On Monday I was so excited to be at the Knox County fair to perform the National Anthem and visit the fair queen pageant. Knox county is actually the oldest fair in Indiana and was established in 1809. This also means it is one of the oldest fairs in America so it is quite an honor to be able to sing the National Anthem at the Knox County Fair.
I performed the National Anthem for one of the biggest grandstand events - the tractor pull. Truth be told, I really love tractor pulls and mud slings. I think sitting out in a fairgrounds grandstand under the summer sun watching a tractor pull is a lot of fun. And trust me, this week it is plenty hot to be at the fair. I love performing the National Anthem. A lot of my friends from high school are serving in the military, and singing the Anthem reminds me of their service and sacrifice.
While I was at the fair I also got a chance to visit the queen pageant. If you are regular PresBlog reader you might remember that Knox County had more young women in the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant than any other place in Indiana, so you can bet the Knox County Queen Pageant is filled with beautiful, talented ladies eager to represent their county at the state fair queen pageant in August. The 2011 Knox County Fair Queen is Cassandra Brocksmith. I had a chance to talk with Cassandra for a minute after she one, and I know she will have a great time and the fair.
I will be cheering for Cassandra to have good luck at the Indiana State Fair Queen Pageant. If she wins in August, she would actually represent the state fair in 2012. The Indiana State Fair Queen Pageant is actually one of the largest single-day pageants in the state with approximately 90 contestants.
So if you are in Knox County, drop by the oldest fair in the state and look for me - maybe I will be performing the National Anthem at the grandstand or just enjoying a cold drink in the shade!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Talking up Miss Indiana on WAOV Knox County Today
This week I had a chance to go on Knox County Today on WAOV Vincennes with Ed Ballinger to talk up the Miss Indiana program and share some highlights from my trip to the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant in Zionsville. Knox County Today is a regular radio program and I've been lucky enough to go on the air a few times with Ed to talk about Miss Indiana.
If you haven't already, take a look at my Memories from Miss Indiana series and the Countdown to Miss Indiana postings to see for yourself how much fun the 31 contestants had a the week long 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant. I didn't get to talk about everything on the radio, but one really important thing to point out is that every one of the 31 contestants at the Miss Indiana pageant are local titleholders in the Miss America Organization. This means they have one a local preliminary pageant and earned a local title. Local titleholders get a crown and sash and make appearances throughout their year of service promoting the personal platforms and the Miss America program.
I had a blast at the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant, so going on WAOV with Ed on Knox County Today was really the icing on the cake. I hope that by sharing my experiences from Miss Indiana week more young women will enter the program at the local level. Each year hundreds of young women compete for local titles in Indiana and we are always looking for new people to get involved. If you want to get started as a contestant, or even as a volunteer, go to the Miss Indiana website for more information.
If you haven't already, take a look at my Memories from Miss Indiana series and the Countdown to Miss Indiana postings to see for yourself how much fun the 31 contestants had a the week long 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant. I didn't get to talk about everything on the radio, but one really important thing to point out is that every one of the 31 contestants at the Miss Indiana pageant are local titleholders in the Miss America Organization. This means they have one a local preliminary pageant and earned a local title. Local titleholders get a crown and sash and make appearances throughout their year of service promoting the personal platforms and the Miss America program.
I had a blast at the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant, so going on WAOV with Ed on Knox County Today was really the icing on the cake. I hope that by sharing my experiences from Miss Indiana week more young women will enter the program at the local level. Each year hundreds of young women compete for local titles in Indiana and we are always looking for new people to get involved. If you want to get started as a contestant, or even as a volunteer, go to the Miss Indiana website for more information.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
A day with the kids of Artventures in Vincennes
I was really excited to spend a couple days getting to know the kids at the Artventures program in Vincennes. Artventures is a really great program put on by Psi Iota Xi, which is a local organization that supports speech and hearing impaired children in the Vincennes Area. Each workshop takes about 75 kids and gives them a chance to learn and few things in a fun and supportive environment.
I got a chance to visit Artventures when they were doing plaster hands and clay work. I had a lot of fun doing the plaster hands, but I had even more fun getting to know the kids. I especially remember having lots of fun with Emilee, a happy-go-lucky girl who was in the workshop. Emilee has the most beautiful red hair, and I know one day she would make a beautiful Miss America. She has the heart of a titleholder so I know she will do great things. I believe "my crown is in my heart, not upon my head."
During my visit I got a chance to talk about my experience at the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant and being a top ten finalist. If you are new to the PresBlog, I just posted a series with my favorite memories from Miss Indiana week. Having these opportunities to connect with children in my community are some of the best parts of my job as a local titleholder, and I can't wait to see who I meet next during my year of service!
