11/1/07
Miss South Carolina visits Scott’s Branch
By Jerriod Grizzle

Jerriod Grizzle/Manning Times

Miss South Carolina 2007, Crystal Garrett and members of the Scott’s Branch High School ROTC program, last Thursday, following a speech from Miss South Carolina at SBHS.

Crystal Garrett stepped upon the stage at Scott’s Branch High School to boisterous applause. What’s so special about that? She’s also Miss South Carolina 2007.

With a packed house in front of her, Garrett spoke about overcoming adversity and talked with students about being all that they could be.

Garrett, a lifetime sufferer of asthma, has made it part of her platform this year to prepare and empower asthmatic kids.

Garrett said that with her new position representing South Carolina, she has had to carry her inhaler a bit more to get along.

“It’s a bit stressful at times. I carry my inhaler with me. When I won Miss South Carolina, I about had an attack from all the excitement,” she said.

She stated that at three years old she was diagnosed with the disease that that she has done her best to battle it and over come it.

“I was told by many doctors that I would not live to see 21. And yet I’ve played basketball and done vocals,” she said.

Garrett told SBHS students that they should follow their dreams and not fall into the crowd but to hold fast against peer pressure.

“No dream is too little or too small,” she said. “You have to work harder and want it more. You have to hold on to your morals. At first I fell in with the wrong crowd in high school. But when I saw all these successful people, that is when I decided that, is who I wanted to be.”

Her focus on empowerment during the speech was well received by both students and faculty.

“Ever since we knew she was coming here we have had a picture of her in the school,” said Command Sergeant Major Joe S. Johnson, the ROTC instructor for SBHS. “I think that alone has inspired many of our students, both the boys and girls, to empower themselves to be better people. ‘ If she can do it, I can do it,’ is the student’s attitude.”

“It’s been very exciting for both the faculty and the students. We are glad to hear her message so that our students can relate to her overcoming obstacles and they too can succeed,” said SBHS principal Bernard McDaniel.

McDaniel said that a lot of the students at the school have overcome different types of adversity from family problems to a number of situations outside of the home.

Winning the title of Miss South Carolina has allowed her to tell her story, empowering other people and has allowed her the opportunity to travel to new and unique places.

“Change is my environment, it is my comfort zone. I’ve traveled everywhere and to a lot of different places. The most fun was the zoo,” she said. “The best thing about my position is that people get to see African Americans doing good things.”

Being on a pedestal is not quite what Garrett had in mind. Yet, despite her position Garrett said that she is a down-to-earth person.

“In this position people expect me to be perfect and sometimes you can’t be. I am human. I love being my own person,” she said.

She attributes most of her success to her family that taught her values and said that they are the most important aspect of her life.

She said that since she won the title of Miss South Carolina her relationship with her family has gotten closer.

“I still live with my parents and I’m very thankful for them. My mom still cooks for me and my sister checks up on me when I’m coming home late at night,” she said.

At the end of her speech, Garrett sang “Amazing Grace,” for which she received a standing ovation.

She said her appearance Thursday was only the second time she had spoken to a high school and that while it was a bit different, for her it was just like any other speech.

“Sometimes I have a speech prepared but most times I like to go off the cuff. I know the key points I want to talk about and I speak on them,” she said.

Garrett said that the most important thing she has learned while being Miss South Carolina is time management, the difference between work and fun and how the two can go together.

“There is a time to work and a time to play. Sometimes I have to remember I’m at work because it’s so fun most of the time,” she said.

Garrett is only the second African American to win Miss South Carolina in pageant history.

A music major at the University at South Carolina, Garrett is taking a year off to fulfill her duties as Miss South Carolina. Garrett hopes to be a musical performer when she attains her degree.