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When Anedra Million ’97, ’01 M.Ed. took to the stage during Mrs. America 2024 in Las Vegas, she was fulfilling a lifelong dream to become an accomplished and inspirational trailblazer from her local community.

But the magic of the moment wasn’t just meant for Million alone. It was also a dream with the voices of others in mind.

Her goal to become Mrs. America 2024 also included a three-part platform called “Project 365: A Million Reasons to Succeed,” which aspires to amplify student voices through mental health initiatives, social emotional learning, and drug and alcohol abuse and prevention programs.

“My belief is that all schools across the nation should have prevention programs embedded into their curriculum,” Million said. “There are lots of programs that are for the aftermath, but my program is about prevention. It’s about getting ahead of problems. Because after being in education for almost three decades, I've seen a lot of children who have been impacted by these issues, and I know there needs to be more resources and initiatives behind this.”

Today, Million – who was also crowned Mrs. Ohio America 2024 earlier this year – is a teacher at Highview Sixth Grade Center in Middletown, Ohio. She has served as a principal and school administrator, and she’s taught almost every grade above and below the sixth as well.

“I enjoy all aspects of education,” she said. “I get to impact students on a firsthand, grassroots level, and they profoundly impact me. Building a personal connection with the students is one of the most fulfilling aspects of being an educator.”

Before becoming a professional educator, Million studied Education at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, which played a significant role in her career development. While at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and completed the coursework for her doctorate through ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s Department of Educational ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúhip, before finishing her Ph.D. at Oakland City University.

“ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú prepared me to be on the Mrs. Ohio stage, as well as the Mrs. America stage, because it gave me the opportunity to utilize some of the things that we were taught,” she said. “There are issues that are near and dear to your heart. And if you research those issues, it helps you find the right audiences to speak to. ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú prepared me for that, and I’m very proud to be a ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú alumna.”

At the Mrs. America 2024 competition in Las Vegas last month, Million was one of the last two standing on stage, where she ultimately placed as the first runner-up. She still has a chance at the crown, however, because if the first-place winner gets crowned Mrs. World in January, Million will then retroactively assume the title of Mrs. America 2024.

But Million still sees the second-place finish as an immense accomplishment, and not only because as a 51-year old grandmother it was an experience that she’d been dreaming of for most of her life.

But also, because it gave her a large megaphone to talk about the important causes and issues that could help improve the lives of students across the country.

“Even though I didn't walk away with the title,” she said, “I had the opportunity to use my voice for good. So that's one message I want to give everyone: continue to fight for your dreams, no matter what. Because dreams don’t have expiration dates. And my hope for the future is to continue to find powerful ways to make change, and to impact legislation and education, to make sure that the students have all that they need in the classroom.”