Picture
After a late night in the U of M Homecoming parade, I survived the early wake-up call to go to the Autism Speaks walk at the Mall of America (with a little help from a friend called Starbucks). I met up with Michelle, our Pre-Teen queen, and her mom to walk for a very great cause. I got to catch up and hear all about how busy Michelle has been which has included modeling in a charity runway show and shooting her very first music video. How cool! We signed some shirts, did a lap around the bottom floor of MOA (which I now have pretty much memorized), and got to run under a giant parachute which was pretty much like reliving the BEST days of gym class in kindergarten. I'm always a little kid at heart.

Picture
Signing T-shirts for some girls
Picture
Giant parachute time!
Picture
Michelle & I
Picture
Love being active in the community

Picture
Kylie, Ava, and I
Then a quick change into some 2008 NAM Nationals hot pink gear and I was off to represent NAM at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk which I have been fortunate enough to attend multiple times. I met up with my two littlest queens, Kylie (Princess) and Ava (Jr. Pre Teen), and their families and friends to walk over 3 miles...which is a long way for little legs! We were also joined by the 2007 Miss Minnesota Teen, Samantha. Together we braved the weather which kept switching from misting to sprinkling just slightly which wouldn't have been a problem if you weren't wearing a crown that could tarnish! Hence why the crowns were taken off half way through and gloves and hats put on. Oh Minnesota weather.
I had such a blast at this event not just because I got to wear hot pink and show support for such an amazing cause, but I got to hang out with kids. Living in the city, I don't get to spend much time with kids and I had forgotten how insightful they are. Parker (Ava's little brother) and I talked about the airplanes flying overhead and how cool it was that we could hear them before we could see them because of all the fog in the sky. We explored an all too tempting weeping willow tree and agreed it should be in a Taylor Swift music video. I gave piggy back rides, talked about best friends in kindergarten, and got to pet the biggest dog Parker has ever seen, a Bernese Mountain Dog. Hanging out with two Kindergarteners and a third grader made me realize how precious life is at any stage in life and that there is no "too young" to start giving back. I'm so proud of my two youngest sister queens that show age is just a number. Even though I may be 19, spending the day with Kylie, Parker, and Ava reminded me it's okay to stop and explore, enjoy the little things of life, and support each other on what seems like a road that will never end. Because let's face it, all we really need to know we learned in Kindergarten.

Picture
My Princess, Kylie!
Picture
Our team of walkers
Picture
Parker and Ava, my dream team = ]
Picture
We made strides!
Picture
FINISHED! And I did the whole walk in sparkly tennis shoes
Picture
Hanging out and talking about dance class
Picture
Queens!
Picture
We had to stop by this weeping willow which we all agreed was pretty awesome
Picture
Almost to the finish line as Parker chows down on some M&Ms
"When kids volunteer it tells others that they don't have to be perfect or famous or even grown up to make a difference."
- Kalynn Dobos, age 7
 
Picture
I was so excited when I found out I was able to be in the U of M's Homecoming parade. Here at the U, Homecoming is a huge deal...even if we may not win the football game. The big parade Friday night shows off all the great things about the University and the state. Numerous campus clubs (Engineering club was right behind me), Greek organizations, other royalty, our President of the University, and lots and lots of local organizations were all showcased in the parade. It was so cool to be one of those! During the parade is was so encouraging to look out into the crowd and hear cheers and see smiles from my Alpha Chi sisters, friends in the Greek community, friends from the dorms last year, and classmates. I was having the time of my life and it was awesome to have their encouragement. Although it was freezing and I was almost shaking from the cold, the energy from the entire crowd kept me going. In keeping with the theme of this year's homecoming, Legendary U, this appearance was one for the books.

Picture
Ready to get started!
Picture
I had a wonderful time getting to know Tim, my driver for the night. So awesome I got to show off his car in the parade
Picture
It was SO COLD but too much fun
Picture
Smile and wave
Picture
Felt like a rockstar = ]
Picture
My mom and I
Picture
Keeping my coat on before the parade
Picture
I loved hearing cheers from my friends in the crowd
Picture
The energy of the crowd was amazing
Picture
Talking to a sweet little girl
 
