Appearances!

As Miss Teen Dallas County International, I have been pleased to participate in a few community events already.

September 2010- Volunteering at Autumn Leaves

                              

A regular visitor to Autumn Leaves, Alzheimer's and Dementia nursing home, I have the pleasure in seeing the senior citizens of my community lighten up with just a single visitor. I love playing bingo, watching the news, and just chatting with the friendly occupants. I always leave with a couple words of wisdom.


September 18, 2010- North Texas Teen Volunteer Fair

I attended the 2010 North Texas Teen Volunteer Fair. I not only got the opportunity to learn about the nonprofits in my area and get involved with a variety of causes, but it warmed my heart to see other teenagers taking the imitative to make a difference in their communities.

September 24, 2010- State Fair of Texas Opening Day Parade

I was pleased to be invited to participate in the State Fair of Texas Opening Day Parade with the current Miss Teen Texas International, Sydney Datcher.

October  9, 2010- Country Day on the Hill

Making an appearance in my hometown of Cedar Hill, I visited Country Day on the Hill. Country Day on the Hill has been a tradition in Cedar Hill for several years, where the citizens of Cedar Hill come out and enjoy a day full of activities, food, and good music located right in the heart of Cedar Hill. I was thrilled at the opportunity to go into the petting zoo and hold the small farm animals!

October 16, 2010- Buddy Walk

I was honored to be a dignitary at the 2010 Tarrant County Buddy Walk benefiting children with down syndrome. Having volunteered at the Special Olympics a few times before, I was absolutely thrilled to participate in a walk around the beautiful campus of UT Arlington with some of these children. Leading the walk with Miss Texas United States and Mrs. Fort Worth International, I took advantage of chatting with some of the self-advocates. It's amazing how much these children grow and learn with just a little encouragement! I loved talking with them and learning about their hobbies, likes, and activities; not to my surprise we share many common likes including, swimming, dancing, and spending quality time with family. After the walk, I enjoyed going around the game stations and spending time taking pictures, dancing, and doing activities with the children. Doing this Buddy Walk was an amazing experience and it opened my eyes to the little things in life we often neglect to give any attention to, such as, a Saturday outdoors, a big bear hug, or even a simple smile.

About me

Howdy!

I am honored to be your Miss Teen Dallas County International 2011. I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to make an impact in my community with such an honorable title.

I am currently a 17 year old senior at Cedar Hill High School. Always having a desire to be in a leadership position I am the National Honor Society Vice President, World Culture Club President, and BPA Secretary. Born and raised a Bangali- American I am always “on the go”, from study groups to my internship, I find very little free time. But with the rare free time I do acquire, I love to volunteer for my community and Distressed Children and Infants International, an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty with the power of knowledge. I pride myself in sending impoverished children back to school and opening their eyes to a hopeful and bright future.  As a committed full time volunteer for DCI,  I devote many long, hard hours to this program. First generation born and raised a proud Texan, I posses a great deal of passion for Bangladesh and third world countries.

With this passion, I have founded a scholarship program benefiting the young girls involved in the DCI program. Learning Creates Futures- Lora Chowdhury Foundation was formed in an effort to create more opportunities for underprivileged children who are given the opportunity to attend school through DCI. Kick started on July 23, 2009, my 16^th birthday, Learning Creates Futures has been awarded on July 31, 2010 to the first recipient. Being a merit-based scholarship, a young lady is chosen annually based on her academic results from the previous year.

With my recent trip to Bangladesh, I awarded this scholarship to Narayoni- my personal sponsored child in DCI for the past 5 years. I strongly believe that awarding this scholarship will not only give a young girl an opportunity to attend college and further her education, but this will also motivate the other children involved in the DCI program to persevere throughout the year in hopes of winning the scholarship in the following year. Learning Creates Futures not only includes a scholarship but comes packed with an extraordinary prize pack, including a crown, necklace, and a purse full of goodies. A young girl should be poised, intelligent, and sophisticated. Working to make this world a little brighter, I enjoy opening up opportunities for children who never could believe. Remember, no dream is ever too big!