2025 SESSION

INTRODUCED

25104687D

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 483

Offered January 15, 2025

Commending Carlehr Swanson.

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Patrons—McQuinn, Cole, Green, Martinez, Owen, Rasoul, Ward and Ware

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WHEREAS, Carlehr Swanson, a graduate student at the University of Virginia and a passionate advocate for the transformative power of music, was selected as Miss Virginia on June 29, 2024, at the Berglund Center Auditorium in Roanoke; and

WHEREAS, Carlehr Swanson grew up in Richmond and was inspired to pursue musical education from a young age while listening to hymns of praise in church with her grandmother, Gladys; and

WHEREAS, Carlehr Swanson holds a bachelor's degree in jazz studies from George Mason University, a master's degree in jazz vocal performance from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, and a master's degree in critical and comparative studies in music from the University of Virginia, where she is currently pursuing a doctorate; and

WHEREAS, after witnessing her grandmother struggle with Alzheimer's disease and dementia, Carlehr Swanson established Bridging the Divide: Music is Unity to promote the benefits of music for memory health and overall wellness; and

WHEREAS, through Bridging the Divide: Music is Unity, Carlehr Swanson facilitated performances and programs in schools, nursing homes, and other venues to foster empathy, social harmony, and togetherness through a shared love of music; and

WHEREAS, Carlehr Swanson has also worked with national nonprofit organizations such as Music & Memory and Sing for Hope and partnered with the Richmond VA Medical Center to support recovering veterans; and

WHEREAS, Carlehr Swanson has been participating in Miss America and Miss America's Teen competitions for a decade; she won the 2024 Miss Virginia competition as Miss Blue Ridge and received $22,500 in scholarship awards to continue supporting her education; and

WHEREAS, Carlehr Swanson's platform provides an opportunity to expand Bridging the Divide: Music is Unity into a full-service arts organization that celebrates the healing and unifying power of music; she also shared her message with students as a spokesperson for the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority's Miss Virginia School Tour program, which promotes healthy choices and substance abuse prevention; and

WHEREAS, as Miss Virginia, Carlehr Swanson represented the Commonwealth in the Miss America Competition at the Walt Disney Theater in Orlando, Florida, on January 4–5, 2025; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Carlehr Swanson hereby be commended on her selection as Miss Virginia in 2024; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Carlehr Swanson as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for her commitment to community service and promotion of the musical arts as a way to bring people together and help those in need.