Hi everyone!

Hope you all are having an amazing and sun-safe summer! :) Just thought I would share a great educational opportunity from Enright Melanoma Foundation that I took advantage of a few weeks ago that is really simple and super beneficial in the long run.

About a month ago, I was on the Enright website and I saw a link to their Sun Safety Certification course. Since I thought I knew all the facts and figures about sun safety, I thought I would put my knowledge to the test - little did I know, there was SO much that I did not know about! For example, did you know that it only takes a couple of minutes in the sun only a few times a week to get enough vitamin D for your body? AND, if you eat enough fortified cereals, dairy and fish, you don’t even need that time in the sun to get the sufficient amount of vitamin D. This was really surprising to me because, as a former avid indoor tanner, I always thought getting vitamin D from tanning beds was the one positive reason for tanning - looks like I was so wrong! As it turns out, indoor tanning bed users have a whopping 150% greater risk of melanoma. 

Anyway, the course really offers some worthwhile information about skin cancer prevention and the serious risks of baking in the sun. Even thought the summer is winding down, it is still important to know about sun safety! It only takes about fifteen minutes of your time and, once you receive a 90% or above on the final exam, you receive a letter of recognition from the Enright Melanoma Foundation, a certificate and a cute little patch in the mail proving your certification in sun safety. Spread the message to your friends and family because it’s important for your loved ones to be educated on sun safety, too!

xo
Rachel

 
My name is Rachel Jordan and I am the current Miss New Jersey U.S. International. I am excited and honored to be working with the Enright Melanoma Foundation in order to help spread skin cancer awareness and education, in the hopes of preventing the most common form of cancer in the United States.

Here is a little about me: I am 22 years old, hail from South Jersey and I am a very recent Rutgers University graduate. When I am not busy with school or my sorority, I love to go running, bake and travel. This past May, I graduated with a Journalism and Media Studies degree and hope to one day work as a broadcast journalist. 

My love and appreciation for charity and volunteer work started in high school, but it wasn’t until my freshman year of college that I truly learned how beneficial volunteering and spreading awareness could be. I worked very closely with the Susan G. Komen Foundation through my sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, but I also worked with several other organizations, including Children’s Miracle Network and Embrace the Kids. Spreading awareness and providing education is an easy and worthwhile way to help prevent any form of cancer. I learned that a single pamphlet or a quick information seminar can truly go a long way and could even be the first step in early detection. 

In December of 2012 I was crowned Miss New Jersey for the Miss International Organization, the third largest pageant system in the world. For those of you who are not familiar with the pageant world, titleholders are usually required to have a “platform” or a cause that she will work to promote, through volunteer work, during her reign. Skin Cancer Awareness is a cause that is near and dear to my heart, as I have witnessed close friends and family members struggle with skin cancer. 

I wondered if these people in my life would have had to experience the adversities of skin cancer if they were educated on the risks of UV rays and how to detect skin cancer in its earliest stages. I also worked in a tanning salon for several years during high school and college, and I witnessed the aesthetic and health-related damage that indoor tanning provokes.

I am excited to get started working with the Enright Melanoma Foundation and will frequently update everyone with my experiences! Thank you and I will post more very soon.

Goodnight all!

Rachel

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    Rachel Jordan, Miss New Jersey U.S. International 2013

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