tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40539178245776642992024-03-04T22:47:34.619-08:00Tiffany Allen: Miss California International 2013Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-23557920977279875292014-02-27T11:19:00.001-08:002014-02-27T13:50:43.752-08:00My farewell speech<p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; padding: 0px;"><font style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span lang="EN"></span></font></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TG71HYBGVahSz7QRLG0OEcUSa-vs-7JVmr1lOLpOEsksizYEGySS6jaYTgLKn5-slo5Lm8vQA8qMJyL8EGyF49UBRrSgnGspxZOdVibzcLD4ML_LpgfPYBPfmTa6ODMmnTg2XenlVaTA/s640/blogger-image-759159263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TG71HYBGVahSz7QRLG0OEcUSa-vs-7JVmr1lOLpOEsksizYEGySS6jaYTgLKn5-slo5Lm8vQA8qMJyL8EGyF49UBRrSgnGspxZOdVibzcLD4ML_LpgfPYBPfmTa6ODMmnTg2XenlVaTA/s640/blogger-image-759159263.jpg"></a></div><br></i></div><font style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>Being crowned Miss California International and having the opportunity to represent my state and platform has brought clarity and direction to my life and has helped me discover and create the person that I know I was destined to be. The person I am today is much more confident, a better public speaker, and one with a stronger desire to serve others. Striving to match children facing adversity with a mentor is what I will do for the rest of my life. Pageantry has proven to me that the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.<span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></i></font><p></p><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; padding: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><span lang="EN"> </span><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; padding: 0px;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span lang="EN">This year has been a gift from God and nothing short of amazing. I</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> owe my success this year to the family, friends, and directors that rallied to support me before and during my reign. To the Gushwa family, you saw and nurtured something in me that I didn't realize I had:</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span><u style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">potential</u><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">. It's because of you that I stand here with this crown and sash at all. Mom and Dad, the positive changes that you have made in your lives have and will continue to be my inspiration. Thank you for letting me share your story of survival with people across California. Jayne, I am so proud of you and all of your accomplishments, you truly have made California proud! Shana, sisters by chance friends by choice. Thank you so much for your consistent encouragement and motivation throughout our journey! Nicole and Tylie, I am absolutely certain that you two are the</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><u>best fans</u></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">a girl could ever wish for! Thank you for your unwavering support; you gals were my rock this year! Finally, I want to thank the people and businesses that made it possible for me to compete in the Miss International Pageant, my sponsors. I literally couldn’t have done it without you; I will be forever grateful for your generosity and belief in my ability.</span></i></p><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; padding: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><span lang="EN"> </span><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; padding: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><span lang="EN">Being crowned Miss California International 2013 did not happen by accident; my journey through pageantry represents healing from a trauma that I experienced. Looking back, I truly believe that pageantry was placed in my life for a much greater reason than I initially understood. Pageantry has become an incredible source of healing for me and has allowed me to step outside of the limiting insecurities that my adverse childhood created. I stand here today proof that with a dream, passion, faith, and perseverance, the sky is the limit. In life the odds were definitely stacked against me but with the encouragement and support of my mentor I was able to beat them and for the rest of my life I will work to repay this tremendous gift one child at a time by recruiting the mentors that they urgently need and deserve; my greatest legacy will be marked in those children.</span><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; padding: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><span lang="EN"> </span><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; padding: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><span lang="EN">I will be forever grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve our beautiful state. This will be an experience that I treasure for the rest of my life.