Someone once told me that I could measure the success of my year by counting the number of children I make smile. I think that is some pretty good advice, and I've spent the last few weeks making appearances and meeting kids in my home community in Southern Indiana.
My mom always used to read stories to me before I would go to bed, so when I had a chance to visit a group at Head Start in Vincennes I read some of my favorite books to the little kids. Head Start is the nation's leading program in childhood education and care. Each year over a million people volunteer their time with Head Start and I was proud to bring them some of the magic of Miss America Organization. The children got really involved in the activities and really enjoyed the stories. When I asked them to make the sounds of the animals or the sound a train makes, the kids lit up with excitement. After story time I let them touch my crown and ask questions about what I do as Miss Northwest Territory. They loved my crown. There were a few kids who would merely tap it, but others were more confident and would grab it with both hands and practically pull it off my head! I thought it was really cute how fascinated they were with my crown, but I have to always remember "My crown is in my heart, not upon my head."
Trunk or Treat on Hart Street was lots of fun! I was in front of Dr. Snider's office for this halloween tradition in Vincennes. There were so many kids, and lots of adults, too. I got asked if I was a real princess or if I was the girl from Tangled. As it turns out, a girl with long hair and a crown can only be the real Miss Northwest Territory, and I had lots of fun handing out pretzels and vitamin B gummies. It was freezing cold, even for a princess with super powers, but it was totally worth it to see some adorable little kids. I think my costume awards would have to go to the twin babies in sock monkey outfits. So cute!
With my outstanding teens Brianna Barnes and Audrey Furgeson by my side, I was thrilled to be in the annual Vincennes Christmas Parade on historic Main Street. Not only were my outstanding teens at the parade, but I got to ride with Princess Gia. At the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant, Gia Baracani-Thomas was my princess, and now we get to ride in parades together and make appearances. I'm so glad my teens and princess were there - I love them to death! We had a dancing snow man and a dancing polar bear helping us pass out candy along the parade route, and my 2012 Nissan Murano was sponsored by my good friends at Memering's Motorplex.
You don't have to be a princess or a titleholder to make a difference in the life of a child. Make a child's day by supporting the work of the Children's Miracle Network. Look for the balloons wherever you shop or make a donation today by searching for my name at missamerica4kids.org
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Ashlynn Conner and Coming Together to Help Kids
As I've been reading the reports about Ashlynn Conner, it is difficult not to cry when you think about the death of a 10-year-old fifth-grader who appears to have taken her own life. Ashlynn's death is a tragedy.
Suicide is a leading cause of death among teenagers and adolescents in America. That needs to sink in. There is a lot of discussion and finger-pointing about bullying, and at what point kids being kids cross the line into something far worse than schoolyard taunting. Many states have considered bullying laws. While those laws have passed in many states, such as in Kentucky were a new law sailed through after just a short period of testimony, there are states like Indiana were the laws don't even make it out of committee. It is easy not to let those laws out of committee for full debate on the floor, and it is easy to point at the individual schools and claim principals and schools boards can effectively write their own polices. But when 300 people line the streets in tiny Ridge Farm, Illinois, just across the Indiana state line, all of the excuses in the world won't bring Ashlynn back. And make no mistake, when a child dies in a tragic suicide, anything we say that doesn't bring her back is just an excuse. We need to do more. We have to do more. We need to take a stand.
Preventing bullying isn't just about ridding our schools and communities of the peer-to-peer verbal harassment and physical abuse that happens in hallways, locker rooms and playgrounds. It is about stopping behavior that can start a young person down a path that sometimes has a tragic end. The Vermillion County Sheriff, Patrick Hartshorn, was quoted in the Chicago Tribune saying "We haven't uncovered something so severe that it would result in someone taking their own life." The trouble is, we have no way of knowing, and we may never know, how hurtful certain things may have been to Ashlynn. What we do know, what is absolute fact, is that Ashlynn is gone. Ashlynn was found by her own sister, unresponsive in their own home. I can't even begin to imagine the heartbreak that family is experiencing.
I hope Ashlynn's death helps bring people together and helps us undertand that we need to work together if we are going to prevent suicides of young people in our communities. Please keep reading my blog to learn more about bullying, teen suicide, and what you can do to take a stand and make a difference in the life of a child.
