Ms. Carrie Ann Mewha

To hear her mother tell it, Carrie Ann Mewha is "just a normal person, who dresses up well."Of course, her mother acknowledges that her 23-year-old middle child is also bright, hard-working, multitalented and good-hearted.

And yes, yes, Carrie Ann Mewha is the new Miss Florida USA, crowned last month in a televised pageant at Broward Community College's Bailey Hall in Davie.
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One thing for sure, blond, blue-eyed Carrie Ann Mewha has always been more than what she was, or is.At 15, she won the first beauty pageant she ever entered.But she was also at the time an honor student who would become a National Merit Scholar, who in turn would be the first with that distinction to be chosen Homecoming Queen at the University of Florida.She graduated with honors from the Gainesville school, earning a degree in microbiology and cell science.She also received a biochemistry research distinction award and the school's Volunteer Award for her work with disabled children.

Now, she's a second-year medical student at the University of Miami.And that, she makes clear, is really what she's about."Medicine's my life," she says, relaxing in her Sunny Isles apartment just a couple of blocks from the surf and sand.
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Born in Dunedin, raised in St. Petersburg, part of a close-knit family that includes two sisters, Mewha demonstrated early on determination and a restless curiosity."I've always loved new things and challenges and getting out of my comfort zone," she says."I get a thrill from the uncertainty and adventure of trying something new."Her mom puts it another way."Life is a series of adjustments with Carrie.It makes things exciting."

For a while, her passion was soccer, then softball, then dancing and a dozen other things.The one that sustained from childhood through college was horseback riding."Nothing hooked me the way horses did," Mewha says.

She and her younger sister, Kelly, competed in equestrian events, and to finance the expensive pastime, they worked at the stables, cleaning out stalls and grooming and exercising horses.Her mother remembers how the two girls once spent a school night at the barn, walking a sick horse.The owner couldn't be found, and they refused to leave the horse alone.The next day, they went off to school as usual.

Mewha admits to some crazy, daring antics as child and teenager, such as trying to go over a jump while sitting backward on the horse.She fell a few times, but was never seriously injured.She undoubtedly recalled those stunts later, when on the equestrian team at the University of Florida she won the conference championship in jumping.

No matter what new distraction snagged young Mewha's attention, school was always primary in her life."My dad is a teacher, he runs the athletic department at St. Petersburg High.I never had the option of letting school be secondary."If grades slipped, all extracurricular activities were canceled.

Her parents were floored when at the age of 15, Mewha announced out of the blue that she wanted to enter the Miss Teen pageant."I begged them to let me compete," she says, recalling that she promised to do extra chores if they'd pay her entry fee."It was a total fluke," she says of her win.Judging was based not so much on beauty, but on community service and scholarship, two areas in which even then she excelled.

Even so, says her mother, "I was shocked.I thought, what did we get ourselves into here?But it was fun.What teenage girl wouldn't want to get dressed up like a princess and ride in a convertible in parades?"

Mewha went on to become Florida's Miss Teen in '95, and one of 10 national finalists.
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Says Mom, "Carrie would never settle for just doing OK.Even with the highest grade average in the class, she was still doing extra-credit work."

And when she doesn't perform to her own high standards, she doesn't buckle."What I admire about Carrie," says her mom, "is if she doesn't succeed, she doesn't quit.She learns something from the experience and tries again."

Mewha, who attended UF on scholarships, still cringes when she talks about college calculus and physics."I got a C in physics [her first ever].That crushed me," she admits.Instead of backing away, she redoubled her efforts."I realized I had to work a lot harder in areas that didn't come naturally to me," she says.

Even in the dating department, as unlikely as it may seem, she's known disappointment.There was a guy at Florida she had a terrible crush on."I got dumped," she says, "for a girl named Sunshine."Now she has another boyfriend, a med student at the University of Florida.

Mewha decided to do her medical training at UM "because I wanted to be in a big city.Miami's great.You see a more diverse patient load here than probably anywhere else in the country."In leaving UF, she passed on to a successor a research project she'd been working on for more than 21/2 years."The thrust of the project was developing a new treatment for breast and prostate cancer using gene therapy."Walking away from the research, "was kind of like giving away a child," she says.

The trickiest test yet for Mewha will come over the next few months, as she tries to shoehorn personal appearances into an already hectic schedule.She hopes to get back into volunteering at a free health clinic in South Miami."I'll also be doing some work with at-risk children in south Broward."And perhaps she'll squeeze in Ronald McDonald House."I don't know whether I did more harm than good," she says, recalling her volunteer stint there as a cook.