I got a chance to visit Artventures when they were doing plaster hands and clay work. I had a lot of fun doing the plaster hands, but I had even more fun getting to know the kids. I especially remember having lots of fun with Emilee, a happy-go-lucky girl who was in the workshop. Emilee has the most beautiful red hair, and I know one day she would make a beautiful Miss America. She has the heart of a titleholder so I know she will do great things. I believe "my crown is in my heart, not upon my head."
During my visit I got a chance to talk about my experience at the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant and being a top ten finalist. If you are new to the PresBlog, I just posted a series with my favorite memories from Miss Indiana week. Having these opportunities to connect with children in my community are some of the best parts of my job as a local titleholder, and I can't wait to see who I meet next during my year of service!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Celebrating July 4th with a parade in Vincennes
I was so excited to be in a Fourth of July Parade! July 4th was on a Monday this year, so everyone got to enjoy a perfect summer weekend with friends and family. After spending a week at the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant, I am really glad to be back home in Knox County. Its funny how a week in Zionsville made me miss things I see everyday and might be tempted to take for granted, like cornfields and long country roads that lead home.
For the Fourth of July parade in Vincennes I came prepared with lots of goodies and we decorated my float - a Ford F-150 truck - with several magnetic signs. We even had a sign for my Miss Indiana Princess Gia! One of my signs noted my top ten finish, which is still something I think might have been a dream. But it actually happened, and there I was in the parade as a local titleholder in the Miss America Organization and a top ten finalist in the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant.
This parade was a lot longer than the Miss Indiana Parade in Zionsville, but that didn't keep me from walking the entire parade route. I love sitting on the back of a convertible doing my best Miss America wave because it makes me feel like such a celebrity, but this time I wanted to walk so I could talk to people and hand out treats to the kids instead of tossing them from the car. There is something really nice about those brief meetings along the sidewalks of a parade route, and I like to think somewhere along the parade was a future titleholder who saw how I do my job and got inspired. With the help of Princess Gia, we gave out about 350 popsicles, plus we had some beads, pink flamingos and even a few stuffed animals. The July 4th parade was a great start to my summer!
For the Fourth of July parade in Vincennes I came prepared with lots of goodies and we decorated my float - a Ford F-150 truck - with several magnetic signs. We even had a sign for my Miss Indiana Princess Gia! One of my signs noted my top ten finish, which is still something I think might have been a dream. But it actually happened, and there I was in the parade as a local titleholder in the Miss America Organization and a top ten finalist in the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant.
This parade was a lot longer than the Miss Indiana Parade in Zionsville, but that didn't keep me from walking the entire parade route. I love sitting on the back of a convertible doing my best Miss America wave because it makes me feel like such a celebrity, but this time I wanted to walk so I could talk to people and hand out treats to the kids instead of tossing them from the car. There is something really nice about those brief meetings along the sidewalks of a parade route, and I like to think somewhere along the parade was a future titleholder who saw how I do my job and got inspired. With the help of Princess Gia, we gave out about 350 popsicles, plus we had some beads, pink flamingos and even a few stuffed animals. The July 4th parade was a great start to my summer!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Memories of Miss Indiana Week: Day Seven
After an entire week spent with the 31 contestants at the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant in Zionsville, it was finally Saturday. There is so much going on Saturday of pageant week: the morning brunch sponsored by the local directors, the main parade in downtown Zionsville, my autograph session at Earth Explorer Toys, lunch at the Cobblestone Grill, and the final night of the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant.
Each year the local directors association puts on a Saturday morning brunch for the contestants and parents at the Miss Indiana Pageant. Every contestant gets a chance to get up and reflect on their week at Miss Indiana. I talked about how grateful I was to have the support of Zionsville, the Lions, and all the merchants and volunteers who make pageant week possible. I wish more people could hear all the local titleholders talk about their experiences because I really think it would draw more volunteers and supporters to the program. It is very powerful to hear these young women talk so passionately about the program in their own words in an event that is not scripted or rehearsed in any way.
Over the years titleholders have really poured their hearts out at the Saturday brunch. It is hard to forget Megan Meadors and her emotional address in 2009, and how she secretly had colored stones put in her crown to represent each of the local titleholders competing that year in the Miss Indiana Pageant. Megan dreamed of becoming Miss Indiana so long, and when her dream finally came true, she packed an entire year into six months. Erica Eisenhut packed an entire year into six months as Miss Collegiate South 2010, and Erica is from Knox County just like me. These women have been incredible role models, and I'm working hard to leave a legacy like Erica did as Miss Collegiate South.
