Tamia Hardy

Miss West Virginia 2017

Age: 22

Hometown: Martinsburg, West Virginia

Platform Issue: Stand Up, Don’t Stand By!

Talent: Hip Hop Dance

College Major: Business Administration, Entrepreneurial Studies

Scholastic Ambition: To obtain a PhD

My Inspiration: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspires me because he stood up for something he believed in, during a very trying time, all while remaining peaceful.

If I’m Crowned Miss America: I want to plan a large Shoe Project, which is a demonstration that promotes bystander intervention.

Bio: Tamia originally got involved with her platform “Stand Up, Don’t Stand By!” as a seminar that incoming Shepherd University students must complete at orientation. As a member of the Multicultural Leadership Team and the A-Team, she was able to learn more about bystander intervention for sexual assault and it became an intricate piece of her experience on Shepherd’s campus. She wants to spread the skills she has attained to help keep others safe and decrease the number of sexual assault cases. As the first black Miss West Virginia, Tamia wants to be an example for others and inspire them to follow their dreams.