"Are those diamonds real?" the kindergartners ask. Amy Wong, Miss Deaf America, says this is one of the most frequently asked questions she receives as she visits schools, programs, and centers throughout the United States. The children are curious about the stones in her crown.

While enjoying the conversations of the small children, Wong pushes her beliefs in the importance of literacy and deaf rights. While she was Miss Deaf America she graduated from the California State California Northridge. Wong took time to look back over her travels.

Tucson, Arizona--"A joyful experience" with the students at the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind.

Long Beach, California--A banquet held for the Long Beach Club of the Deaf on the Queen Mary marked the club's "glorious 50 year anniversary."

Dallas, Texas--The First North Texas Summit of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Girls, sponsored by the Deaf Action Center, where she discussed literacy and noted "it's amazing how much pressure teens face today."

Rochester, New York--Asian Cultural Celebration, sponsored by the National Technical Institute of the Deaf and Rochester Institute of Technology.

Atlanta, Georgia--Senior Citizens Center in a spoof of the Tonight Show.

—The NAD Broadcaster