MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — For the newly crowned Miss West Virginia 2021 pageant winners, it’s time to get busy.
Shepherd University student Jaelyn Wratchford won the 2021 Miss West Virginia Saturday night out of a field of nine.
“It’s definitely indescribable just being up there with so many empowered, strong women and then you being named the winner and now Miss West Virginia 2021. I am so excited to be able to represent our state at the 100th anniversary of Miss America and spread my social impact initiative around the state,” Wratchford told The Panhandle News Network Monday.
Wratchford is a double major at Shepherd University studying business administration and psychology. Her social impact initiative is “Investing in Our Future: The Impact of Youth Empowerment.”
“It deals with volunteering and mentoring with children. I truly believe that the future of West Virginia is in the hands of our next generation and it is our job to give them the tools they need to be successful and to make our state successful,” Wratchford said.
Miss West Virginia’s Outstanding Teen 2021 is Olivia Travis, a junior at Martinsburg High School from Gerrardstown, West Virginia.
“Oh, gosh! There are just no words to explain how it felt. Standing there with my sister queen Sarah Lojewski and then them calling my name as the winner. I honestly blacked out. I am so excited for this year and for this journey with Jaelyn and I can’t wait to spread my message of volunteerism across the state and on a national level,” Travis said.
Her social impact initiative is “Got Time? Make It Count!” encouraging volunteerism.
“I’ve worked with two national anti-bullying organizations, … there’s another organization called ‘comfort cases’ that helps provide for foster care children. Now I’m in this amazing organization and they have the Four Points of the Crown – success, style, service, and scholarship. I think the points of the crown service is so important especially for me because my platform is volunteerism and because I’ve been involved in so many things from such a young age, it’s definitely one of my favorite Points of the Crown,” according to Travis.
Both are committed to representing the Mountain State well on the national stage. Wratchford says it is her hope that more young people will find reasons to stay in West Virginia.
“West Virginia definitely needs to be able to get young adults to stay in the area to continue to invest in the community so we can grow as a state. That’s something I’m so passionate about. I love West Virginia. I love our beautiful mountains, the beautiful people in West Virginia. I want to be able to make our state grow. A part of my mission as Miss West Virginia is to give that love of West Virginia to everyone else – to convince them to stay in the state,” Wratchford said.
Travis is looking forward to her national competition next month in Orlando. Wratchford will head to Connecticut to compete in the Miss America pageant in December.
The two were guests on Panhandle Live, heard weekday mornings beginning at 9 on WEPM/WCST, The Panhandle News Network.
WEPM/WCST’s Jordan Nicewarner contributed to this story.