I’m with ERIE
October 5, 2009
Caressa Cameron
Customer and former Employee of
ERIE Agent Ron Steele in Montpelier, Va.
Caressa Cameron, Miss Virginia 2009
Hometown: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Where you’ll see her next: In the Miss America Pageant, January 2010, competing as Miss Virginia.
Reaching out: As Miss Virginia for the year, Caressa will serve as Virginia's state ambassador for the Children's Miracle Network and the "Right Decisions, Right Now" program while helping to spread awareness for her cause, HIV/AIDS education.
Why she does it: Caressa’s competed in the Miss Virginia pageant for the past
four years, motivated by the opportunity to earn scholarships and serve local communities. She’s earned more than $35,000 in scholarship dollars through
her participation with the Miss America Organization.
A bright future: Being Miss Virginia is a full-time job for a year. After that, the 21-year old communications major at Virginia Commonwealth University has her sights set high. “My focus is in broadcasting. I'd like to become a news anchor and then eventually branch off into public relations.”
Outside of the pageants: She’s spoken to over 10,000 students about her message, “Real Talk: AIDS in America,” in more than 40 middle and high schools across Virginia.
Her talent: Singing. She earned an additional scholarship award for her performance of the song "Listen" from the movie Dreamgirls in the Miss Virginia Pageant.
Why ERIE? Caressa’s not only an ERIE Customer; she’s also an agency employee at Ron Steele's agency in Montpelier, Va. When she first began there, Steele gave her a copy of Erie Insurance Founder H.O. Hirt's In His Own Words. “I was really inspired by the aspect of service in the book and his emphasis of The Golden Rule,” she said. “That's something that is so rare these days, and it showed that ERIE really is about being Above all in SERVICESM.”
The personal touch: Nowadays, Steele is Caressa's agent, and that relationship is a big reason why she remains a loyal Customer. “Ron is a great guy to work for and a wonderful agent,” Cameron said, adding that she's convinced many friends and family members to switch over to Steele's agency. “I would recommend him in a heartbeat to anyone.”
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