MARGANA WOOD
​There She Learns…
 
Margana Wood is a 22-year-old graduate from the University of Texas at Austin. She has earned a degree in Corporate Communications with a minor in Rhetoric and Writing. After her year of service, with the educational scholarship earned by winning the title of Miss Texas, she plans to return to graduate school to pursue her master’s degree. The Miss America Organization is one of the nation’s leading achievement programs and the largest provider of scholarships for women in the world. Each year, the organization makes available more than $45 million in scholarship assistance to young women across the country. Thanks to the scholarship money she earned through the Miss America and Miss Texas programs, Margana will continue to advance her education without the need for student loans.
 
There She Serves…
 
During her year of service, Margana will have the opportunity to make a difference in lives of so many Texans. She will work with agencies that provide services for children, families, the elderly, veterans, and the homeless.  Margana has been granted the opportunity to work with organizations such as Special Olympics, GiRL Power of the Laura Bush Foundation, Susan G. Komen, The Little Words Project, and more!  Additionally, The Miss America Organization also has an established partnership with Children’s Miracle Network, a nonprofit organization that saves and improves the lives of children. National, state, and local titleholders are able to visit Children’s Miracle Network hospitals because of this long-standing relationship of 26 years!
 
There She Advocates…
 
On her year-long speaking tour as Miss Texas, Margana will be spreading her message “You Belong”, her personal platform.  As the name implies, her platform seeks to teach lessons of inclusion and respect, while also educating audiences of the different kinds of bullying.  Additionally, as part of the “Texas Cares for Children” program, a 501(c)3 foundation, she will share with students a character-education program which includes the importance of staying in school, developing positive activities and habits, good citizenship, following rules and respecting authority.  In addition she will incorporate her personal platform to encourage young people to stand together in combatting bullying.  Margana will also continue her partnership with Children’s Miracle Network along with her fellow Miss America state titleholders around the country. The Miss America state and local contestants and their network of volunteers participate in more than 12,000 community service projects annually, donating more than 500,000 service hours to various worthy causes. The Miss America Organizations partners with the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals as its national platform and has raised over $5 million for scholarship funds and children’s hospitals across the country.