The Miss Teen United Nations International is calling and sixteen year old Maleele Choongo will be representing her native land, Zambia, for the Miss Teen United Nations International Final Contests scheduled to be held in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in September.
At sixteen, it's amazing what Choongo has accomplished. A senior at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS), the state's only public, residential, co-educational high school for academically talented juniors and seniors. There, she takes college credit courses. She belongs to the soccer, Debate, Choir, Interfaith Dialogue Club, Beta Club, National Honor Society and the tennis club.
Choongo plans to be majoring in classical music and psychology before heading to law school. Currently, as Miss Teen Zambia which she credits to "fitness, academic achievements, talent, and interview skills in young ladies, which also offers teenage girls an opportunity to not only display but also positively unleash their potential in a way that benefits their community." Choongo feels she's been blessed with all the outlined celebrated traits seeing it as an opportunity to put them to use.
Very confident and believing whoever is granted the title, Miss Teen United Nations International, should not only possess the traits, but must also be passionate and determined enough to use them in a way that best represents her country, Zambia.
Most importantly, Choonga said "I am eager to work alongside the He Touch Me Ministry on my platform, education for orphans, to ensure every child the opportunity of education regardless of their financial status. I focus most of my community service on programs that are centered around educating them."
On a remarkable volunteer work, she assists kindergarten and preschoolers at the MUW Educational Center. She also spent two summers volunteering at the daycare for the least privileged at Bethlehem Day Care Learning Center. She helped a teacher in tutoring and reading to her students at Magee Elementary School.
On academics and excursions, she participated in her school's science carnival where she had a station in which she conducted science experiments and talked to the children about the significance of science in everyday life. In her volunteering for children, and in her own words: "I have truly become passionate about education for orphans. Most importantly, not only do I strive to be a role model inside the classroom, but also in matters remote from academics. I am in no way perfect, but I feel as if my embracing that and using even my imperfections to work towards my goals set at a very good example."
Choongo's other haul of accomplishments and doing stuff for worthy causes:
Murrah High School Counselor's Award; Highest Mathematics Average, National Honor Society; First Place, Jackson Library System Summer Reading Program; First Place, Jackson Heart Study Research Summer Science Program; First Place, JPS Double Tennis; Jckson Ctholic Forensic League Top Five Declamation Speaker; Miss MSMS 2009 -- Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science; National Honors Society Inductee; National Forensic League; Open Doors Gifted Students Award; Open Doors Gifted Students Chess Tournament; Outstanding Mathematics Achievement, Tougaloo Jackson Heart Study Summer Science Program; and the list goes on and on.
In addition, School Recognition Duke Talent Identification Program For Mathematically And Verbally Talented Students, Declamation State Representative National Catholic Forensic League Grand National Tournament and Murrah High School Top 25 PSAT Scores.
While we spoke on the phone in several occasions as outlined above, I popped up some questions she diligently answered without qualms:
So how do you see yourself?
I think I'm a well rounded person; I think I am smart but I am also a hard worker.
What kind of association do you keep to be who you are?
I have always associated myself with like-minded peers meaning people who like doing things I like to do. I have always had decent grades and I akways have kept myself involved in things like Habitat for Humanity, volunteering in after school tutoring and also volunteering at the day care for the least privileged at Bethlehem Day Care Learning Center.
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