ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A local principal will have quite the back-to-school story once classes start back up. She's heading to Las Vegas to compete for the national crown in the Mrs. America pageant.
Dr. Ingrid Bynum has been a principal at Patrick Henry School in Alexandria for 12 years. She just recently snagged the Mrs. Virginia title this summer, and now she's preparing to take the national stage later this month.
She's been attending coaching sessions and training for times a week, on top of all her principal duties. Her campaign is literacy, and she's hoping to inspire students all across the DMV.
"I want little girls to know they can do any and everything all at once. They can be a mother, they can be a wife, they can have an amazing career and they can still give back to the community," Bynum said. "That's the mission of the Mrs. America pageant and I want the children to understand that anything is possible when they work hard and put their mind to it."
The Mrs. America pageant is Aug. 26. Right now, Bynum is leading the way for the people's choice award. The person with the most votes by Aug. 21 will get an automatic spot in the top 15 at the pageant.
You can vote by going here and clicking on Mrs. Virginia.