Smiling with Cheryl

          This semester I have really enjoyed my "Interactions with Parents of Children with Special Needs" class. Throughout the semester we have completed fun activities and had many guest speakers. Not only have I learned a lot in class, but I have been greatly inspired by many of the individuals who have visited.
          Our most recent visitor was perhaps the most inspirational. Cheryl Poff is both deaf and blind and she has minimal abilities to move her fingers. Many people may become helpless in similar situations, but Cheryl maintained the best outlook possible!
          To begin with, Cheryl explained her eyesight to us. She had us put our pointer finger up in front of the center of our left eye and make a circle with our fingers to put in front of our right eye. This is how Cheryl sees the world. She pulled her fingers away from her face and explained that this is how she sees everyone - as a perfect 10! Try it and see for yourself!
          Cheryl also told us about many other accommodations she has made simply to get by day-to-day. She labels many of her things with foam letters, folds each denomination of money in a different way so she can find them easily, and even takes the bus, among other things. The simple things we take for granted are things that Cheryl has to think about and use exceptional problem solving skills to take care of every day.
          Cheryl made one comment, however, that really hit home with me. So often it can be difficult to keep a smile on your face when you are nervous or stressed. Yet Cheryl, who had a disease which generally causes people to lose their ability to smile, claimed that she loved to smile because she had worked so hard to make the muscles in her face work to do so.
          If nothing else this year, I will remember that I am working for and with people like Cheryl in my platform work, and for people who have not quite reached the same level of comfort with themselves. Throughout the year, I will be encouraged to smile - because some people can't, and some people have worked exceptionally hard so they can.
        So I challenge many of you - Smile with Cheryl every day; I know I will!

Reason for the Reign

     Many times people think of pageant girls simply as beauty queens - beautiful women with not much more to give. In nearly every interview I am asked how I will show the world that pageant girls have so much more to offer. All people have to do is look at a day in the life of one of us.

     This last Monday I began my day with classes at the University of Nebraska - Omaha where I am a senior elementary education major. After turning in a lesson plan and some objectives and completing some Halloween projects with pre-school children, I sat down to study for an upcoming exam in classroom management.

     A little before one, I packed up my school things and headed over to the Children's Hospital where I met with Kaylee Carlberg ( Miss Gering) and Mariah Cook (Miss Nebraska).

    We were fortunate enough to participate in craft time with the children where we got to help them color pictures and decorate pumpkins and picture frames! It was such an incredibly amazing and rewarding opportunity. The children seemed genuinely excited to have a bright spot in their day in which they were able to do crafts and hang out with three "queens." While several of the kids were shy at first, many opened up and enjoyed chatting with us about their friends, families, school, and the upcoming holiday! Knowing that we could be a bright spot in what may have been an otherwise sad and scary day is beyond fulfilling and wonderful.

 

One of the patients we met who was extremely kind and outgoing! It was a joy to talk to her :)

 I wasn't able to talk to Ella much but she followed us around all afternoon smiling and trying to play with the stuff we had out - what a cutie!

Sam was an adorable little boy who was exceptionally excited about Halloween and the monster stickers we had for decorating!

Carly is truly an inspiration. She sat with us working on our projects and chatting away for awhile. Like any normal 10 year old girl, Carly talked with us about her friends and her boyfriend. She told us how her boyfriend gives her flowers and kisses on her cheek and takes her on many dates. Carly told us all of this with the biggest smile on her face and showed obvious pride in those little details. At one point the comment was even made that Carly was a lucky girl; she simply nodded and smiled in response. You would never guess that Carly has spent her last four birthdays in the hospital and has no use of her arms.

Carly is my reminder to face life with a positive attitude and to put good into the world. If she can be that brave and positive, there is no reason for me not to.

This is what the pageant experience is all about. Not only do we have the wonderful opportunity to go out in our communities and change the lives of those around us, but we also grow close and form friendships that truly feel like they will last a lifetime. I would be there in a heartbeat if these girls needed me and I know they would be there for me too.

The next time you see a pageant girl...look for this crown. The four points of the crown symbolize four S's - Style, Scholarship, Service, and Success. A day full of school, community service, working with kids, and spending time with such fabulous young ladies certainly sounds like a day of style, scholarship, service, and success to me. 





Bowling and Beauty Queens

     I only recently crowned my successor, Charissa Hauge as Miss Heartland and I was excited when she organized a Queen Team for a Children's Miracle Network Bowl-a-thon! Charissa, Kaylee Carlberg (Miss Gering), Mariah Cook (our lovely Miss Nebraska), and myself arranged to meet at Maplewood Lanes in Omaha to bowl and support a good cause.