"So...what do you actually do to prepare for pageants?"
I've been asked this questions multiple times and honestly, I would have asked the same thing before I competed. Most people know about the Miss America swimsuit, evening gown, and interviews, but there is so much more to competing in pageants than the 30 seconds on stage.
Since 6th grade, I've competed each year and learned more about myself each time. Although my parents encouraged and helped, they mainly left it up to me to follow through with paperwork, payments, and preparations. Because of my experiences with NAM and pageants in general, I'm now responsible, organized, and a creative problem-solver. So let's break it down.
Picture
NAM forms and packets
  • Paperwork: The not so glamorous part of pageants is all the paperwork that is necessary. From resume forms to Emcee cards, there are always a plethora of forms to fill out. From repetitive but necessary information like name, State, Age division etc. to very important resume questions like "Why should you be the next Miss MN?" each form can take awhile to perfect. NAM makes it fun with colorful magazines and packets (and to be perfectly honest, I get excited when forms come in) but it does take some time set aside to complete. This same type of process was necessary in applying for colleges. As I sat there filling out similar questions, I realized I had been doing the same thing for years now. It gave me a better idea of what to expect and because I had been doing it for so long, I was efficient and got the applications done quickly.

  • Payments: Oh finances. Lovely. I'm not an Accounting or Finance major and like a lot of people, crunching numbers isn't something to look forward to. Back when I was starting out with pageants, I mainly relied on my parents and finding sponsors. Because I wasn't working in 6th grade and didn't want my parents to have to pay for everything, I set out to find sponsors...and found it wasn't as easy as I thought. To be perfectly honest, finding sponsors wasn't something I was excited about or good at. I look up to the girls who sell advertising for the program book and have an extensive list of sponsors because for me, it didn't come as easily. But I kept trying. I stay organized and followed up on calls and finally I was able to get meetings with managers of car dealerships and local businesses. That's a big step for a 7th grader! I learned how to go on meetings, sell, and write thank you notes....which is scarily similar to my current job at the Minnesota Daily. I prospect new clients, go on meetings to learn about their business and how advertising with our paper can increase their exposure, and follow through to get advertisements in the paper. I'm continually learning and refining my skills in this aspect, skills that began all the way back in 6th and 7th grade. Another aspect of finances is to figure out what funding is available for you to use. As I grew up and started working, I would save money to pay of optionals I wanted to enter and put my Christmas money towards paying for state pageants. I would work hard and make sacrifices (No, I won't get a new phone yet. I'll compete in Spokesmodel instead), each year becoming better organized with my finances. At first, I would sometimes miss important deadlines but the State office was always understanding, knowing this was a learning process for myself as well. I quickly learned about writing deadlines down and staying on top of payments, which is something that is so necessary for any stage of life. Paying for college tuition, rent expense, and sorority dues are all big investments and payments but because of NAM, I have learned a way to stay organized and not miss deadlines
  • Preparations: This is the typical prep work people often guess at when it comes to pageants. "What do you do, walk around in gowns?" Well honestly, sometimes yes! Perfecting a formal wear walk is important and I even have a coach that knows the inside tips of competing. How to stand, how to walk, and how to present yourself with grace isn't something that comes naturally for most people. It's not just walking on stage, it's showing the judges how you'd wear the crown you're competing for. Personal introduction is another required competing in NAM where we talk for up to 60 seconds about what makes you stand out, what you're involved in, and who you are as a person! The writing of these is a long and laborious process. Think if you only had 60 seconds to sell a multidimensional product, where would you begin and how would you condense it to catch people's attention? I like writing and editing Personal Introductions because it requires creativity. Interview is something I think I spend the most time preparing for. I admit it: I hold whole interviews with myself in my car. But whether it's crafting just the right sentence in Personal Introduction or coming up with a creative and unique answer for interview, I've found I'm actually really creative! Some of my best and most unique work comes to me at 2am when I can't sleep and  my mind won't turn off. That's when the outside the box thinking occurs, which ultimately helps me stand out in competition. I've used this same type of 2am creativity for group projects, marketing ideas, and problem solving for leadership positions I've been granted.

Needless to say, the preparations for competing in pageants has taught me more than how to stand on stage and look pretty. It's taught me responsibility, self-discipline, finances, and provided an outlet for my creativity. Because of NAM, I feel I am better equipped to face the "real world" (which believe me, as a sophomore in college is pretty scary). I've been able to transfer my talents learned from NAM into real and applicable situations and I know that learning process will never cease.
 
Picture
Quick shout out to Breanne Maples, author of the NAMiss Rocks blog. She updates the site with farewell speeches of queens giving up their titles, announces newly crowned queens, and highlights their involvement in the community throughout the year. It's been so much fun to follow!

I recently checked it out and found a few very familiar faces on the blog, our 2012-2013 Minnesota royalty!
Check it out http://www.namissrocks.blogspot.com/2012/09/introducing-2012-minnesota-royalty.html