Allison Kellogg Photo by Jesse Worley, Madison County Herald; used by permission.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Allison Kellogg, a May graduate of The University of Alabama, won the title of Miss Mississippi 2003 over 38 other contestants at the annual competition held in Vicksburg.

Kellogg, of Madison, Miss., now moves on to compete in the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City in September.

First runner-up in the state pageant in 2002, Kellogg graduated from UA with a degree in dance, and plans on moving to New York to become a professional dancer. Kellogg auditioned for the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Show in the early fall of 2002 and was chosen as an alternate cast member. She also hopes to attend graduate school at New York University.

By winning the competition, she won $15,000 in scholarship money that will help her dream of attending NYU become a reality. “It looks like now I can reach my of goal of going to graduate school. I didn't have the money before, but I think now I'm getting closer to my goal,” Kellogg said.

Kellogg was also one of five UA students who were named to this year’s USA Today All-USA College Academic Team. UA students garnered the most awards of any college or university this year, claiming five of 83 spots on the list. The ranking places the UA students among some of the nation’s top college and university students.

She received a national honor when she was named the Point of Light Foundation National Volunteer of the Day on Nov. 13, 2002. Founded in 1990 by former President George Bush, the foundation is a nonprofit organization that promotes volunteerism. Since current President George W. Bush took office, the foundation has gained a “national reputation as America’s address for volunteering.”

In March 2002 Kellogg received the Doublemint Aces For Campus Excellence Award, one of 50 national grants given from more than 14,000 applicants. The award was given for her work in providing underprivileged children with dance classes. She teaches free dance classes at the Tuscaloosa Boys and Girls Clubs through a program called “A Time To Dance.” She has several on-going school programs in Tuscaloosa and Madison, Miss., where she mentors students and classes. One of her programs is called Make A Difference Day. The student project “Reading for Refugees,” encouraged reading by raising funds to purchase blankets for Afghan refugee children.

She also created a program called “Star Kids.” It teaches children how to use their gifts and talents to serve others in the community. She designed coloring books and program pamphlets and produced a video for the now copyrighted project. “Because dance gave me a focus and positive direction in my own formative years, I want to provide the same opportunity for any child who is interested in dance,” she said.