Transforming negative thoughts

I recently had the opportunity to talk to a girl that I've never met who is writing a college paper on the negative publicity surrounding pageants (stemming mostly from Toddlers and Tiaras and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo) who read my article in the Ventura County Star newspaper and tracked me down to get my input on her paper.  After reading my article she said that she was proven wrong and realizes now how  great pageantry can be for young women who aim to selflessly support their communities... this is what the International pageant system is all about! So cool that my story affected one persons opinion of pageantry for the better. This Miss California is off to a great start!

Ventura County Star Article

The Ventura County Star newspaper wrote a tremendous article on ny recent win as well as my passion and platform of mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Article can be viewed here: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/oct/08/pageant-winner-finds-title-gives-her-a-platform/?partner=yahoo_feeds#ixzz296fz5w1d
- vcstar.com

HUGE thank you to the Ventura County Star for supporting local charities/organizations! This article did a wonderful job portraying the impact that mentoring has on at risk youth. It proves that mentoring can and DOES change lifes for the better, forever! Thank you VCS for helping me share my story!

By Alicia Doyle

Tiffany Allen grew up surrounded by domestic violence and with parents addicted to drugs.
She thinks that gave her the strength to serve children in need while raising awareness of youth organizations through her role as a regional and state pageant winner.
"At a very young age I was required to take on a tremendous amount of adultlike responsibility," said Allen, 26. "A majority of my early memories were of things like drug raids, homelessness, unthinkable living conditions, molestation ... and oftentimes wondering where my next meal was going to come from."
In March, Allen was crowned Miss Ventura County International 2013 by Crowning Glory Productions. The contest is an official preliminary for the international pageant system and covers Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
Most recently, Allen was named Miss California International 2013 by Crowning Glory.
"My journey through pageantry represents healing from a trauma that I experienced, and speaking about my platform, the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, has become a source of healing for me," said Allen, of Santa Barbara, who has been a volunteer mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters for about three years.
"Looking back, I truly believe that pageantry was placed in my life for a much greater reason than I initially understood," Allen said. "It has allowed me the opportunity to share the story of my adverse childhood and inspire youth facing similar situations that your past doesn't have define your future."
Instead of using her childhood as a crutch, "I used it as a learning tool to make certain that I didn't make the same mistakes that my parents did," Allen said. "Pageantry has helped me though my struggle and has helped me to find purpose in my journey."
As Miss Ventura County and now as Miss California, "Tiffany will be able to use this platform to speak to others in the community about the value mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters produces in changing the lives of children, for the better, forever," said Pedro Chavez, director of education and public affairs for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County.
As a Big Sister, Allen has spent many hours mentoring her little sister, Chavez said. "Tiffany is helping guide a child facing adversity by mentoring them to build greater self-confidence and self-esteem. These essential character-building elements are crucial to improving academic performance and overall outlook in life."
Allen shows that no matter what your past experiences growing up were like, "You always have a personal choice as to whether you let those experiences take you down or lift you up," Chavez said.
Allen is one course away from graduating from Santa Barbara City College with a liberal arts degree with a focus on behavioral science. She also works as an emergency dispatcher with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department.
Allen entered her first pageant, Miss Bakersfield, during her senior year of high school with the hopes of winning a scholarship to help fund her college.
"While I didn't walk away with the crown that year, I did walk away with lifelong friends, a greater self-esteem and the desire to continue pushing myself to reach my potential," she said.

© 2012 Ventura County Star. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Barbara

On October 3, 2012 I met with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Barbara’s marketing committee including Scott Whiteley the Executive Director, Bonnie Pack the Program Manager and a few other staff members from their development team. In the beginning of our meeting I was able to share with them my personal story of the profound effect that my mentor had on my life and the confidence that she instilled in me, followed by my current experience of mentoring my ‘Little’ and the differences and improvements that I’ve witnessed in her. I was then able to give them a little insight into the International Pageant system and explain how our focus is on commitment to our communities and why it is so important for me to give back in the form of mentoring because of the impact that it directly had on my life. We then discussed fundraising events and recruitment strategies and we now have a few ideas to begin exploring. This may just be the beginning, but this is a big step in the right direction. I am extremely excited about this new partnership!

I love that BBBS included me in their October newsletter!