After the brunch its back on the little busses to head to downtown Zionsville where we are meeting at the staging area for the 2011 Miss Indiana Parade on Main Street. This year there we several new twists on the Main Street Parade. All the contestants brought their own signs and had a special sign carrier to walk in front fo their cars. Team Presley put together a really special sign for me. It is a poster-size sign with my name and title, plus it has my blog address and my platform logo. The most special touch on my sign was the "Thank You Zionsville" that is at the top. The merchants of Zionsville do so much to support Miss Indiana and you can never stop thanking these supporters for their generous contributions.
In the Parade I rode with Princess Giavanna. Giavanna was my princess for Miss Indiana Week and we had lots of fun together. The Miss Indiana Princess Camp is a really fun program that pairs princesses with titleholders. We do a princess luncheon and the princesses get to do a special production number during the pageant. Plus they get to ride in the parade and practice their queen wave!
After the parade I did autographs in downtown Zionsville at Earth Explorer Toys. You really have to see this place to believe it! They have so many great toys and gift ideas, so this is the place to go for a special gift. It is never too early to start gift shopping for that special child in your life, so drop by Earth Explorer Toys in downtown Zionsville. My new friends at Earth Explorer Toys had a table set up for my autograph session, and they let me hang signs in their window all week promoting the Miss Indiana Pageant. I had lots of future titleholders come by for autographs and pictures.
From Earth Explorer Toys I went to Cobblestone Grill for a late lunch with the 31 contestants. This is our last meal together during pageant week so it is really special, and the Cobblestone Grill is a fabulous place to eat in Zionsville. I couldn't think of a better place to enjoy a great meal and think about all the great memories we have from pageant week. After lunch we got a little bit of time to rest and relax, and then it was on to the Zionsville Performing Arts Center for the final night of the Miss Indiana Pageant.
I was named a top ten finalist at the Miss Indiana Pageant! Making the finals was an amazing experience, and it represented accomplishing my last goal for Miss Indiana this year. I had been prepping pretty much every week for six months to get ready for Miss Indiana, and I did constant mock interviews. And when Brad Brown read my name as a finalist, lets just say the sounds of my family and friends cheering and yelling my name was the biggest reward.
My trip to the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant was an incredible journey, and I am very grateful to all my family, friends and supporters who helped make my top ten finish possible. I won't try to name everyone because I don't want to risk leaving someone out, but please know I thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart. The Miss America Organization is a network of people who support young women in their communities, and I am honored and humbled to have represented the program with pride and success.
Each year the local directors association puts on a Saturday morning brunch for the contestants and parents at the Miss Indiana Pageant. Every contestant gets a chance to get up and reflect on their week at Miss Indiana. I talked about how grateful I was to have the support of Zionsville, the Lions, and all the merchants and volunteers who make pageant week possible. I wish more people could hear all the local titleholders talk about their experiences because I really think it would draw more volunteers and supporters to the program. It is very powerful to hear these young women talk so passionately about the program in their own words in an event that is not scripted or rehearsed in any way.
Over the years titleholders have really poured their hearts out at the Saturday brunch. It is hard to forget Megan Meadors and her emotional address in 2009, and how she secretly had colored stones put in her crown to represent each of the local titleholders competing that year in the Miss Indiana Pageant. Megan dreamed of becoming Miss Indiana so long, and when her dream finally came true, she packed an entire year into six months. Erica Eisenhut packed an entire year into six months as Miss Collegiate South 2010, and Erica is from Knox County just like me. These women have been incredible role models, and I'm working hard to leave a legacy like Erica did as Miss Collegiate South.
After the brunch its back on the little busses to head to downtown Zionsville where we are meeting at the staging area for the 2011 Miss Indiana Parade on Main Street. This year there we several new twists on the Main Street Parade. All the contestants brought their own signs and had a special sign carrier to walk in front fo their cars. Team Presley put together a really special sign for me. It is a poster-size sign with my name and title, plus it has my blog address and my platform logo. The most special touch on my sign was the "Thank You Zionsville" that is at the top. The merchants of Zionsville do so much to support Miss Indiana and you can never stop thanking these supporters for their generous contributions.
In the Parade I rode with Princess Giavanna. Giavanna was my princess for Miss Indiana Week and we had lots of fun together. The Miss Indiana Princess Camp is a really fun program that pairs princesses with titleholders. We do a princess luncheon and the princesses get to do a special production number during the pageant. Plus they get to ride in the parade and practice their queen wave!
