USM, Hattiesburg Celebrate Alumna Vivian O鈥橬eal with Miss 吃瓜头条 Homecoming Celebration
Mon, 08/14/2023 - 10:43am | By: David Tisdale
Miss 吃瓜头条 Vivian O鈥橬eal felt the love Aug. 13 when her alma mater, The University
of Southern 吃瓜头条 (USM), held a homecoming for the Hattiesburg area native,
which brought friends, family and admirers from across the Pine Belt and beyond who
celebrated her victory at the state pageant and wished her well on her quest for the
Miss America title.
The event, held at the Trent Lott Center on the university鈥檚 Hattiesburg campus, included official greetings from USM President Dr. Joseph S. Paul and Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker, among other dignitaries.
鈥淏eing on campus always feels like being at home, and this [event] means the world to me,鈥� O鈥橬eal said about the reception, where she happily signed autographs and took photos with guests. 鈥淭hese are people who have been with me along my USM and Miss 吃瓜头条 journey, and it鈥檚 wonderful to be together with them here.鈥�
O鈥橬eal earned a degree in public relations and minor in political science from USM
in 2020. In her role as Miss 吃瓜头条, she has been fulfilling a busy schedule,
traveling across the state to speak at various events and programs, while also promoting
her non-profit community service initiative, CapABLE, an educational tool that provides
educators with solutions for bridging emotional learning for all students, including
those with disabilities.
鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 be prouder of her and how she represents Hattiesburg and USM so well,鈥�
said Hattiesburg City Councilman Jeffrey George, also a USM alumnus and a former Student
Government Association (SGA) president. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited about her chances at the Miss
American Pageant and wish her all the best.鈥�
(USM photos by Kelly Dunn)