May 13th, 2024 by WCBC Radio
Frostburg State University sophomore, Rebecca West, will compete in the Miss Maryland competition June 17-22 in Hagerstown, Md. She was crowned Miss Cumberland in 2023 and currently holds the title of Miss Mountain City 2024.
West, an early childhood/elementary education major, recently participated in the Annual Deans’ Student Colloquium, highlighting her platform, Forget-Me-Not: Erasing the Stigma About Alzheimer’s Awareness, One Memory at a Time. Created in honor of her grandfather who was diagnosed with dementia more than 8 years ago, West strives to educate area youth about a topic oftentimes difficult to discuss.
As a certified dementia caregiver who works closely with families dealing with loved ones suffering from the disease, West implemented “Brain Baskets,” an initiative to help those suffering with memory loss stimulate their brains using fun objects. In the past year alone, she has raised more than $1,000 with this initiative and used the proceeds to provide nursing home residents with the helpful baskets.
In addition, West uses her platform to visit local schools to speak to students about healthy grandparent relationships, distributes hats to newborns at UPMC and has had discussions with legislators to lobby for funding to support Alzheimer’s caregivers.
At FSU, West is the president of Phi Eta Sigma, a peer mentor, member of the cheerleading team, a Global Civic Leader, a member of the President’s Leadership Circle and a participant at the SLOOP Institute for Excellence. Outside of school, she is a dancer and teacher at Frostburg Dance Academy.
.jpg)