After the parade I did autographs in downtown Zionsville at Earth Explorer Toys. You really have to see this place to believe it! They have so many great toys and gift ideas, so this is the place to go for a special gift. It is never too early to start gift shopping for that special child in your life, so drop by Earth Explorer Toys in downtown Zionsville. My new friends at Earth Explorer Toys had a table set up for my autograph session, and they let me hang signs in their window all week promoting the Miss Indiana Pageant. I had lots of future titleholders come by for autographs and pictures.
From Earth Explorer Toys I went to Cobblestone Grill for a late lunch with the 31 contestants. This is our last meal together during pageant week so it is really special, and the Cobblestone Grill is a fabulous place to eat in Zionsville. I couldn't think of a better place to enjoy a great meal and think about all the great memories we have from pageant week. After lunch we got a little bit of time to rest and relax, and then it was on to the Zionsville Performing Arts Center for the final night of the Miss Indiana Pageant.
I was named a top ten finalist at the Miss Indiana Pageant! Making the finals was an amazing experience, and it represented accomplishing my last goal for Miss Indiana this year. I had been prepping pretty much every week for six months to get ready for Miss Indiana, and I did constant mock interviews. And when Brad Brown read my name as a finalist, lets just say the sounds of my family and friends cheering and yelling my name was the biggest reward.
My trip to the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant was an incredible journey, and I am very grateful to all my family, friends and supporters who helped make my top ten finish possible. I won't try to name everyone because I don't want to risk leaving someone out, but please know I thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart. The Miss America Organization is a network of people who support young women in their communities, and I am honored and humbled to have represented the program with pride and success.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Memories of Miss Indiana Week: Day Six
Friday of Miss Indiana week is always a very special day, and the 31 contestants have a lot to do! For Indiana's local outstanding teen titleholders, it is even a bigger day - Friday is the day of the 2011 Miss Indiana's Outstanding Teen Pageant, which brings together the most beautiful and talented young women ages 13-17 to see who will advance to the national Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant.
For the 31 Miss contestants, Friday was a day filled with princess power. Giavanna Marie was may princess for the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant and we had lots of fun rehearsing the big princess production number. We also went to the princess luncheon which was lots of fun. Meanwhile, the teeen contestants were busy in the PAC getting ready for the pageant.
Last year I was lucky enough to be in the top five at in the Miss Indiana's Outstanding Teen Pageant, and I could not be more proud of Katie Marark, Miss Indiana's Outstanding Teen 2010. She represented herself and her title with pride, and she was a top ten finisher at the national pageant. I know this year's winner will have good luck since Katie put the state crown on her head.
For the first time at the Miss Indiana Pageant, the 31 contestants were released to their parents for dinner on Friday night before the Miss Indiana's Outstanding Teen Pageant. I was really excited to get to spend some time with my friends and family, and I am especially grateful that my dad was able to spend the entire week in Zionsville so he could see me every night in prelims. My mom said my dad was really moved when he heard one of my intros: "From Knox County I am actually a coal miner's daughter." We went to the Texas Roadhouse at the pyramids so we could get back to the Zionsville Performing Arts Center in plenty of time before the MIOT Pageant. Dinner out with my family was really special, so I hope it is something the Miss Indiana Board of Directors consider doing again during pageant week.
Miss Indiana week sure was an adventure, so keep reading all about my favorite moments in my Memories of Miss Indiana week series of blog entries!
For the 31 Miss contestants, Friday was a day filled with princess power. Giavanna Marie was may princess for the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant and we had lots of fun rehearsing the big princess production number. We also went to the princess luncheon which was lots of fun. Meanwhile, the teeen contestants were busy in the PAC getting ready for the pageant.
Last year I was lucky enough to be in the top five at in the Miss Indiana's Outstanding Teen Pageant, and I could not be more proud of Katie Marark, Miss Indiana's Outstanding Teen 2010. She represented herself and her title with pride, and she was a top ten finisher at the national pageant. I know this year's winner will have good luck since Katie put the state crown on her head.
For the first time at the Miss Indiana Pageant, the 31 contestants were released to their parents for dinner on Friday night before the Miss Indiana's Outstanding Teen Pageant. I was really excited to get to spend some time with my friends and family, and I am especially grateful that my dad was able to spend the entire week in Zionsville so he could see me every night in prelims. My mom said my dad was really moved when he heard one of my intros: "From Knox County I am actually a coal miner's daughter." We went to the Texas Roadhouse at the pyramids so we could get back to the Zionsville Performing Arts Center in plenty of time before the MIOT Pageant. Dinner out with my family was really special, so I hope it is something the Miss Indiana Board of Directors consider doing again during pageant week.