To hear her mother tell it, Carrie Ann Mewha is "just a normal person, who dresses up well."Of course, her mother acknowledges that her 23-year-old middle child is also bright, hard-working, multitalented and good-hearted.

And yes, yes, Carrie Ann Mewha is the new Miss Florida USA, crowned last month in a televised pageant at Broward Community College's Bailey Hall in Davie.
...
One thing for sure, blond, blue-eyed Carrie Ann Mewha has always been more than what she was, or is.At 15, she won the first beauty pageant she ever entered.But she was also at the time an honor student who would become a National Merit Scholar, who in turn would be the first with that distinction to be chosen Homecoming Queen at the University of Florida.She graduated with honors from the Gainesville school, earning a degree in microbiology and cell science.She also received a biochemistry research distinction award and the school's Volunteer Award for her work with disabled children.

Now, she's a second-year medical student at the University of Miami.And that, she makes clear, is really what she's about."Medicine's my life," she says, relaxing in her Sunny Isles apartment just a couple of blocks from the surf and sand.
...
Born in Dunedin, raised in St. Petersburg, part of a close-knit family that includes two sisters, Mewha demonstrated early on determination and a restless curiosity."I've always loved new things and challenges and getting out of my comfort zone," she says."I get a thrill from the uncertainty and adventure of trying something new."Her mom puts it another way."Life is a series of adjustments with Carrie.It makes things exciting."

For a while, her passion was soccer, then softball, then dancing and a dozen other things.The one that sustained from childhood through college was horseback riding."Nothing hooked me the way horses did," Mewha says.

She and her younger sister, Kelly, competed in equestrian events, and to finance the expensive pastime, they worked at the stables, cleaning out stalls and grooming and exercising horses.Her mother remembers how the two girls once spent a school night at the barn, walking a sick horse.The owner couldn't be found, and they refused to leave the horse alone.The next day, they went off to school as usual.

Mewha admits to some crazy, daring antics as child and teenager, such as trying to go over a jump while sitting backward on the horse.She fell a few times, but was never seriously injured.She undoubtedly recalled those stunts later, when on the equestrian team at the University of Florida she won the conference championship in jumping.

No matter what new distraction snagged young Mewha's attention, school was always primary in her life."My dad is a teacher, he runs the athletic department at St. Petersburg High.I never had the option of letting school be secondary."If grades slipped, all extracurricular activities were canceled.

Her parents were floored when at the age of 15, Mewha announced out of the blue that she wanted to enter the Miss Teen pageant."I begged them to let me compete," she says, recalling that she promised to do extra chores if they'd pay her entry fee."It was a total fluke," she says of her win.Judging was based not so much on beauty, but on community service and scholarship, two areas in which even then she excelled.

Even so, says her mother, "I was shocked.I thought, what did we get ourselves into here?But it was fun.What teenage girl wouldn't want to get dressed up like a princess and ride in a convertible in parades?"

Mewha went on to become Florida's Miss Teen in '95, and one of 10 national finalists.
...
Says Mom, "Carrie would never settle for just doing OK.Even with the highest grade average in the class, she was still doing extra-credit work."

And when she doesn't perform to her own high standards, she doesn't buckle."What I admire about Carrie," says her mom, "is if she doesn't succeed, she doesn't quit.She learns something from the experience and tries again."

Mewha, who attended UF on scholarships, still cringes when she talks about college calculus and physics."I got a C in physics [her first ever].That crushed me," she admits.Instead of backing away, she redoubled her efforts."I realized I had to work a lot harder in areas that didn't come naturally to me," she says.

Even in the dating department, as unlikely as it may seem, she's known disappointment.There was a guy at Florida she had a terrible crush on."I got dumped," she says, "for a girl named Sunshine."Now she has another boyfriend, a med student at the University of Florida.

Mewha decided to do her medical training at UM "because I wanted to be in a big city.Miami's great.You see a more diverse patient load here than probably anywhere else in the country."In leaving UF, she passed on to a successor a research project she'd been working on for more than 21/2 years."The thrust of the project was developing a new treatment for breast and prostate cancer using gene therapy."Walking away from the research, "was kind of like giving away a child," she says.

The trickiest test yet for Mewha will come over the next few months, as she tries to shoehorn personal appearances into an already hectic schedule.She hopes to get back into volunteering at a free health clinic in South Miami."I'll also be doing some work with at-risk children in south Broward."And perhaps she'll squeeze in Ronald McDonald House."I don't know whether I did more harm than good," she says, recalling her volunteer stint there as a cook.

