Miss Fairfax Volunteer Spreads Message Of Service At Springfield's Blossom Fest

SPRINGFIELD, VA — Among the lineup of entertainment, food, music and vendors at Springfield Town Center’s inaugural Blossom Fest on Saturday was an appearance by Miss Fairfax Volunteer Christina Blake, who started a nonprofit organization when she was in high school to address the unequal distribution of academic resources.

As the reigning Miss Fairfax Volunteer, Blake will be competing at the Miss Virginia Volunteer pageant at the Academy Center of the Arts in Lynchburg in August. The Miss Volunteer America organization has a mission to SERVE, which is an acronym for scholarships, education, responsibility, volunteerism and empowering.

"We are really dedicated to making a difference in our community and having a positive impact on the world," Blake said of the Miss Volunteer organization.

A graduate of Fairfax County Public Schools' Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Blake embraced the value of service at a young age. She founded the nonprofit Wise Up to Rise Up in her junior year at Thomas Jefferson High School in hopes of sharing her knowledge and love for science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, with students in Fairfax County.

Today, Blake, 21, a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, works full-time as an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force, while running her nonprofit, modeling and competing in pageants. Blake also previously worked as a sales consultant at That's My Dress in Fredericksburg, dressing girls for pageants, weddings, proms and other occasions.

"Wise Up to Rise Up is all about fighting inequity in education, which is a huge issue across the country, but particularly in Virginia," Blake told Patch. "We quite literally spend double in some school systems in our state compared to what other school systems in the state are spending per child, simply because different counties have different tax revenues."

The Wise Up to Rise Up website explains that the unequal distribution of academic resources includes school funding, qualified and experienced teachers, books, and technologies.

"The communities primarily impacted by educational inequity tend to be historically disadvantaged and oppressed," the website states.

Blake also is a published author of two children's books, including the "The Brave Little Raindrop," a book she wrote and illustrated. The book follows the adventures of a young raindrop through the water cycle. Along its journey, the raindrop learns about the dangers of water pollution.

Last month, "The Brave Little Raindrop 2: Every Drop Counts," Blake's sequel to her first book, was published, providing children with water conservation tips to use at home and share with friends. The "The Brave Little Raindrop" and its sequel were written to serve as a tool for elementary-level environmental education.

After attending the inaugural Blossom Fest at Springfield Town Center on Saturday, Blake said it was "fantastic to meet so many amazing community members and local businesses."

"Titleholders are more than just a pretty face! I love promoting the Miss Volunteer America organization's mission to S.E.R.V.E. and it is an honor to represent my hometown of Fairfax," she says on her Facebook page.

Springfield Town Center held the Blossom Fest as part of its new partnership with the National Cherry Blossom Festival organization.

RELATED: Inaugural Blossom Fest Planned For April 8 At Springfield Town Center