Miss Indiana week sure was an adventure, so keep reading all about my favorite moments in my Memories of Miss Indiana week series of blog entries!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Memories of Miss Indiana Week: Day Five
Day five of Miss Indiana was absolutely, hands down the best part of the week. On Thursday the 31 contestants competing in the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant visiting Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, the only Children's Miracle Network hospital in Indiana. The Children's Miracle Network is the national platform of the Miss America Organization.
I had really been looking forward to Miss Indiana week, and I was so excited to be competing in the Miss division for the first time, but the visit to Riley Hospital was equally important to me as competing in the actual pageant. I am a Riley kid, which means I was treated at Riley Hospital when I was a young child. Riley has always been in my heart and the chance to visit the hospital as a titleholder and maybe use my crown to make a fews kids smile was a big part of my week.
I bought a special dress to wear to Riley. It was a red and white dress with a big flower garden print, and I got a special pair of red heels that were my ruby slippers. I really wanted a dress that the kids would love, and the ruby slippers were an idea that I got from a state titleholder in another state. I wanted to be approachable and I wanted the kids to be able to connect with me. I wanted them to see that dreams really do come true.
The visit to Riley was incredible and I met a lot of amazing Riley kids. One of the Riley kids I met was a four-year-old named Faith who was the best part of my week. Faith has been spending a lot of time at Riley lately, and she has had dozens of surgeries in just three months. Faith has a heart condition that her doctors are fighting to cure, so remember that your contributions to the Riley Foundation make a big difference in the life of a child.
While I was talking to Faith she was holding my hand and playing with one of my rings. Earlier in the week a was given a pink rhinestone crown ring. I loved this ring - it was adorable. Faith kept playing with my ring, so I gave it to her. Her mom hugged me and was tearing up.
It is my job as a titleholder and a role model to make kids and others happy. If that means I leave without, then it means I did my job right.
So even though Faith was with me when I took the stage at the Thursday night preliminary competition at the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant, she was on my mind and in my heart when I performed my talent. I sang Kate Voegele's arrangement of Hallelujah and I had been practicing for months. Singing Kate Voegele was a big step for me - it was really a departure from the music I had performed as a teen titleholder. Hallelujah is a song that moves me personally and I think it really let the judges see a not only my ability to sing, but a dimension of my personality.
During the Thursday night prelim I also got to compete in on-stage question. I got a question about my platform so I had a chance to talk about Happy Kids and Safe Schools. You can read more about Happy Kids and Safe Schools and recent developments to prevent bullying in schools on my blog.
Miss Indiana week was an adventure, so keep reading about my journey as I post my memories from the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant!
I had really been looking forward to Miss Indiana week, and I was so excited to be competing in the Miss division for the first time, but the visit to Riley Hospital was equally important to me as competing in the actual pageant. I am a Riley kid, which means I was treated at Riley Hospital when I was a young child. Riley has always been in my heart and the chance to visit the hospital as a titleholder and maybe use my crown to make a fews kids smile was a big part of my week.
I bought a special dress to wear to Riley. It was a red and white dress with a big flower garden print, and I got a special pair of red heels that were my ruby slippers. I really wanted a dress that the kids would love, and the ruby slippers were an idea that I got from a state titleholder in another state. I wanted to be approachable and I wanted the kids to be able to connect with me. I wanted them to see that dreams really do come true.
The visit to Riley was incredible and I met a lot of amazing Riley kids. One of the Riley kids I met was a four-year-old named Faith who was the best part of my week. Faith has been spending a lot of time at Riley lately, and she has had dozens of surgeries in just three months. Faith has a heart condition that her doctors are fighting to cure, so remember that your contributions to the Riley Foundation make a big difference in the life of a child.
While I was talking to Faith she was holding my hand and playing with one of my rings. Earlier in the week a was given a pink rhinestone crown ring. I loved this ring - it was adorable. Faith kept playing with my ring, so I gave it to her. Her mom hugged me and was tearing up.
It is my job as a titleholder and a role model to make kids and others happy. If that means I leave without, then it means I did my job right.
So even though Faith was with me when I took the stage at the Thursday night preliminary competition at the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant, she was on my mind and in my heart when I performed my talent. I sang Kate Voegele's arrangement of Hallelujah and I had been practicing for months. Singing Kate Voegele was a big step for me - it was really a departure from the music I had performed as a teen titleholder. Hallelujah is a song that moves me personally and I think it really let the judges see a not only my ability to sing, but a dimension of my personality.
During the Thursday night prelim I also got to compete in on-stage question. I got a question about my platform so I had a chance to talk about Happy Kids and Safe Schools. You can read more about Happy Kids and Safe Schools and recent developments to prevent bullying in schools on my blog.
Miss Indiana week was an adventure, so keep reading about my journey as I post my memories from the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant!
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