    The games started off a little rocky but with a late strike, Kaylee took the lead, leaving Mariah and Charissa to tie for second in the first game. The second game became incredibly serious when the organizers started a bet between the Queen team and a group of bowlers from SAC Federal Credit Union. Unfortunately these boys threw curve-balls resulting in strikes and spares nearly every time - we stood no chance!

 Our scores in the 9th frame...

The other teams (nearly equal) scores in the 4th frame...



    With a little friendly competition amongst our own team, I managed to pull ahead and win the second game! In all seriousness though, hanging out with the girls was amazing as we were able to share countless pageant stories, deep thoughts, and even some jokes throughout the day as we bowled!

It really is a sisterhood. I love these girls!

    
    The Miss Omaha pageant was also Saturday night and I was excited to take one of my baton students with me so she could see what the pageant was all about. We arrived about a half hour early and Miss Nebraska (Mariah) immediately flagged me down asking me to run her fundraiser for her for the night. I got to work selling ducks and mingling as people came in :)

    Before long it was pageant time and I was beyond excited. My niece had signed up to be a little sister in the pageant and I was anxious to see her perform! I also knew there were several phenomenal young women competing and that it would be a good show! While I had not expected the teen competition would be so tough, both the Miss and Teen contestants did exceptionally well with onstage questions, physical fitness, and talent and they looked stunning in evening wear.

     It was a close competition but I was so proud to see my old friend Jessica White and one of my amazing twirling sisters Aleah Peters take home the titles of Miss Omaha and Miss Douglas County! I was also extremely proud of my twirling sister Rachel Foehlinger who looked more beautiful than ever and who placed first runner up as well as my fellow sister queens Jessica Littlejohn (3rd runner up), Kalyssa Hoefer, Nicki Windham, and Chrissy Townsend (second runner up)!

Excited to share a year in the Miss Nebraska system with this beautiful lady!

I am so happy knowing Jess with be at state this year!

 

        I was exceptionally thrilled to see my niece as she rocked the stage during the little sister dance and looked beautiful during evening wear! I could not have been more proud of her!

The one on the left is one of our younger Stepperettes and the one on the right is my lovely niece! I was so excited the girls could attend - it was great seeing them shine on stage!



Dog Days of....Autumn?

      About two years ago my family adopted Owen, a golden retriever - labrador mix from the Fremont Humane Society. Before we got Owen, we had a daschund that we adopted from a rescue shelter. Needless to say, when a young woman invited me to a fundraiser for an animal shelter while I was in Hastings, I was honored!

     On Saturday October fifth I left my house at 8A.M. for the two-and-a-half hour drive to the Heartland Pet Connection fundraiser in Hastings. I arrived at Hastings Motorsport Park at about 10:30 and immediately began helping with registration for the dog walk and 5/10k runs. While temperatures had been hovering at around 70 or 80 degrees in Nebraska recently, the forecasted high for the day was only in the 50's! Despite the cold weather, many people showed up and brought their dogs along for the event!

One of the families and I before the walk =D

Finishing the dog walk :)

     After a little bit of time walking around and mingling, it was time to judge a pie contest! This was my first time judging a food contest and I was elated! While the contest was small, the pies were delicious! The winning pie was a banana caramel pie that was simply heavenly!

   Next I was able to take a ride in a beautiful red corvette! We went around the race track in Hastings and got up to around 100 miles an hour! It was extremely fun and exciting and I even got behind the wheel!

My ride for the day! :)

    Later it was on to judging a dog contest. There were events for cutest dog costume, best bark, best tail wag, and even best kiss! While most of the dogs just kissed their owners, one of the little ones jumped up on the table and started licking my cheek - it felt a little like something you would see in a movie and it worked - the cute dog won!
    A lover of all animals, I couldn't resist getting a picture with the pony's they had for pony rides. When I asked to take a picture with the pony, they offered to take a picture of me on the pony. Then, when I got on the pony, they asked if I wanted to take a ride on the pony. As your 2012-2013 Miss Kool-Aid Days I proudly rode that pony around the ring for all to see and boy did I feel like a little kid again!

I think this photo just screams "Miss Nebraska!"

     While I had a wonderful time at the event, I was not  quite prepared for the cold that I would have to endure! I spent at least 5 hours out in the cold at the event. When it wrapped up I did not get to go home though. Saturday was also the night of the Lincoln Linx Marching Band Competition and I was expected to perform with the UNO marching band.
     I wrapped myself up, hopped in my little yellow PT Cruiser, and drove off with the heat on high and my heated seats turned on! On the drive from Hastings to Lincoln I stopped at two rest stops where I redid my hair and makeup and changed into my twirling apparel for the evening. Needless to say, I got some rather strange looks walking around rest stops in twirling makeup and a costume with a tutu sticking out!

