Hello All,

My name is Ashley McAleese and I recently won the state title of Miss West Virginia Petite 2022! This exciting news means I am going to compete for the National Crown for Miss USA Petite in Milwaukee, WI this August! This competition is also the preliminary for the Miss Universe Petite pageant.

I decided to pursue this journey because I wanted to take a risk to promote a cause I am passionate about and continue to grow my confidence. The STEM field is still very much a difficult field to navigate as a young woman in today's occupational climate and I want to use my platform to continue to gather resources to provide educational tools, opportunities and mentorship to young women interested in pursuing the STEM career path.

Personally, I have spent my time since graduating college fighting the pandemic as a Covid-19 laboratory scientist and have continued my career in research against infectious diseases supporting our country and enjoy tutoring in STEM on the side. I was drawn to this field after being hospitalized as a child for Rheumatic Fever which was challenging but made me grow to be resilient. I want to be able to share my experiences and knowledge from hardship with growing professionals to provide guidance for success.

I am creating this fundraiser to gather support in my endeavor in this pageant as it is my first national pageant and I am starting from scratch! The proceeds raised will go towards covering hotel costs, airfare, food, gowns, shoes, hair and makeup artists!

I am very thankful for my family, friends and colleagues who have given me their unconditional support and love to guide me into the professional I am today and any donation is graciously appreciated!

Thank you ❤