</span><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p><p class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; padding: 0px;"><span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><i>In my heart I will always be Tiffany Allen, Miss California International 2013</i></font></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><p></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-15033740594509217872013-12-04T23:19:00.001-08:002013-12-04T23:20:58.933-08:00Junior League of Santa Barbara<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">So the pageant is over, but my passion for shortening the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) waitlist (which is currently over 100,000 children long!) is not. With pageant prep no longer consuming my every thought, I had a lot more free time to focus on other priorities; BBBS was at the top of my list. A few months prior the pageant I met a lovely lady who was involved in the Junior League (JL) who shared with me the wonderful things that the JL does for our community. I learned that each year their new member class, which I eventually became a member of, took on a year-long project that benefited the community; I crossed my fingers (and toes!) and hoped that the new member class would choose BBBS for our new member project. I am proud to report that we did in fact select Big Brothers Big Sisters (ran by Family Service Agency in Santa Barbara) and will spend the next year revitalizing part of their office and spreading awareness for the need for mentors in our county. The Santa Barbara county waitlist is 100 children long; That’s 100 children, 70 which are boys, who are not getting the positive adult influence that they desperately need and deserve!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">I was honed to be selected as co-chair for the project and proud to be among this year’s 77 new Junior League of Santa Barbara members!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Below is an article about our project:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/print/junior_league_of_santa_barbara_welcomes_2013-14_new_member_class_20131031"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/print/junior_league_of_santa_barbara_welcomes_2013-14_new_member_class_20131031</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">The Junior League of Santa Barbara’s 2013-14 New Member Class. (Junior League of Santa Barbara photo)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">The Junior League of Santa Barbara is pleased to welcome 77 women into its 2013-14 New Member Class, the largest incoming class since its inception in 1924.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">"We're thrilled to welcome an amazing group of women to the league this year," JLSB President Angela Bolea said. "These women come from varied backgrounds but are all committed to improving the Santa Barbara community. We're looking forward to a great year.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Throughout the next several months, this group of new members will participate in leadership trainings to introduce them to the mission, projects and services JLSB provides to the community. They will also be working on their New Member Project, a project selected by the New Member Class that will give the most benefit to an organization in Santa Barbara that shares JLSB’s vision of improving the lives of youth and their families. This year, the new members voted to assist the Family Service Agency/Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Barbara.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">“On behalf of the Family Service Agency, I would like to thank the Junior League of Santa Barbara's New Member Class of 2013 for choosing FSA as their youth literacy project,” said Christina Pizarro, FSA board member. “Revitalizing FSA's reception area and family therapy room will not only improve the aesthetics of the room but will help create a nurturing and child friendly environment that will brighten and enlighten the lives of so many local children we serve.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">FSA promotes literacy by providing at-risk children with early intervention strategies designed to maximize impact at their earliest stage of development. Research has shown that children who are nurtured and supported in their first years are more likely to thrive at school and succeed in the workplace.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">The Junior League of Santa Barbara is thrilled to welcome this accomplished, dynamic and diverse group of new members to its organization, and we are excited to see what they will bring to the community this year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For more information, call </span><a href="tel:805.963.2704" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors="true"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">805.963.2704</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">, click here or follow the league on Facebook and Twitter @JuniorLeague_SB.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">— Leslie Gallant represents the Communications Committee for the Junior League of Santa Barbara.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/junior_league_of_santa_barbara_welcomes_2013-14_new_member_class_20131031" x-apple-data-detectors-result="2" x-apple-data-detectors-type="link" x-apple-data-detectors="true"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/junior_league_of_santa_barbara_welcomes_2013-14_new_member_class_20131031</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-62985451341030395402013-12-04T22:51:00.001-08:002013-12-04T23:01:06.570-08:00Miss International Final Competition<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvfuliOa84Hx5DxfJvr2hxOtmg5w7giQ9e3rOIj4z-p-GiHwfbDgosJlaLvaeQDM2jafRUxHhSRWPoiHzNuaThGry0Pt7k4RbKBcZMSPGwNzOZVnFIAYlIWFZYUIZVQLPJvuFiBygfHY8/s640/blogger-image--2030571565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvfuliOa84Hx5DxfJvr2hxOtmg5w7giQ9e3rOIj4z-p-GiHwfbDgosJlaLvaeQDM2jafRUxHhSRWPoiHzNuaThGry0Pt7k4RbKBcZMSPGwNzOZVnFIAYlIWFZYUIZVQLPJvuFiBygfHY8/s640/blogger-image--2030571565.jpg" /></strong></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Dialogue with myself the morning of the Miss International Final Competition:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">And here we are.