 Before the performance prep

 After stopping to do my hair and makeup

Finally ready for the performance...incognito though :)

    I made it to Lincoln with a few minutes to spare before the band arrived. With the nighttime cold really setting in, it was almost too cold to warm up! The twirlers stood around stretching and attempting to warm up as much as we dared while the band played through the show. Then it was time to hit the field! A little too quickly it was time to lose the warm-ups and prepare to perform in our twirling leotard and tutus!

Lovely UNO Feature Twirlers :)

   By the time we finally thawed out, I think the performance went really well! It was getting a little late by the time we headed home though and I was sad to miss the wedding of my teammate and coach, Jennifer Curtis and the bachelorette party of one of my good friends!

    Overall the day was a success and I was extremely honored to take part in the fundraiser and band performance! I am so thankful that God has provided me with all of these amazing opportunities!

State Fair - Part 2

The 2012 Nebraska State Fair!

     

      I started out Saturday morning riding with my mom out to Grand Island. On our way, Shelly called to confirm the fact that I would be performing my talent and that they needed my music when I got there.
     Upon arriving and dragging all of my stuff to the auditorium, I was shown to the "special" dressing room that was reserved for Miss Nebraska, Miss Nebraska's Outstanding Teen, and Miss Kool-Aid Days! With a little free time, I grabbed some lunch and joined the girls in the dressing room. It was so nice to get to sit down and chat with the girls, they were all so nice and fun to be around!
    It was strange being on the other side though. Just one year ago I had been sitting in their seats - hanging out in the dressing room, being confined to that room and the auditorium, worried and trying to prepare for the evening to come. This year I was free to walk around the building as I pleased, I got to go out on the grounds, and the only thing I had to be nervous about was my talent! It really was a great feeling!
    The first thing on the agenda was the parade. There were queens from just about every pageant system and it was fascinating learning about these other girls and what they went through to win their titles! The first queen I met was one of the Czech Queens!

    Czech queens put together a traditional outfit such as the one you see here. This particular one came from pieces of Czech materials from her grandparents and she went through and embroidered parts of it! She said that Czech queens are crowned at festivals and that they travel to Czech fairs all over the country!
       Next up I met the Rodeo queens! Their competition is intense! These girls go through a radio interview, a tv interview (I think), a showmanship interview, a showmanship contest, a photogenic contest, a modeling contest, and I believe one or two other things! That makes walking across stage in heels, swimsuits, and gowns and twirling a baton seem like a piece of cake! The girls were very modest though and I was truly excited to meet them!



      After meeting several other amazing queens, we were all ushered out to the parking lot where we clambered into two old firetrucks! The parade was a lot of fun as we rode around seeing the fairgrounds and greeting everyone!

     The parade ended and I had a quick practice before the Queen Meet N' Greet! It had been about a month since the last pageant that was filled with a lot of field twirling and therefore, there were some spots of my talent that I was unsure of. Thankfully I got it pieced back together and was able to prepare for the Meet N' Greet pretty quickly!



     The Meet N' Greet was extremely fun because we had time to catch up with old friends and get to know the queens we didn't know! We also had time to get to know those who came out to see us! I absolutely love meeting new people and I learned a ton at the Meet N' Greet! Plus, I love signing autographs :)

 Table buddies for the autograph session :)

 Love this girl - there is never a dull moment!

 While Mariah and I have gotten closer, it was also amazing getting to know Lianna, Miss Nebraska's Outstanding Teen!

 Miss and Teen MAO girls!

 All of the queens together!
 

          Last year our current Miss Nebraska, Mariah Cook, and I competed at the State Fair pageant together. Throughout the day, our past Miss Nebraska, Kayla Batt, and the fabulous Darrell Drullinger enjoyed fair foods and running around the grounds. They bragged quite a bit about the red velvet funnel cake while they were there! Needless to say, Mariah and I were jealous and were determined to try this delicious treat at the fair when we returned this year! With a little time to spare before show time, I ran out to the vendors, grabbed us a funnel cake and deep fried oreos, and headed back to the auditorium. While the red velvet funnel cake was good, the deep fried oreos were heavenly! I am certain it was a good thing neither of us had to compete in swimsuit that night though!



      One of the strangest things about returning to the State Fair pageant and not competing this year was the fact that I had so much freedom! Rather than being stuck in the dressing room all day, stressed, nervous, and worried, I was able to roam the halls and the grounds freely and relax. I had a great time with the other queens and I really enjoyed myself! Even at the pageant, there was little stress! I got to walk out on stage and wave during opening number, perform talent under minimal stress because I wasn't competing, and I even got to do a final walk and crown the new representatives! I was also able to simply hang out for a bit backstage because I didn't have much to do!
    It was wonderful being on stage and bantering with Mariah as we awaited the results but I was extremely nervous for crowning! The Miss America crowns are not the easiest things to pin on your own head, let alone the head of a tall girl squatting! Either way the time was upon us to announce the winners - Mindy Schreiber and Charissa Hauge!

