Caitlyn Day (1986 - )

Craig County

Community Activist

Growing up in rural Craig County on her parents' farm, Caitlyn Day participated in 4-H clubs and was an avid Girl Scout. When preparing to earn her Gold Award (equivalent to a Boy Scout Eagle rank), she decided to help establish a public library in Craig, the last county in Virginia without one. She helped organize the Craig County Friends of the Library, Inc., and spearheaded efforts to collect books, find storage space and volunteers, and hold fund-raisers. Her efforts generated support for a library around the region. She contacted local legislators and her congressman who secured a federal appropriation for the endeavor. After renovations to a small county-owned building, the Craig County Public Library held its grand opening in July 2004. That year Day received her Gold Award and was one of ten high school seniors who received the Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community from the Hitachi Foundation.

Developing her entrepreneurial spirit, Caitlyn Day also devised a business strategy to open an ice cream and sandwich shop with her younger siblings, which they did in 2004 before she started college. In 2005 Day's business and philanthropic accomplishments were recognized by First Lady Laura Bush at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Youth Summit, where Day shared her experiences and urged her fellow students to make a difference in their communities.


2005 Virginia Women in History honoree, Virginia Foundation for Women.