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Tonight one girl’s life will change forever.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Could it possibly be me?<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Did I stand out enough last night to make the ‘top 10’?<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Holy cow…. I’m actually here!<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">The music starts, we line up in our bubblegum pink Sherri Hill rompers, we hear the cue and take the stage for the final night of competition… the night that Miss International 2013 would be crowned! As the song winds down we take our final pose and then the MC begins calling out the coveted top 10 contestants for both Teen and Miss International. After a couple other contestants are named I FINALLY hear it, “Miss California, Tiffany Allen!” The best part? As I walked to the front of the stage to thank the judges and pose for a picture I look down at the very front row, smack in the center, and see my beautiful family holding up bright pink sparkly letters that spell out “Miss CA” and sporting shirts with my picture that say “Miss California’s Biggest Fan”. My niece is smiling ear-to-ear and is holding up the universal sign language sign for “I love you”. I am the luckiest girl alive. After the remaining finalists are called we exited the stage and RAN (more like sprinted!) to the dressing rooms to prepare for the on-stage interview portion of the competition. I had emotions whirling as I stood in the dressing room in my interview suit, minus some of my new friends. I was overjoyed that I was a finalist, but my heart broke for my new friends and fellow contestants who were now sitting in the audience and were not back stage with me…. where they belonged! The greatest thing happened shortly after though, I started receiving text after text filled with well-wishes from them. They are the definition of class and true friends. I’ve won, with or without that crown.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">I took the stage and shared a part of my past with the audience that use to cause me so much shame. I smiled as I walked off stage because I realized at that moment just how far I’ve come; a majority of my growth I owe to pageantry. I’ve won, with or without that crown.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">After intermission was over the other contestants were finally able to join us back in the dressing room. I was overcome with gratitude when so many of them surrounded me, rooted for me, wished me well, helped me climb into and zip the dress for my next area of competition, and then helped fluff my hair, put my earrings in, and checked my makeup! Did I mention how wonderful the 2013 Miss International class is?! As I walked away from the dressing room to take the stage again in another area of competition without them, I fought back tears; I was in awe of their grace. Class acts for sure! I’ve won, with or without that crown.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">All areas of competition were over and all of us took the stage for the very last time. Luckily my position on stage was directly in front of my family who were sitting in the front row, literally three feet from me. I hardly heard a word that the MCs were saying because I couldn’t keep my eyes off of my amazing family who told me again and again how proud they were, and my 5 year old niece who was still displaying her “I love you” sign. They began calling the runners up and my name was absent from the list. Miss Teen International was called and that left one last name to be said, that which I prayed would be mine for the entire last year. There was a long pause where the new Miss Teen International was crowned and sashed and I took that time to look down at my family one last time. There were six of us still holding our breath, praying that our name would be the next words out of the MC’s mouth. I looked at my older sister who stretched her arms out from side-to-side and mouthed “by a mile!” with a huge, very proud grin on her face. (Have I mentioned that I’ve won, with or without that crown??) And then the moment was here, the name was called, and that name unfortunately wasn’t mine. When I think of that moment I don’t do so with disappointment or sadness; I instead remember the look on my sister’s face with her outstretched arms and am overjoyed by how much she believed in me and my potential. So no, I didn’t win a crown, but I did come from the experience stronger, wiser, healthier, with amazing friends, awesome memories, and a reinforced belief that I have the greatest family in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-60797604095956766922013-12-04T21:42:00.001-08:002013-12-04T21:43:28.040-08:00Prelims<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>All of my hard work, sweat (lots and lots of sweat!), prayers, preparation, and anticipation for the whole last year of my life led to this day. I had dreams, and nightmares alike, frequently about this very day and what it would feel like to stand on the Miss International stage on the first day of competition. There were some things that I expected, such as the fact that I would be standing among some of the most accomplished and beautiful women in the world on that stage, but other things were completely unexpected. I didn’t expect to have only been able to sleep 2-3 hours a night for the entire week. I didn’t expect to become so close to some of the girls I was competing with in such a small amount of time, some I know will be lifelong friends! I didn’t expect to walk off the stage that first night feeling like a million bucks, smiling as I drifted off for my three hours of sleep before I had to wake up to rehearse all day again and then (hopefully) take the stage a second time for the final competition.