Vivian O'Neal Visits Section 36!

Photo: Frank Carnaggio

Section 36 had another visitor! Vivian O'Neal is passionate about inclusion in education, an author, and the current Miss Mississippi. I was so excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. I was especially excited that Vivian is the first visitor to Section 36 with a title from the state of Mississippi! So excited to fill in that portion of the map.

So, let's see what happens when Vivian O'Neal visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Mississippi crown?

There is always an after-party following the final night of the competition to celebrate the show and the new winner. For me, the after party was my first opportunity after being crowned to see all my friends, family, and the Miss Mississippi delegates! It truly takes a village to prepare for a competition like this, so the best way to celebrate for me was getting to hug all of those people and thank them for helping make this dream a reality! 

Is there a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your time as Miss Mississippi?

I have several, but my top two goals center around expansion. The first is to expand the Miss Mississippi Corporation through recruitment and retention efforts to grow the program and the number of women involved. The second is to expand the efforts and reach of my community service initiative, CapABLE. So far, CapABLE has reached over 20,000 students across five states and my goal is for it to be a nationally recognized nonprofit and double the number of students reached. 

What part of the upcoming Miss America competition are you most nervous about?

I don’t really have any nerves! I’m sure that may change as the national competition grows closer, but I’ve truly dreamed of competing at Miss America for so long that any nerves have been overpowered by joy, excitement, and gratitude! 

How did you select your social impact initiative, “CapABLE”?

Honestly, my social impact initiative chose me. I am the daughter of educators and the sister to a child with a disability, so growing up, I was very aware of how students with disabilities were perceived and treated in the classroom. I realized that there are not any programs or curricula in place that are dedicated to actually teaching inclusivity when it comes to disability inclusion, so I worked with educators to develop a five-day character education curriculum for Kindergarten-3rd grade students. It harnessed such incredible success and impact, that I was contacted by someone from the University of Southern Mississippi to create a STEM version of the curriculum for 4th-6th graders. I wrote a companion children’s book called “Josiah’s Big Day!” and plan to expand it into a series! Additionally, I combined my passion for inclusion and higher education by partnering with the Mississippi Community College Board to create a disability inclusion training for college-age students. I had no idea when I first started CapABLE that it would grow into what it is today. Still, I’m grateful for the opportunity to elevate such a necessary conversation and mission as Miss Mississippi. 

What is your personal fitness routine?

These days, my fitness routine is any workout I can do in a hotel room or hotel gym! I can get bored easily with fitness routines, so I love changing things up and trying different classes when I can, such as pilates, yoga, cycling, etc.! I’m also a dancer, so my Miss America talent practice can double as a cardio workout!  

You received your MEd from the University of Southern Mississippi. Where do you see those studies taking you?

After my year as Miss Mississippi, I plan to trade in that title for the title of Dr. O’Neal by earning a Ph.D. in Education! I hope to be a public speaker, or “mobile educator” as I call it, within the realm of disability inclusion and my nonprofit, CapABLE.

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

Princess Jasmine - she was my favorite Disney princess growing up! I always loved her fiery personality and independence. Her pet tiger reminds me of how protective my dog is of me! 

If you had an extra ticket to see a Mississippi Braves baseball game against the Biloxi Shuckers, who would you take with you? Why?

I would probably take my friends Katelyn and Tyler. Katelyn is from Biloxi, so I know she would enjoy cheering for her hometown team! I’m more of a football game girl, but Tyler loved baseball games in college, so she could probably explain everything to me throughout the game, ha! 

Is there a feature or activity during a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?

I’ve always loved the general culture of sporting events! I was on the dance team in college, and one of my favorite things about the gameday experience besides performing was the energy and simply being in that environment with everyone excited to watch the game! 

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True. Nothing really competes with the gameday experience!

As always, I want to thank Vivian for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

I also want to wish her luck when she competes for Miss America! It would be fantastic to have another Section 36 Forever wear that crown.

I'm sure you'd like to follow along with Vivian during her journey. You should be sure to check out her title's Instagram account and website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on, and you'll be sure not to miss anything. You should also check out the instagram and website for her CSI CapABLE to learn more about that initiative.

Thanks again Vivian, and good luck!