Having the Style to do what is Right

In the Miss America organization, we value style.  Style is one of the fundamental values of the organization, and it is represented by one of the four points of the crown.  Every crown in the Miss America system has four points, and each of those points represents one of the fundamental values of the organization.

Style can mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but when I think about the point of my crown that represents style, I really believe how a a titleholder embraces the value of style in her life might be most important.  Style isn't just about the clothes we wear or how we do our hair.  It is about how we carry ourselves, how we demonstrate that we are responsible members of our communities, and how we contribute to society.

With so many young women working so hard to become leaders with style and grace in their communities, I wish I didn't see some teenagers taking a step backwards.  One of the examples I've seen recently is a story about teen girls on Twitter during the Grammy Awards talking about Chris Brown.  I'm sure we all have opinions about Chris Brown and Rihanna, but it should be a no-brainer for us all to agree that violence against young women is bad for everyone.  When girls say that it is okay for a man to hurt them because he is attractive and popular, we all take a big step back, no matter how cool and stylish we might be on Facebook and Twitter.

I want every woman in America to have the style and self-respect to stand up for herself and do what is right, even in the midst of social pressure.  Miss America is about using style in a positive way and not letting our physical attributes be a weakness.

So the next time you are on Twitter, take a moment to think about what you are posting, and have the style to say what you really believe, even if that means sometimes disagreeing with the popular viewpoint.  Sometimes, like with Chirs Brown and the Grammy Awards, those statements need to be challenged.

With the state pageant coming up in June, don't forget one of the best ways to show your style is to take care of children in your community!  Help me reach my fundraising goal for the Children's Miracle Network by searching for me on the missamerica4kids website!

My life as Miss Congeniality

February has been a busy month, and I am really starting to get excited about the state pageant coming up in June.  I am now in my second semester of college at Vincennes University where I am studying law enforcement and homeland security.  Studying law enforcement has been really interesting, and I'm still getting questions from friends and family about why I chose to study law enforcement instead of music.  I have some ideas about where I hope a law enforcement degree might help me in the future, maybe as a detective who helps solve complex cases or even diving into the water to save a child.  Most readers of the PresBlog know about my Happy Kids Safe Schools personal platform, and I feel good knowing that a degree in law enforcement will help me keep people safe in my community.

With the state pageant coming up, you can imagine I've been getting my fair share of Sandra Bullock and Miss Congeniality questions in my practice interviews.  I have to be honest - I don't mind being compared to Sandra Bullock.  Not only was Sandra Bullock on People Magazine's most beautiful people list two times, she has had an amazing career as a movie star.  Equally impressive is that she actually displays several important qualities of a titleholder, so maybe those pageant movies were a good fit for her.  Sandra Bullock actually owns her own production company and has been an active supporter of the America Red Cross, donating millions of dollars to help people around the world.  Years from now I sure hope I can look back and have such a track record of success.

I know Miss Congeniality was a comedy, but I think there are some important lessons in the movie that apply to my journey in pageants.  In the movie, Sandra Bullock really had to push herself to go outside of her comfort zone to achieve her goals.  She had to put herself in uncomfortable situations, and in some cases, she had to transform herself into a person who connected and related to her environment.  I've been pushing myself really hard this year, and I am very proud to be Miss Northwest Territory.  I can't wait for everyone to see how much I have grown and changed when I hit the state stage in June, so be ready to cheer for me!

Don't forget that you can support my fundraising efforts for the Children's Miracle Network by helping me reach my goal for the state pageant!  Search for me on the missamerica4kids website or get in touch with me for more information.