience beauty, Kylie Johnson, quite busy. With a personal goal to extensively promote green issues during her year of service as Miss Southeastern Ohio 2008, Johnson is inspiring others to “Go G.R.E.E.N.!” through her five point program which addresses: Global warming awareness, Recycling, Energy conservation, Environmental protection, Now is the time!

“Growing up on Grandpa’s farm – which we enjoy calling Johnson Hollow – and bringing home stray animals is where it all began,” smiled Johnson, as she described how and when her love for nature may have taken root. “I also remember quite vividly the day my Uncle Doug rescued two baby raccoons, which I insisted on raising as my own personal pets. Little did I know back then that raccoons really aren’t meant to be pets!”

Johnson soon became a driving force behind the John Glenn High School’s Earth Club revolution, serving as President of the organization during her junior and senior years in high school. She has met Jack Hannah twice, participated in a marine biology mission to the Bahamas, and completed an internship with both The Wilds in Cumberland, and also the Autobahn Nature Institute in New Orleans. Now, a conservation science major at Muskingum College, she has aspirations of one day serving as a national spokesperson for the World Wildlife Fund. But her short term plans include sharing her knowledge close to home by visiting John Glenn High School to ensure the longstanding tradition of the Earth Club, addressing young audiences throughout Southeastern Ohio, actively participating in the Tri Beta Biology Honorary, and serving as an ambassador for the Kroger Go Green Campaign.

“Kroger was my corporate sponsor in the Miss SEO program, and I am employed at the Maple Avenue location. It’s rather timely that I was crowned on December 29th, and their Go Green campaign kicked off the new year!” explained Johnson. “During our first Go Green effort to sell reusable bags, I sold 113 in the first few hours. This is important because each year our society uses between 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags worldwide, many of which end up in the environment, causing harm to ecosystems and death to wildlife. Reusable bags are environmentally friendly and serve as an alternative to the plastic bags that we have become dependent on as a society.”

Throughout the Kroger Go Green Campaign, Kylie will continue to promote the sale and benefit of reusable bags, and also promote the chain’s environmentally friendly and organic products. Further, she can often be found in the Kroger vendor area during many of the traveling exhibitions and consumer tradeshows demonstrating products and sharing tips on energy conservation in the home.

One of the scholar’s longer term plans as Miss Southeastern Ohio is to bring environmental activist Allison Rogers from Rhode Island to the Y-City area. Rogers is one of the first people to be trained directly by former Vice President Al Gore to present on global warming issues.

“Recognized as the “Individual Environmentalist of the Year,” she was so committed to bringing awareness about climate change to the general public, that she went on to compete in the Miss Rhode Island Scholarship Pageant with the platform issue of “Go Green: Global Warming Awareness,” and ironically enough, she won the title on Earth Day in 2006!” exclaimed Johnson. “It’s my understanding that Allison is currently attending Harvard Graduate School, and serving as an Education and Outreach Coordinator on Capitol Hill for The Green: The Capital Office. So while it may be difficult to reach her, it’s my goal to bring her to Southeastern Ohio for a public forum at some point.”

And Johnson’s goals as Miss SEO 2008 do not stop there. “Of course, it’s my ultimate dream to bring Al Gore to the community to share his book and presentation of An Inconvenient Truth,” exclaimed the beauty.

In addition to her love for the environment, Johnson is also an advocate of the performing arts. A trained violinist that performs with the Southeastern Ohio Symphony Orchestra, she recalls being mesmerized by the sounds of the John Glenn Strings when she was in sixth grade. “There was something so prestigious and remarkable about the sounds and lines of the violin. I fell in love with the instrument at a young age,” she recalls.

It is also the charge of the well-rounded intellect to promote higher education and the Miss Southeastern Ohio Scholarship Program. She participated in the Miss Ohio International Pageant in March representing the region and promoting her passion. This fall, she will begin competiting in the Miss Ohio America Scholarship Program, beginning with the Miss North East Ohio Pageant in North Canton. “I am working diligently to prepare for the pageant, and the best preparation will come through public appearances providing me a platform for sharing my Go G.R.E.E.N. message,” explained Johnson. “But my main message right now is one of heartfelt gratitude to the sponsors and supporters of the Miss SEO program. I am honored to hold this title, and I will strive to make this community very proud… and green!”

To schedule Kylie Johnson, Miss SEO 2008, for an appearance or presentation, please contact the Miss Southeastern Ohio Scholarship Program director, Vicki LeVeck, at 740-819-3170, or Director@MissSEO.com.