Carrie Mewha University of Florida

Possibly our next Miss USA - Carrie MewhaBeauty, brains, and a big heart could be the perfect recipe for the success of this Kappa Delta sister.Carrie Ann Mewha, Beta Pi/University of Florida, the reigning Miss Florida 2003 and the reigning Miss Broward County 2003, will compete this month in the 2003 Miss USA pageant in San Antonio, Texas.
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Carrie appreciates the loyal support of all her KD sisters, and is hoping that she will have a large cheering section in Texas for the event.Having your own personal cheering section makes a huge difference in the competition; having your KD sisters there is just plain priceless!So as you sit there in the audience here is some background information about Carrie that you might want to know, and share!

Within the last two years alone Carrie has been bestowed all of the following awards:University of Florida Research Distinction in Biochemistry, University of Florida Reitz Scholar (for Academic Achievement and Service to the Community), Bayfront Medical Center scholarship for academic achievement and service to the medical community, Greek of the Month for Service to the Community, Proclaimed "Carrie Ann Mewha Day" in Sunny Isles for Service to the Community, Named "Top 25 Rising Stars in Coral Gables," Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity National Sweetheart, Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Conference Champion in Jumping, Intercollegiate Horse Show Association AQHA Cup winner (Conference Champion in Overall Western Riding), Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Finalist.
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When asked, "Why did you enter a pageant?", Carrie responded, "It seemed like a great challenge!
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In the past 24 months, Carrie has taken a very active role in philanthropy projects that her Kappa Delta experience has afforded her.As the official spokesperson for the Florida Early Childhood Initiative and member of the Prenatal Care Committee., Carrie speaks out on behalf of the Initiative throughout the community as well as making personal appearances at numerous events throughout Florida.
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Carrie has worked several fundraisers and helped to sponsor events in Broward County, helping to raise over $40,000 for the children of the Boys and Girls Clubs.Her favorite part of working with The Boys and Girls Clubs is when she works directly with the children both at the centers and at special events during the holiday season.

Carrie is currently studying medicine, in blending her education with her philosophy on philanthropy she is able to treat patients for free at the South Miami DOCS Clinic.
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While at the University of Florida and in the Beta Pi chapter, Carrie served as a mentor for 2 years in CHAMPS mentor program which targets at-risk elementary school children.Mentors meet weekly with students to develop study plans and encourage self esteem.

Kappa Delta's partnership with Girl Scouts opened up volunteer avenues for Carrie when Beta Pi chapter adopted a local Girl Scout troop.Carrie along with her sisters of Beta Pi held events that promoted self esteem and encouraged the girls to pursue college educations.

When asked "What do you think is the most difficult challenge females face today?"Carrie replied,"Balancing traditional values with today's opportunities and expectations.Women today still place importance on marriage, family, and being feminine, but also strive to excel in a myriad of careers.It is often difficult to maintain those values in careers that remain male-dominated and to devote time to developing both a career and a family."

Miss USA events begin in San Antonio on March 9, culminating with the Presentation Show on March 19 and the Miss USA Pageant March 24, both at San Antonio Municipal Auditorium.Tickets will be on sale at Ticketmaster.You can contact Carrie directly with notes of support or questions about the upcoming event at UFKDCarrie@aol.com.

Miss USA Pop Quiz Question-- What Kappa Delta Sorority member was crowned Miss USA in 1996??

Carrie Mewha305-672-0384UFKDCarrie@aol.com

Carrie Ann MewhaUniversity of Florida

The title of Miss Florida USA 2003 went to 23-year-old Carrie Mewha, a medical student at the University of Miami.

The winner receives prizes worth more than $12,000 and goes on to compete in the Miss USA pageant next year.

ORLANDO, Fla., April 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Speaking before a rally of hundreds of concerned seniors, doctors, business leaders and others at the Florida Hospital Adventist Church in Orlando today, Carrie Mewha, Miss Florida USA 2003, called on U.S. Senators Bob Graham and Bill Nelson, both Florida Democrats, to vote for meaningful, national medical liability reform legislation this year."Patient access to quality medial care is affected at every level by the escalating crisis," Mewha said."Senators Graham and Nelson have the unique opportunity to vote for reform legislation that will make sure doctors are available not only to Florida patients, but to patients across the country."Ms. Mewha, a second-year student at the University of Miami School of Medicine and spokesperson for the Florida Early Childhood Initiative, had planned to enter the field of high-risk obstetrics, but is now reconsidering her decision given today's liability environment."Our medical liability system is so clogged with frivolous lawsuits -- and those suits are driving up liability costs so high -- that medical students are thinking twice about entering high-risk specialties, or about becoming a doctor at all," she said.Medical school applications fell 23% nationwide last year, in large part due to concerns about rising medical liability costs, according to Ms. Mewha.