SCIOTO COUNTY – The ebb and flow of life in a small river town can be filled with a variety of opportunities. Every year, a queen is crowned in Portsmouth for River Days, one of the longest-running festivals in Ohio. This year, Mychal and Taylor Cron, daughters of Fluor-BWXT’s Human Resource Manager Todd Cron, earned titles. Mychal was crowned Miss River Days and Taylor earned the title of Young Miss River Days. In addition to receiving other awards, Mychal earned Fluor’s President & Community Services & Leadership Award through the Friends of Portsmouth.
The sisters began preparing for the competition months ago. Mychal was nominated by students and teachers, and both sisters were nominated by a community council.
“It’s a five-month journey that helps young women refine their skills and understand who they are, all while learning important life skills, such as how to stay composed under pressure and to stay true to their core values and beliefs,” Todd Cron said.
To qualify for Miss River Days, Mychal was required to develop a platform that created awareness and supported a cause she felt was needed within the community.
Through her “She’s More” project, Mychal raised awareness and funding to help women battling the waves of drug addiction. She partnered with the Scioto County Career Technical Center’s cosmetology and culinary students, a nail technician, a massage therapist, and a local café to offer free services and meals to the women, reinforcing community support for their journey to recovery.
“My platform focused on educating women in our society to let them know that there is hope and that they do have a purpose. Addiction can really happen to anyone,” Mychal Cron said. “These women are more than the face of an addict, and we as a society have to start showing grace to them.”
Mychal said she loved her project because it benefitted not only the women she targeted in her project, but also the students who helped make her platform come to life. She received a total of $7,400 in scholarships and awards along with her title.
For more information about Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth, please visit www.fbportsmouth.com.