Suicide is a leading cause of death among teenagers and adolescents in America. That needs to sink in. There is a lot of discussion and finger-pointing about bullying, and at what point kids being kids cross the line into something far worse than schoolyard taunting. Many states have considered bullying laws. While those laws have passed in many states, such as in Kentucky were a new law sailed through after just a short period of testimony, there are states like Indiana were the laws don't even make it out of committee. It is easy not to let those laws out of committee for full debate on the floor, and it is easy to point at the individual schools and claim principals and schools boards can effectively write their own polices. But when 300 people line the streets in tiny Ridge Farm, Illinois, just across the Indiana state line, all of the excuses in the world won't bring Ashlynn back. And make no mistake, when a child dies in a tragic suicide, anything we say that doesn't bring her back is just an excuse. We need to do more. We have to do more. We need to take a stand.
Preventing bullying isn't just about ridding our schools and communities of the peer-to-peer verbal harassment and physical abuse that happens in hallways, locker rooms and playgrounds. It is about stopping behavior that can start a young person down a path that sometimes has a tragic end. The Vermillion County Sheriff, Patrick Hartshorn, was quoted in the Chicago Tribune saying "We haven't uncovered something so severe that it would result in someone taking their own life." The trouble is, we have no way of knowing, and we may never know, how hurtful certain things may have been to Ashlynn. What we do know, what is absolute fact, is that Ashlynn is gone. Ashlynn was found by her own sister, unresponsive in their own home. I can't even begin to imagine the heartbreak that family is experiencing.
I hope Ashlynn's death helps bring people together and helps us undertand that we need to work together if we are going to prevent suicides of young people in our communities. Please keep reading my blog to learn more about bullying, teen suicide, and what you can do to take a stand and make a difference in the life of a child.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
What Penn State should teach us about keeping kids safe
During the height of college football season, Penn State should be making news for the cool things their student athletes are doing on the field. Instead, Penn State is fighting to find a way to move forward in the midst of a scandal that has severely damaged the reputation of the institution, and the trust parents put in school officials when they send their children miles and miles away to earn a college degree.
This past June I was lucky enough to be a finalist at the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant and I remember how one of the judges really pushed me to explain the importance of my Happy Kids Safe Schools platform. We only got to talk about my platform for a few minutes, mostly because state interviews are limited to ten minutes and the other judges had their own questions, so I hope that judge remembers me and Happy Kids Safe Schools as he reads about what is happening at Penn State. Happy Kids Safe Schools is focused mainly on how to rid our schools and community and bullying, but a big part of my Happy Kids Safe Schools message is about encouraging kids and parents to report bad behavior to police and school officials. I call this taking as stand, and I want everyone to take a stand against behavior that hurts our kids, no matter if it is bullying or the unspeakable abuse that is said to have occurred at Penn State.
Senator Barbara Boxer of California said that while talking about the Child Protection Act legislation that she introduced this week. Barbara Boxer's statement really drives home the point: we have a long way to go when it comes to taking care of our kids. Take a stand in your community today be getting involved in your child's school, contacting your representatives and taking steps to fill our neighborhoods with Happy Kids and Safe Schools.
This past June I was lucky enough to be a finalist at the 2011 Miss Indiana Pageant and I remember how one of the judges really pushed me to explain the importance of my Happy Kids Safe Schools platform. We only got to talk about my platform for a few minutes, mostly because state interviews are limited to ten minutes and the other judges had their own questions, so I hope that judge remembers me and Happy Kids Safe Schools as he reads about what is happening at Penn State. Happy Kids Safe Schools is focused mainly on how to rid our schools and community and bullying, but a big part of my Happy Kids Safe Schools message is about encouraging kids and parents to report bad behavior to police and school officials. I call this taking as stand, and I want everyone to take a stand against behavior that hurts our kids, no matter if it is bullying or the unspeakable abuse that is said to have occurred at Penn State.
"To protect our children from violence and abuse, anyone who sees or knows about a crime against a child must report it to local authorities. Right now, the federal government and 32 states have no such requirement in law."
Senator Barbara Boxer of California said that while talking about the Child Protection Act legislation that she introduced this week. Barbara Boxer's statement really drives home the point: we have a long way to go when it comes to taking care of our kids. Take a stand in your community today be getting involved in your child's school, contacting your representatives and taking steps to fill our neighborhoods with Happy Kids and Safe Schools.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Tyra Banks and Modelland, and what Dr. Oz has to say about adult bullies
Being a local titleholder is a big blessing, and I don't take for granted that being a titleholder gives me an opportunity to talk about my personal platform of Happy Kids Safe Schools, which is my mission to help students, parents and schools understand how important it is to rid our communities of bullying.
