On September 17, 1994, Alabama's Heather Whitestone was selected as Miss America 1995.  During her year of service as Miss America, Heather focused her efforts and activities on motivating our nation's citizens to achieve their dreams through dedication, commitment and hard work.  As she delivered her message, "Anything is Possible," throughout her term, Heather sought to inspire individuals to achieve their goals through the S.T.A.R.S. program (a five-point approach for personal empowerment).  As Miss America 1995, Heather traveled an average of 20,000 miles each month and spoke in a different city every other day.  She has spoken to business corporations, non-profit organizations, churches, and government, including the FBI and CIA.

        Heather Whitestone was the first woman with a disability to be crowned Miss America in the Pageant’s 75 year history.  Heather lost her hearing at the age of eighteen months when she was rushed to the hospital with a dangerously high fever, the cause of which was later diagnosed as the Haemophilus influenza virus.  According to the doctors, she was only hours from death when they administered two powerful antibiotics that reduced her fever and saved her life.  With the doctors assurances, Heather's relieved family took her home believing that their once energetic toddler would be back to normal within a few weeks.  After a few months, it became painfully obvious that there was a problem when Heather's mother accidentally dropped a pile of pans on the kitchen floor and Heather, who was playing nearby, did not even flinch.  At the Children's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, Heather tested as "profoundly deaf" with no hearing in either ear.  Her condition was concluded to be the result of the virus, the antibiotics or a combination of both.

        Heather believes that the biggest handicap in the world is negative thinking and that people handicap themselves by concentrating only on the negative instead of the positive.  Heather was inspired by her family to work hard and never quit trying.  Without an interpreter, she attended a public school until she was 12 years old and then enrolled in the Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis, Missouri.  In 1991, Heather graduated from public high school in Birmingham, Alabama with a 3.6 grade point average.  She will continue to pursue her education with the $37,000 Miss America Scholarship she was awarded.

        Heather has served as an executive board member on the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities.  She is a currently a board member of the National Institute of Health and the Human Deaf and Other Communications Disorders Advisory Council.  Heather also spearheaded the nation's largest multimedia public service campaign to identify early hearing loss, which was created by the Miss America Organization and the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf.

        Heather is a spokesperson for the Helen Keller Foundation for Research and Education as she depends heavily on her eyes for communication by reading lips. She is very pleased to represent Helen Keller (who was both deaf and blind), as Helen Keller was a role model and inspiration to Heather as she strived to achieve her best in completing her education. Heather is also a spokesperson for the Starkey Hearing Aid Foundation, which donates millions of dollars worth of hearing aids to those who need them but cannot afford to buy them. Starkey Hearing Aid Company is the largest company for hearing aids in the world.

        Heather's S.T.A.R.S. program (Success Through Action and Realization of your dreams) was originally developed for her local school system.  Heather's program has five points she believes are necessary for success: have a positive attitude, believe in your dream, be willing to work hard, face your obstacles and build your support team.  Heather has used these methods as a plan for her own personal success.  She now uses S.T.A.R.S. to motivate people of all ages to find their own paths to overcome their obstacles and achieve their goals.  She believes that everyone has different talents, personalities and abilities and truly loves to see people reach for their "stars."

        Heather resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, John McCallum.