Camden native Jordan Rabon, daughter of Allen and Jennifer Outlaw, and Miss Summerville’s Teen 2024, is getting ready for the South Carolina’s Teen 2024 competition to take place in Columbia this June. As she prepares for the competition, she brings her passion for community service — through her Read for the Crown — Lifting Lives Through Literacy initiative — but also by sharing her personal journey of overcoming hearing loss.
Growing up in Camden, Jordan faced challenges that shaped her into the young woman she is today. Despite her struggle with hearing loss, she refused to let it define her hinder her dreams. Instead, she embraced it as part of her journey, finding strength in her resilience and determination to overcome obstacles.
As Miss Summerville’s Teen 2024, Jordan is using her platform not only to advocate for literacy, but also to raise awareness about hearing loss and promote inclusivity and accessibility. Through her Read for the Crown initiative, she aims to empower children, regardless of their circumstances, with the gift of literacy, knowing firsthand the transformative power of education.
Read for the Crown isn’t just a community service project for Jordan; it’s a passion project born out of her own experiences and a desire to make a positive impact. Through book drives, reading events, and partnerships with local and national organizations such as the United Way of Kershaw County, AmeriCorp Ready Readers, and My First Books SC — a partnership with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library — she is breaking down barriers and opening doors to a brighter future for children in underserved communities.
As Jordan prepares to compete this June, she carries with her the support and admiration of her hometown of Camden and her adoptive hometown of Summerville. Her journey of hearing loss and facing adversity is a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of staying true to oneself, not matter the challenges one may face.
“Read for the Crown is about so much more than a crown,” Jordan said. “It is about helping others understand that literacy is the stepping stone to everything we do in our daily lives. It is something learned at an early age, and while there may be obstacles in the way, with hope, determination and hard work, you can overcome anything.
(Story and photograph provided by Jennifer Outlaw, Ms. Rabon’s mother. The text has been edited and shortened for publication.)
