Crowder Crowned Little Miss HOLLA!

Saleeyah Crowder, the daughter of Nakishia Crowder and Travis Thorpe of Wadesboro, has been crowned Little Miss HOLLA! during the annual Little Miss HOLLA! Youth Enrichment Program Event.

She is a first-grade student at Wadesboro Primary School who aspires to be a teacher. She participated in the organization’s Youth Enrichment Program (YEP) throughout its’ eight-month duration. The HOLLA! Youth Enrichment Program is designed to motivate youth to be successful through exposure to positive people, places, and things while improving social capital.

According to Johnie Pettiford, HOLLA’s Program Director, Crowder and other participants were challenged differently this year from the program’s previous ones.

“The girls were charged with contemplating social changes in which they want to be made and creating solutions,” she said. In keeping with her career goals, Crowder wants to address the educational needs of underprivileged children. She would like to solve it by generating a non-profit reading and math camp.

This year’s theme, “Claiming Our Destiny”, was envisioned by Devin Pettiford. Being the program’s fifth year, committee members wanted to celebrate its’ half-decade existence. They did this by focusing participants’ attention on both past and present child activists such as Claudette Colvin and Aalayah Eastmond. Through these girls, participants were encouraged to positively contribute to society now rather than waiting for adulthood.

In continuing to recognize youth this year, local teens were honored during the presentation. “Destiny Seekers” included: UNC-Greensboro bound Jamiyah Sturdivant, Top Teens of America member Jacqueline Cherry, and community songstress Kenya Myles.

First runner-up for the title of Little Miss HOLLA! was Wadesboro Primary School first-grade student, Travia Olivia Huntley. Second runner-up was Morven Elementary School student, Ky’Lah Grace Simons. She is in the third grade.

For inquiries about enrolling a girl, ages 6-13, in this year’s program please contact Johnie Pettiford at www.kidsinc1@windstream.net. Activities begin in November and will continue into 2020.

HOLLA! is a 501c3 non-profit Community Development Corporation founded in 2005 to address low achievement in the Anson County Schools. The organization operates from a facility located at 229 East Main Street in Morven, NC. For more information call 704.851.3144.

By Devin Pettiford

Courtesy photo Saleeyah Crowder, the daughter of Nakishia Crowder and Travis Thorpe of Wadesboro, was recently crowned Little Miss HOLLA! 

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