Caressa Cameron Biography

Caressa Cameron is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Fredericksburg, Virginia, who won the title of Miss America 2010.

Cameron graduated from Massaponax High School and currently attends Virginia Commonwealth University located in Richmond, Virginia.

She won the Miss Virginia title on June 28, 2009 having previously competed for that title three times. In prior competitions she had placed first runner-up in 2008 and second runner-up in 2007 and 2006. She was also 4th runner-up to National Sweetheart 2006. She earned a spot at this pageant due to her second runner-up placement at Miss Virginia. In addition to competing at Miss Virginia, Cameron placed 2nd runner-up to Tori Hall at Miss Virginia Teen USA 2005 and 2nd runner-up to Amber Copley at Miss Virginia USA 2006.

On January 27, 2010, she won a $2,000 scholarship in winning the Preliminary Talent competition in vocal pop.

On January 30, 2010, she won the Miss America 2010 pageant held at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada. She won a $50,000 scholarship, beating out 52 other contestants, and became the third Miss Virginia to win the national title.

She is 5 foot 4 inches, and wears a size 7 shoe.

Cameron is the eighth African American woman to hold the prestigious title. The first African American woman to win the title was Vanessa L. Williams in 1983. Cameron is the first African American among the three Miss Virginia winners to be crowned Miss America and the first African American to reign as Miss America during the first African American president elected.

Her teen years were difficult and awkward. She had to deal with bullying at school. One day the young lady who was Miss Virginia at the time came and spoke at Caressa's school. She encouraged the audience to take negativity and turn it into something positive. These words helped Caressa take more positive steps in her life.

Caressa recently married her high school sweetheart in a Sareh Nouri gown and is working on a career in entertainment.