Hi my name is Matilda Schrum and I am so honored to hold the title of Miss Thurston County’s Teen 2026! I am a currently 15 year old who has been living in Thurston County since I was 9. To be able to represent this community is a dream come true! I love this program because it has taught me so much that goes beyond the crown, things I will forever use outside. Especially skills like public speaking and interview.

 

I originally got into the program because my music teacher was Miss Thurston County 2023 and I would hear her talk about the amazing opportunities that she had through this organization, so when I became eligible to compete at 13 I signed up and started my Miss America journey. I did not win the first year however the experience and people were so amazing that I knew I wanted to come back.

 

Now here I am, Miss Thurston County’s Teen and I get to spread my CSI, "Gaze Into the Future: Finding a Safe Space in the Arts.” My CSI Gaze into the Future  focuses on helping people have a safe place where they can feel like they belong. The goal of my CSI is to create and expand upon resources and safe places where people of all backgrounds, especially members of the LGBTQIA+ community can feel like they fit in. The arts often can create that community and help people feel like they belong which is why it can be so impactful. I know that I as a young queer person have found my way and community in the arts, which is why it is so important to me to help others find their safe space too. I also strive to share the stories of others and how the arts have impacted them. I’m so excited to share this Community Service Initiative with the community and to be able advocate for members of the LGBTQIA+ and The Arts.