For Alexis “Lexi” Crosen ’22, an exercise physiology major from Culpepper, Virginia, pageants are more than ball gowns and fashion shows — they’re a chance to showcase causes close to her heart.
Crosen, the 2020 USA National Miss Virginia, will represent the commonwealth when she attends the USA National Miss pageant in Florida this week, Nov. 24-28. After wrapping up her final exams at the University of Lynchburg, Crosen will fly down to Florida for the weeklong national pageant.
The pageant awards more than $100,000 in scholarships and gifts to each winner. For Crosen, both pageants and her course load at Lynchburg need a lot of preparation, which doesn’t leave a lot of time for extracurriculars.
“Pageants are not just ‘show up and put on a dress.’ I’m always doing interview practice and community service. It’s a lot of work. I spend a lot of time getting my platforms together and getting my wardrobe ready,” she said.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Crosen has focused her attention on the Lynchburg area. One
of her service projects focused on anti-bullying, a cause trumpeted by the USA National Miss pageant through an initiative called The Crown CARES (Creating A Respectful Environment).
“I dropped off anti-bullying books at the Little Free Libraries across town, donated food to local food pantries, and gave Zoom presentations for elementary and middle schools,” she said.
For her other project, “Love MADDly,” she has left paper tags around campus with phone numbers for local taxi cab companies so “if students are out, they know they have a safe way to get home.”
Love MADDly works to assist college students with peer pressure, bullying, and hazing incongruent with alcohol by working with local Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) chapters.
After getting her bachelor’s degree from Lynchburg, Crosen plans to attend an athletic training school.
