Ava Raiford is the reigning USA National Miss District of Columbia Jr. Teen and an 8th grader at Southampton Middle School. Ava has maintained a 4.0 GPA since first grade and has received the Presidential Academic Achievement Award for the last five years.
Miss DC Jr Teen has spent the last two years traveling to local elementary schools and reading her anti-bullying book, “Ava Spreads Love Wherever She Goes,” to the children. She also shares her personal PowerPoint presentation with older children which discusses the importance of kindness. She has reached over 14,000 people through personal and social media campaigns advocating for her platform.
Last year, Ava developed her personal initiative, “Ava’s Toy Box,” where she collects new toys all year and then distributes them to local families.