    It was such an amazing experience crowning Mindy because we have competed together before. Sharing that excitement with her in that special moment - it was definitely a highlight of the night! I was also proud to pass on my title of Miss Heartland to Charissa Hauge! While we don't really know each other all that well, she seems to be an amazingly kind and ambitious young woman who will be a wonderful representative of the state fair as Miss Heartland! She even arranged an event for some of us queens to go bowling together for Children's Miracle Network this weekend! It should be fun and there will hopefully be a lot of pictures to come!

Crowning Charissa =D

Titleholders :)

Miss State Fair - Part 1

          Labor Day Weekend - for a college student it usually means a little extra free time to spend with friends and relax and a little more time to get caught up on some homework. For this girl it meant a little more free time, a lot more packing, finishing that aforementioned homework in the car, and spending my day at the Nebraska State Fair where I would be giving up my very first title, Miss Heartland!

After being crowned as Miss Heartland a year ago!

 

       The fun really began Sunday when my lovely director Shelly called me on the way to a family get-together. They were certain I was going to crown a new winner, they were not sure whether or not I would be able to do a talent yet, and they needed a paragraph about my year for the program. So as we headed out to Louisville to meet the rest of the family, I began typing out my outgoing queen letter on my little Droid 2. It was at that moment that I really started thinking about what my year as Miss Heartland had meant to me.
     One year ago, as I headed to the Miss State Fair pageant, I was unsure of my place in the pageant world. I had gone for a couple of titles in the past and never really gotten anywhere. I wasn't quite sure I could continue to pour my time, my heart, and my soul into these pageants with everything else going on in my life! As far as I can remember that day was pretty uneventful. That night, waiting for crowning, they announced 1st runner up and it wasn't me. I thought to myself that I would pack up and go home and I did not think I would do another pageant. When they called my name, I was in shock! I don't think it even really hit me until the next day that I was standing there, being crowned Miss Heartland and that I would have an entire year to use my title to promote my platform and be an even more visible positive role model!

         Throughout my year I was able to participate in many amazing events. There were spaghetti dinners, fundraisers, walks, a teddy bear clinic, a breakfast, and even the Polar Plunge! I loved being out in the community, learning about new organizations doing good in the world, and meeting truly outstanding individuals! By the time I got to Miss Nebraska though, I was second guessing myself a lot and I wasn't really confident throughout the week.

 With my little sisters at Miss Nebraska

 Polar Plunge!

Breakfast of Champions!



       I should have been more confident though! Throughout the week I got loud cheers from the audience, a few seconds on the news each night, and so many compliments! From a photographer nearly forgetting to take my picture because his jaw dropped (his words) to people complimenting my family on my talent performance, people were so supportive!
       The kindest compliment, however, came from my state fair director, Shelly. Shelly told my mother that she was so happy to have me as one of her girls and that my inner beauty shone through. That is what has kept me going this year. Since Miss Nebraska I have been so much more confident and I have done many things with the intention of letting my inner beauty shine through. I try to approach every activity, every competition, every day by being kind, respectful, and positive. I truly believe a smile and a kind word can change someones day and maybe even their life!
     I want to express my deepest gratitude to my directors Chelsey Jungck and Shelly Penner. With our schedules, we didn't really get to work together much during my reign. They were there for me every step of the way for Miss Nebraska though and their support and encouragement was beyond amazing! I am so appreciative for the opportunity they gave me to renew my faith and my belief in myself and to go out there and put as much good as possible into this world! It is amazing what a year as Miss Heartland did for me!

Shelly, Chelsey, and I!

After being crowned Miss Kool-Aid Days this year - what a difference!
 

     There is another fabulous benefit that I received as Miss Heartland - our current Miss Nebraska, Mariah Cook was my sister queen for the whole year! While we did not get to spend much time together during our year, I have truly enjoyed getting to know Mariah and claiming the title of her last local sister queen! She is a phenomenally kind, funny, talented individual! When we are together we tease each other and joke around, but the kindness and support between us is unlike any other! I want to thank Mariah for being such a wonderful representative for the state, a positive role model, and a wonderful friend!
    Finally, I want to encourage anyone who is down or second-guessing themselves to stay positive and persevere. At times you may feel like you are putting in far too much and not getting nearly enough out of your efforts; you might feel like you're never going to accomplish what you are going for. I promise you that your efforts are not for nothing! You gain so much out of each and every experience - both good and bad! While I didn't accomplish my goal of making top 5 at Miss Nebraska, I grew so much and learned so much about myself through the process. With a little reflection and a positive attitude, we can take good things away from bad experiences!