To date, Natalie is the leader of the US Dream Academy Mentor Club Scholarship Award.  While in Las Vegas for the Miss America Pageant, she gave an account of her experiences with her “Mentor Club” to the State Teen ED’s.  She told about setting up her club and the tremendous benefits of this program. 

Afterward, Wintley Phipps, Founder and CEO of the US Dream Academy and a member of the MAOT Board of Directors congratulated her on the success of her club.  He told her, “You may never know the impact that you have had on others.”

In October, Natalie started collecting Teddy Bears for the young victims of Hurricane Katrina.  She chose the Teddy Bear because it is Mississippi’s official state toy.  To collect the bears, Natalie visited and educated local elementary and middle schools, as well as sororities at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. She provided Teddy Bear boxes for each collection point and sent out letters to be dispersed among the students and sorority sisters.  She also read Teddy bear stories to the elementary school children and encouraged them to participate. Natalie collected approximately 2,000 bears in all.  She donated them to the Salvation Army in Hattiesburg, where they were able to serve a total of 1,400 families with her help.