Recent results from a study called "Teens, Kindness and Cruelty on Social Network Sites" seems to confirm what we already know about teenagers and the internet: many teens and children are having terrible experiences online, leaving them depressed, isolated and hurting when they show up at school to face their peers in real life. Most studies show that the majority of teenagers have had a least one experience with bullying online.
Along with fighting to change the way we try to prevent bullying, I also work hard to change common perceptions about pageant girls. The fact is, pageants put a big spotlight on physical appearance - there is really no way to say that is doesn't. The important thing to realize, though, is that physical appearance isn't the only thing that matters. Interview and talent make up a huge part of our scores, and those things have a lot more to with substance than just looking good in a swimsuit. Don't get me wrong, I like feeling good when I put on a swimsuit, on the pageant stage or on the beach.
The new book Modelland by Tyra Banks takes on some of the issues about stereotypes and body image, and I think the best part is that these types of books really help open the dialogue between teens and their parents, which is so important. I heard on the View that some parents and teens are even reading Modelland together, and it is these types of strong family relationships that keep everyone safe and healthy.
But bullying doesn't stop when we graduate from high school. Today I heard an interview with Dr. Oz and he mentioned Tyra's book. He went on to say that adult bullying is also a problem, and that adults can be just a mean when it comes to tearing down a colleagues self image and self confidence.
Kids don't live in Modelland, and I don't live in pageantland, so it is most important to stay focused on what we can do in real life, in our schools and communities to make a difference in the lives of child. For me, I love being a titleholder, and I love the way my four-pointed crown lets me have the power of a personal platform and a year-long focus on community service. Many of you will find those volunteer opportunities in other places, and I love that, too. Just keep pushing forward, keep looking for ways to keep kids happy and safe in their schools, and stand up for the people you love by taking a stand against bullying.
Look for me on missamerica4kids.org to to be part of my fundraising efforts for the Children's Miracle Network, and learn more about my efforts to stomp out bullying by clicking the Happy Kids Safe Schools tab at the top of the blog.
Recent results from a study called "Teens, Kindness and Cruelty on Social Network Sites" seems to confirm what we already know about teenagers and the internet: many teens and children are having terrible experiences online, leaving them depressed, isolated and hurting when they show up at school to face their peers in real life. Most studies show that the majority of teenagers have had a least one experience with bullying online.
Along with fighting to change the way we try to prevent bullying, I also work hard to change common perceptions about pageant girls. The fact is, pageants put a big spotlight on physical appearance - there is really no way to say that is doesn't. The important thing to realize, though, is that physical appearance isn't the only thing that matters. Interview and talent make up a huge part of our scores, and those things have a lot more to with substance than just looking good in a swimsuit. Don't get me wrong, I like feeling good when I put on a swimsuit, on the pageant stage or on the beach.
The new book Modelland by Tyra Banks takes on some of the issues about stereotypes and body image, and I think the best part is that these types of books really help open the dialogue between teens and their parents, which is so important. I heard on the View that some parents and teens are even reading Modelland together, and it is these types of strong family relationships that keep everyone safe and healthy.
But bullying doesn't stop when we graduate from high school. Today I heard an interview with Dr. Oz and he mentioned Tyra's book. He went on to say that adult bullying is also a problem, and that adults can be just a mean when it comes to tearing down a colleagues self image and self confidence.
Kids don't live in Modelland, and I don't live in pageantland, so it is most important to stay focused on what we can do in real life, in our schools and communities to make a difference in the lives of child. For me, I love being a titleholder, and I love the way my four-pointed crown lets me have the power of a personal platform and a year-long focus on community service. Many of you will find those volunteer opportunities in other places, and I love that, too. Just keep pushing forward, keep looking for ways to keep kids happy and safe in their schools, and stand up for the people you love by taking a stand against bullying.
Look for me on missamerica4kids.org to to be part of my fundraising efforts for the Children's Miracle Network, and learn more about my efforts to stomp out bullying by clicking the Happy Kids Safe Schools tab at the top of the blog.
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