CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. -- Jefferson County residents watching this year's Miss America's Teen pageant will see a familiar face as Washington High School (WHS) senior Allison Dodson represents the Mountain State on the national stage. A native of Charles Town, WV, Dodson serves as the current Miss West Virginia's Teen and is proud to use her crown to advocate for education and environmental issues.
"I want to inspire young people because they are the future," said Dodson.
Dodson is an accomplished student-athlete at WHS. She is dual-enrolled at Shepherd University, with plans to major in Biochemistry with a minor in Cellular and Molecular Biology. She serves as president of the WHS Student Government and secretary of the National Honor Society and is a member of the volleyball and softball teams.
Dodson said physically writing activities and tasks in a planner helps keep her organized and on track as she balances school with her duties as Miss West Virginia's Teen.
"For me, the biggest thing is staying disciplined and having good time management," she said.
During the pandemic, Dodson founded a nonprofit organization to address some of our community's challenges. Through Allison's Helping Hands - H.O.P.E. (Help Our Planet Earth), she hosted book, food, and clothing drives, read to elementary school students to promote literacy, and worked to educate youth on the importance of caring for the environment.
"My initiative [aimed to show] how you can help your community in more ways than one," she said. "If I helped make even the slightest impact, I will know I made a change I want to see in the world.”
Dodson's focus eventually shifted exclusively to caring for the environment, and she rebranded her organization as Project H.O.P.E (Help Our Planet Earth). Environmental stewardship is part of her platform as Miss West Virginia's Teen.
"When I sat down and thought about it, my main focus was the environment," she said. "It's something that everyone can relate to, and it's very important to me."
Dodson plans to obtain a doctorate in Pharmacology and pursue a career studying genetics and researching cell development and alteration. She hopes to work for a pharmaceutical company or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), noting that she wants to ensure a brighter future for her generation.
Miss America’s Teen is a division of the Miss America program for young women ages 13-18. This year's finals will be streamed on YouTube on Saturday, January 13. Viewers may subscribe to the Miss America channel to watch the competition.