Young Woman on a Mission: No More Bullying!

Ieshia Ahmed, Miss Commonwealth Outstanding Teen, Habitat girl.

Went over this morning to photograph the Women's Habitat for Humanity build on Patterson Avenue in Roanoke and ran into a young woman named Ieshia Ahmed, who was recently selected Miss Commonwealth Outstanding Teen. She was mowing the lawn around the new home because state law prohibits her from actually building on the house.

Ieshia is a 15-year-old Salem High Student whose platform for the pageant, she says, is "putting an end to bullying." She's dead serious about that because she's been one of the bullied for a good while now and she's tired of it.

Ieshia mows in her tiara at Habitat house.

Ieshia is a bright, outgoing, intelligent and very pretty youngster, one you simply would not imagine being a victim of bullying. That tells me just how pervasive this behavior is and how far we have to go to get it under control.

Ieshia says she won the pageant without a talent. She read for that part. She grinned and said she's "very, very, very interested" in getting involved with Roanoke theater.

Let me put a bug in the ear of my buddies in the lovely discipline of theatrics about her: she could be your next star. Talk to her and see what you can do with
her.

She's a good kid. I can get you contact info.