By: Isaiah S. Showell, Follow South Jersey Multimedia Journalist/’What’s Good’ Host
BRIDGETON, N.J. — Miss Cumberland County 2022, Ashley Campbell, made time to sit and converse on who she is, and how she will direct her platform while serving as Miss Cumberland County.
Mental health and making sure people are aware of services and resources especially the youth is a priority to Campbell. The 21-year-old is very hands on with her own group called One Step Forward Initiative, educating the youth on how to address mental health challenges, and reinforcing they are not alone.
“Since 2019 I’ve hosted art therapy programs,” Campbell said. “I went to the Alms Center here in Bridgeton and brought my old dance teacher, who is a professional dance choreographer, and we had a free dance lesson. I’m empowered to use my voice.”
Campbell is definitely a busy woman and pursuing her passions and serving as Miss Cumberland County made me think about the ones who inspired her to be a goal oriented person in Cumberland County. But who inspires her the most? She answers that her biggest role model is her mother.
“My parents divorced when I was 8,” she said. “Since then, I lived with my mom and my sister, and I watched her overcome so much. She always keeps her head high and never lets anyone see her down.”
Sunset Lake was and is one of Campbell’s favorite places to be in Cumberland County, and when asked what one of the misconceptions of Cumberland County was, she referred to her home as a diamond in the ruff.
“On the outside looking in people tend to look down on this county as a whole because it may not be what you see in Gloucester County or Burlington County,” Campbell said. “But you have to sit and appreciate all we have to offer here. We have a lot of history going back to the Underground Railroad, and we are beautifully diverse in cultures.”
Ashely Campbell is not stopping at serving Cumberland County. She now wants to serve the entire Garden State as Miss New Jersey!
Atlantic City is where she’ll be reporting to go get ready to compete for the title and share what she’s been advocating for while simultaneously representing as one of Cumberland County’s finest. The last question I asked her before we wrapped up our conversation was a hypothetical: How does she want to be remembered if today was her last day on Earth?
“I want to be remembered as someone who did all she could to make people feel included, heard, and seen,” she said.
Miss Cumberland County Ashley Campbell, you’re definitely what’s good in South Jersey!
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