What are your Hobbies?
playing the flute, singing, spending time with friends, watching football, supporting my school, playing with my little brother, watching the weather, talking on the phone
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What makes you special and unique?
I have big brown eyes that express a multitude of thoughts and messages. Without opening my mouth, others can read my mind.
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What is the best advice you have ever received?
It is easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you're a winner, when you're number one. What you've got to have is faith and discipline when you're not yet a winner.
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Name one thing you cannot live without.
I could not live without my hair dryer--nothing is worse than a bad hair day.
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What's the most valuable lesson you've ever learned?
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.
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Who is your most valued role model and why?
I most admire my aunt, Sue Lucas, because she has survived the long battle of cancer.
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What was your most unexpected moment?
I was completely sureprised when I was invivted to be a member of the Mississippi Baptist All-State Youth Choir and Orchestra.
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What is your workout routine?
Because of my busy schedule, I try to incorporate walking, lifting small weights, and eating helthy in order to live a balanced life style.
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What has been your biggest accomplishment to date?
As a sophomore, I became the youngest drum major at my school in the last 25 years. Even though I felt very inadequate, I stepped up attempting to fill a major leadership role in our band. Over the next two years, I gained a tremendous amount of confidence and I learned what it truly means to be a leader. Now as a rising senior in my last year as drum major, I now possess the confidence and abilities required to lead my band. When I look back at how scared I was in the beginning, I realize that without a doubt I have matured as a young leader and developed leadership skills that will help me throughout my life.
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What is the best compliment you have ever received?
The last three years I have participated in my school's drama production. After the play the cast stands in line greeting the audience and each year a child has asked for my autograph.
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What is your secret wish?
My wish is to one day report live as a hurricane makes land fall as an employee of The Weather Channel.
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What was your most embarrassing moment?
I was leaving a pep rally, and I tripped over a bass drum. I proceeded to flip and roll down the bleachers. I finally landed on my feet; however, the entire student body got the laugh of their lives.
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What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
I am obsessed with shoes. When I have had a bad day or even a good day, a new pair of shoes is always in order.
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What is your favorite movie and why?
High School Musical is my favorite movie because I enjoy all of the music throughout the movie.
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What do you like to do for fun... relaxation... recreation?
I love to sit down with a big brownie and watch my favorite television shows.
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What would be your dream vacation or destination?
I would love to go to Italy, and fortunately, I will be going with my school during Spring Break 2008.
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What do you like best about the state of Mississippi?
Even though the people in Mississippi are awesome, there is nothing like the good southern cooking that you can only get in Mississippi. From chicken-n-dumplings to fried catfish to homemade ice cream, the food in Mississippi is without a doubt the best in the world.
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Where do you see yourself in ten years?
In ten years, I see me working at The Weather Channel making sure I keep all my friends in Mississippi aware of their weather for the day.
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What extracurricular activities do you participate in?
I am a member of The Union High School band in which I play the flute, and I am also a three year drum major. I am a three year member of the Drama Club. I am currently Mississippi's FBLA Central District Vice President as well as a member of our local FBLA serving as Vice President. I am Student Body Vice President so I am very involved in student council work. Beta Club and FCA also keep me very busy.
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Who am I?
Energetic, bold, driven, thankful, opinionated, blessed, spoiled--these are just a few of the words that describe me, Amber Winstead. As the only daughter in the family and as the middle child, I sometimes find myself getting by with more things than my brothers. My brothers, Jonathan (a junior pre-med major at Mississippi College) and Noah (an eight year old) are good sports, and we really enjoy spending time together. I love to talk to Jonathan because he is full of good advice, and Noah is just fun to be around. Since I consider family to be very important, we enjoy spending a lot of time together. From vactioning every summer to attending Mississippi State football games, my favorite times are usually spent with my family. I feel very blessed to have a supportive family.

When I think of the things I want to accomplish, one of my main goals is to be a good friend. I consider friends to be a priceless possession. However, in order to have a true friend, I must first be a true friend. I strive to be honest and dependable with my friends, and they return these same things. Genuine friends, the ones you can count on in good times as well as bad times, are a rare blessing, and they are to be treasured.

On a lighter note, some of the things I enjoy include singing, playing the flute, shopping, and talking on the phone. My favorite meal would be my grandmother's chicken and dumplings, fried okra, butterbeans, corn, and homemade cinnamon rolls. I enjoy spending time with my youth group at County Line Baptist Church. From singing in the youth choir, learning Bible Drills, and helping with the senior adults and children, my youth group encourages me and reminds me again of how I am blessed.
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Tell us about your platform.
I chose the platform of encouraging reading enjoyment in elementary students in hopes of making an impact in a young person's life. As a young child, I did not enjoy reading, and I never found reading interesting. Now, as a high school student, I wish I had enjoyed reading more as a young child. I have had to develop a passion for reading that I should have had as an elementary student. During my high school year, I have realized how much I missed, and I do not want any elementary student to miss out on all the great things that reading has to offer.

I have become involved in numerous activites to promote reading enjoyment. I helped with a student council book drive to gather books for students who might not have books of their own to read. I also worked at our school's book fair and helped students find a book that they might enjoy. During the school day, I read to elementary students during their library time, and I absolutely enjoy watching the expressions on their faces as I reveal a story to them. After school hours, our school has a mentoring program that helps students with their school work, and I have been staying after school to help with this program to encourage these students to find excitement in learning.

Through all of these programs, I hope to spark an excitement for learning and reading in many elementary students. These students will enjoy reading as young children, and this will help them in their future as they approach high school. In high school, they will be required to read, and hopefully, they will not view reading as an assignment but as an opportunity to learn something new. I have recieved many blessings from my involvement with these students, and I know that I will recieve many more as I continue to encourage these elementary students to enjoy reading.
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