She beat brain cancer. Now, she’s Miss Columbus State and training to fight the disease
After overcoming childhood brain cancer, Tori Svenson is Miss Columbus State University 2022 — and training to become a nurse who helps cancer patients.
She was crowned at the Feb. 19 competition on CSU’s main campus.
Diagnosed at 7, Svenson had a year of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation.
“I have a lot of side effects due to the treatment because it’s meant for adults, so part of my platform is that I want to find better treatment so that children who undergo the same journey as me don’t have to have those side effects,” she said in CSU’s news release.
Svenson plans to use her platform to raise money for childhood cancer research through the Rally Foundation.
No wonder the sophomore nursing major wants to become a pediatric oncology nurse.
“A big part of why I picked CSU is its nursing program,” she said. “It’s a highly ranked program and just provides a really well-rounded education.”
Svenson sang Adele’s “Easy on Me” during the talent portion of the competition, the culmination of practice in Aaron Cohn Middle School’s chorus and Columbus High School’s theater. She also was prepared by Columbus Convention & Trade Center executive director Hayley Tillery, who was Hayley Henderson when she won crowns as Miss Columbus State University 2011, Miss Troup County 2013 and Miss Columbus 2014.
The title qualifies Svenson for the Miss Georgia competition in June at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts in Columbus. Miss Columbus State University 2020-2021 Elise Higgins earned the Miss Columbus 2022 title at the joint scholarship competition, also qualifying her for the Miss Georgia competition.
This story was originally published February 23, 2022 at 3:01 PM.
