Miss IN is Right Around the Corner!

Wow! It has been such a long time since I last wrote a blog!

Preparations for Miss Indiana have been in full swing; between working out, voice lessons, practicing my talent, working on interview, etc. I have not had much free time! I am very excited that in exactly one week from today I will be on my way to Zionsville to spend my first week at Miss Indiana.

In the past month I finished the first half of my senior year and moved in to my new apartment with my best friends (I am one lucky girl)!  I moved back home to be with my family and just celebrated my baby sister graduating from high school last night!  She was secretary of National Honor Society, got an academic honors diploma, AND had above a 4.0 GPA! The world better watch out; this girl has a bright future and is going to make a difference!

Since I last wrote, I had an amazing opportunity to work with Habitat for Humanity during their women's build week (showing that girls DO rock).  I was a "celebrity" builder and got to meet many wonderful women who live around Huntington County and work with Miss Huntington 2011 Mindi Hoffman.  Since a lot of people have wondered, no my crown was not in my way and did not hinder my building skills =)

On the morning of our build, we met the man that we were volunteering our time for.  He was a middle-aged man that had suffered from cerebral palsy (CP) his whole life.  He stated that he was always a fighter and never let it determine his life and this showed through his spirit.  Recently, his CP had taken a turn for the worse and it was predicted by his doctors that he would be in a wheelchair within the next few years.  This became an issue for him at home because he had a single step into his house.  This is where we all came in to help, to build him a ramp.  He sat outside with us the entire day, shared stories of his life and was very grateful we were there to help him.  It was amazing to give up my time and make room in my busy schedule to give back to those in need.  It is always high on my list of things to do.  Here was our final project.

Being Miss Huntington has been a bigger blessing than I could have ever dreamed of! I have met so many people, gotten so many new opportunities (recently I received the opportunity to join up with the American Red Cross!), and have started to polish the person I am even more!  Thank you to everyone who has supported me and believed in me!  I could not do this without you!  

I cannot wait until next week and will write after Miss Indiana to tell of my journey!

  

Miss Huntington and Kick-off

         On March 24, 2012 I had the distinct honor of being named Miss Huntington.  After one car accident on Interstate 69 (VERY scary) and competing with five amazing girls, I had won a crown and a spot to compete at the Miss Indiana Pageant in June.  As a young girl I always watched the Miss America Pageant on television every year and always dreamed of one day competing in the system.  Now, as a 21 year old, I am realizing my dream and going to compete at the state level.  Most people think the crown and title are materialistic and that all it takes to be a "beauty queen" is a lot of glitter and sequins.  Though glitter and sequins are very popular in the pageant world, there is something else that has to shine more, the individual wearing the crown.  It has been said that if you want a diamond to sparkle you don't throw glitter at it, but rather POLISH it.  This is where my journey begins- polishing the person I am, not covering it up with beautiful things. 

         The first taste of the state pageant was given to me on April 22, 2012 when the kick-off was held.  I met 31 other girls competing for the crown and noticed how unique and impressive each of these girls were.  The lottery for the state competition was held and after much consideration, I decided to be contestant number 6 in the alpha group.  After the kick-off, we all traveled to the Miracle Bowl for Kids, or a fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network (MAO platform).  I am blessed to have the greatest friends in the world that agreed not only to be apart of my team, but also dress a little goofy.

      The thing I am most excited for with my role of Miss Huntington, is getting to spread the awareness of my platform, Girls Rock.  Girls rock promotes high self-esteem and positive body image in young girls, especially those in elementary school.  I want to accomplish this by becoming a motivational speaker for young girls; educating them on what true beauty is and how they should join in together instead of fighting with one another.  I will post many more blogs on this in the future.