United Blood Services

On September 26, 2012 I was given the opportunity to meet with Michael Johnson (Donor Recruitment Manager) and Mary Ann Bittle (Donor Recruitment Representative) from United Blood Services at their brand new and beautiful office in Santa Barbara regarding ways in which I could use the Miss California crown to help promote, recruit, and fundraise for them. I am looking forward to joining them at their larger blood drives in the near future, and throughout my year as Miss California International. After our meeting we took a few photos for use on their social media sites followed by the most important part of my visit… my blood donation! The staff was exceptionally gracious and welcoming! They truly know how to make blood donation a pleasant experience. After my donation I had the opportunity to hangout with the staff for a bit and discuss pageants, Big Brothers Big Sisters (my platform), and then they were very interested in seeing my crown up close and a few even tried it on. It is so heartwarming when I am able to share the story of where I came from and the person that I have become because of it, and excite people who were previously unfamiliar and skeptical about pageants on how wonderful they can be. Prior to leaving, I had some of their delicious freshly popped popcorn in their remarkable new cantina area and then upon their request I took a few photos with the staff. United Blood Services has THE BEST staff! Huge thank you to UBS of Santa Barbara for making my experience so memorable.

The journey to becoming Miss California Intl. 2013

My journey to becoming Miss California Intl. was filled with good and trying days, an amazing support system, awesome directors, an incredible coach, doubt, a tremendous amount of soul searching, and lots of hours at the gym. 

I was crowned Miss Ventura County Intl. in March and from that day forward I began emotionally preparing for the coveted title. I had only 6 months to get myself in the best shape of my life (still a work in progress!) and emotionally the best version of myself that I could possibly be. I didn't waste a second. For me, being crowned Miss California wasn't about a crown and sash. One of the most significant quotes I read from the inspirational book Creating Queens by Suzy Bootz was, "Your journey is never defined or validated by a crown. It's about celebrating yourself and the person you have become because of, or in spite of your experiences". For the first time in my life I was sharing my childhood story in hopes of inspiring those in similar situation that your past doesn't have to define your future. My journey through pageantry represents healing from a trauma that I experienced, and speaking about my platform, the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization, has become a source of healing for me. Looking back, I truly believe that pageantry was placed in my life for a much greater reason than I initially understood. 

Pageant week:
I prepared as much as I possibly could leading up to the pageant, so with the pageant just a week away I decided to relax and enjoy the experience. The event was held in Bakersfield, which coincidently was my home town, so I was incredibly blessed to have over 20 of my closest friends and family at the pageant cheering me on. With or without that crown I was going to walk away a 'winner' that night-with a support system like that, how could I not?!  The day before the pageant we had rehearsal all day, followed by "Girls Night Out" at a local restaurant, and then an ice cream social and the opportunity to get to know the girls I would be competing with. I learned so much about that incredible group of women and feel truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to share the stage, and this journey with them.
I finally climbed into bed at 1:00AM (on pageant day!) and was back up at 4:30AM for hair and make up. We spent most of the day rehearsing and then we were off to our interviews. Walking into my interview I felt more prepared than ever... but that didn't scare away my last minute jitters! Huge thank you to my good friend Hilary Gushwa who calmed me, and made me look and feel like a winner! Walking out of my interview I'd never felt more confident that I was the best version of 'me' that I could be, and that my interview was the perfect start to an incredible experience!
After interview I rushed off to prep for the evening pageant. My awesome directors helped gather my stuff and ushered me to the auditorium. One hour to show time. Instead of being nervous I had an unusual calm feeling. I was backstage joking with my fellow contestants and helping them do some last minute steaming to their outfits. The band starts to play "Footloose" and we line up for our dance number. The rest of the show flies by and soon we are all lined up in our evening gowns backstage waiting for the cue to return to the stage for the crowning. We had several minutes to kill backstage while they tallied the scores so we sat around and made conversation. Shana Smith, who is now my sister queen and the new Mrs. California Intl., sparked up a conversation about the results. Our views were so similar! We both agreed that no matter what happened, we had done our own personal best and that there was nothing else we could have done to prepare. Either it was in God's plan for us or it wasn't. 
We are all back onstage, they begin handing out awards and I am given the photogenic award (BIG thank you to Marty Gushwa for secretly entering me into the competition!!) and then it was time for the crowning. 

Second runner up- Katherine Cooksey
First- Nashay Matthews
.... running through my head: "Could it be?! There are still several tremendous competitors standing here on this stage waiting to hear their name. I did it...! Right..? Oh please say my name!!"
 The director begins, "The new Miss California International 2013 is..... Tiffany Allen from Ventura County!"

Holy cow I did it!

It's been just over a week since I was announced as Miss California and that same smile is still plastered on my face! I am honored, humbled, and blessed to be given this opportunity. I intend to become one of the hardest working Miss California's that this state has ever seen!