MISS AMERICA Crowning Achievement For her Miss America talent demonstration, Camille Schrier turned to science BY JULIE JACOBS earing a white lab coat and ide breaking down into water and oxygen — it eliminated the swimsuit portion of the goggles, Camille Schrier gas, the water mixing with the dish soap competition — and more on candidates’ stood behind three large and the gas forming bubbles in the soapy personal and professional passions and Erlenmeyer flasks, in front liquid, which in turn caused pressure that social-impact endeavors, MAO is empower- of a studio audience of thousands and a shot the material into the air. ing young women in a whole new way. As Wtelevision audience of millions more. In The enthralling and educational 90-sec- part of this effort, MAO and its foundation each flask was a solution of dish soap, food ond demonstration elicited awe-filled gasps continue to annually award a variety of coloring and hydrogen peroxide, the last from the spectators, and ultimately helped scholarships, including several focused on constituting 35% of the liquid. lead Schrier to be crowned Miss America science, technology, engineering and math. As she explained how the catalytic 2020 this past December. Her display of Schrier, who is pursuing a doctor of phar- decomposition of hydrogen peroxide oc- scientific knowledge was not the typical macy degree at Virginia Commonwealth curs, she poured a beaker of homemade, talent exhibited by competition contestants, University in Richmond, told the judges saturated potassium iodide into each flask. but it does exemplify the evolution of the during the competition, “We need to show Within seconds, brightly colored plumes of Miss America Organization (MAO) and that Miss America can be a scientist and a foam-like substance burst upward from its competition, which rebranded in 2018. that a scientist can be Miss America.” each flask — a result of the hydrogen perox- Now focusing less on outward appearance Just a month after donning the crown, the ORGANIZATION OF THE MISS AMERICA COURTESY PHOTO 32 Diversity in Action | MAY/JUNE 2020 “We need to show that science. She captures a new ‘dreamer’ from we can each individually make an impact Miss America can be a each audience she is in front of, a young gal … then we can help to change this.” scientist and that a scientist wanting to grow up and become a scientist.” Schrier’s Miss America crowning follows can be Miss America,” says Schrier, who is pursuing a other competition wins, beginning with doctor of pharmacy degree. From Nature Lover to Drug Safety Advocate National American Miss Pennsylvania Schrier has always been interested in all Teen in 2012, Miss USA Ambassador Teen things science. She grew up on a 10-acre in 2013 and Miss Virginia in 2019. She property with a pond and nearby woods, acknowledges that these victories have with her mom, a registered nurse, her helped her gain valuable presentation and father, a diesel mechanic turned tempera- communication skills, which have proved ture-control-systems-installation entrepre- tremendously advantageous to her in get- neur, and her older sister. She particularly ting internships and working in corporate enjoyed the outdoors, finding herself drawn environments. to everything that was alive in that pond, They have also provided her with including bugs, snakes and frogs, as well as memorable experiences as part of a unique attending science camp. community of women. For Miss America, “I think that was the way that I started to she reveals, “I wanted to make sure that I love the sciences and the natural world,” she had a really wonderful time, and I went into reflects. “And then that continued on to me that final night knowing that I had done loving to cook and bake and learning that everything that I could do to be success- was kind of chemistry.” ful in the competition, but that I also had a She went on to major in biochemistry and really great week. And I met women from systems biology at Virginia Tech, graduat- across the country, and so no matter what ing cum laude in 2018. With her PharmD the outcome was, I was happy.” degree, for which she expects to resume her Although she says with a laugh that she studies next year after completing her Miss barely remembers the moment when her America duties, she would like to combine name was announced as Miss America and her clinical background with business de- her triumph “still doesn’t really feel like a velopment for a pharmaceutical company. real thing,” with the evolution of the com- Her doctoral education factors into her petition she has “never felt more at the right social impact initiative as Miss America: place at the right time than this year.” “Mind Your Meds: Drug Safety Schrier will travel more than 300 days in and Abuse Prevention from Pedi- 2020, logging thousands of miles around the atrics to Geriatrics.” During the country and perhaps even overseas. While competition, Schrier spoke about as an admitted homebody she does not her previous personal struggles relish being away from her family and two with both obsessive-compulsive cats for long stretches, she does look forward disorder and an eating disorder. to making an impact for women in science Shantel 24-year-old shares that her Krebs She recalls going to the pharmacy and being a role model for girls who want to “really simple example of a with her mother and watching enter the field — putting “a face to a woman decomposition reaction” is “a her scrutinize medication boxes, who is pursuing a science career, but also mess to clean up, but it’s so much fun! “figuring out what was in them, talking to has this really cool job,” as she puts it. “I can’t sing or dance … and I don’t play me about how often I could take them, what “When I have that sparkly hat, as I like to an instrument, so I was searching for some- the maximum dosage in a day was. These call it, on my head, [little girls] look at me in thing that I could perform and that would were normal conversations.” a different light,” says Schrier, who is happy also be able to be true to who I am,” she Sharing her story and spreading aware- to be thought of as the “Science Princess.” says on a Monday afternoon by phone from ness among parents and caregivers about “… They can start to associate somebody the suburban Philadelphia home where she medication safety, as well as prescriptions in a role like Miss America with being a was raised. “I’m excited to be able to really with abuse potential such as opioids, are scientist. … If it’s one girl or a hundred or change the perception of Miss America very important to her platform. “This is a thousand that can be able to connect that through this.” such a huge issue,” says Schrier, a certified and see that and pursue science because Shantel Krebs, MAO board chair, notes, trainer in the administration of naloxone, they are able to see what they can be “Camille has been a strong advocate, increas- used to treat opioid overdoses. “If we treat through watching me, then that’s what I’m PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MISS AMERICA ORGANIZATION OF THE MISS AMERICA COURTESY PHOTO ing awareness and promoting women in this as a grassroots effort [through which] really excited about.” n MAY/JUNE 2020 | Diversity in Action 33.