<span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><strong><span lang="EN" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Prior to taking the stage for the preliminary competition I arrived in the dressing rooms a tad before everyone else and then shortly after one other contestant arrived. Since it was just the two of us in the dressing room we got to chatting and she mentioned that she was only competing for fun and as a way to step outside of her comfort zone, and that she hoped that I would win. The first time I heard a fellow contestant make this very comment to me I was baffled, but shortly after I learned that there were numerous girls that I would share the stage with this weekend that didn’t believe that they were worthy or capable of winning. I was honored that she wanted me to win, but it hurt my heart so much to hear those words because I personally know what it feels like to be blessed to be given a title but feel like an imposter representing it. My first title was Miss Bakersfield 2007, and while I did work VERY hard to obtain the title I never truly felt worthy of it. I convinced myself that I just got ‘lucky’ and told myself that after I passed on the title I would put pageantry to rest. Who would have thought that 6 years later I would be holding a state title and then would make the ‘top 10’ at an international pageant?! Why I came back you ask? Well, pageantry has become an incredible source of healing for me. Every single time I step outside of my comfort zone and do something that frightens me (because of insecurities or fear of failure) I realized that I grow slightly more confident and comfortable in my skin. Because of the many speaking engagements, appearances, and events that I’ve taken part in over these last two and a half years as Miss Ventura County International and now as Miss California International, I am a stronger person and I’ve never (ever!) felt more sure of myself! Sure, the insecurities of my past peek out from time to time, but I can assure you that never do I turn down an opportunity to represent my title and platform because of it; I embrace the opportunities and never feel less than thrilled to face them head on.</span><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><strong><span lang="EN" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I shared with my fellow competitor in the dressing room that day that I too didn’t always feel this confident and comfortable in my skin and urged her to at least play with the idea of feeling worthy of winning. I hope that pageantry eventually becomes as life changing for her as it has been for me. I can’t even fathom the thought of who, or where I’d be today had I not made the brave decision to give pageantry another try. My interview skills have significantly improved, I’ve made friends that feel more like sisters, public speaking has (almost!) become enjoyable, and most importantly pageantry has helped me to believe in myself; it truly has been life altering!</span><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-33441918206633447842013-10-12T22:42:00.000-07:002013-10-16T16:06:21.566-07:00American Graduate Day in NYC!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Although the Miss International title wasn’t part of my story, a title equally as significant was; I am elated to have been asked to become a Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) celebrity ambassador. I was thrilled when the Director of Media Relations and Community Engagement for BBBSA asked me to represent the program in a national public media initiative titled American Graduate put on by WNET/PBS in New York City (for more info on American Graduate visit:<a href="http://americangraduate.org/" target="_blank"> http://americangraduate.org/</a>). The telecast leverages the power and reach of public television to help communities across America address the high school dropout crisis by preparing students for success, beginning with a high school diploma. Big Brothers Big Sisters was one of approximately 20 community action programs featured in the program and I had the honor of representing the BBBSA segment along with NFL writer Anwar Richardson. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV24kwrUzROKTiqKpFDWWauqYo6lvSnxP8LeyGYnOCRn9kKaBP6AwxL2Y2n-lTxwbOFlB-3fDR1jm7EXIC7btP6OxLrKUZd1ROhjX7gKfuWhR0ZInIMEliy8TOns_23CQ7ZVxc3UMDvJ9w/s640/blogger-image-920070346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV24kwrUzROKTiqKpFDWWauqYo6lvSnxP8LeyGYnOCRn9kKaBP6AwxL2Y2n-lTxwbOFlB-3fDR1jm7EXIC7btP6OxLrKUZd1ROhjX7gKfuWhR0ZInIMEliy8TOns_23CQ7ZVxc3UMDvJ9w/s320/blogger-image-920070346.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>To view the Big Brothers Big Sisters segment of the telecast please visit: <a href="http://www.bbbs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=9iILI3NGKhK6F&b=6470175&ct=13344935&notoc=1">http://www.bbbs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=9iILI3NGKhK6F&b=6470175&ct=13344935&notoc=1</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>To view the full 7 hour telecast visit: <a href="http://americangraduate.org/grad-day.html">http://americangraduate.org/grad-day.html<o:p></o:p></a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Big Brothers Big Sister’s write up on me prior to American Graduate Day: <a href="http://www.bbbs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=9iILI3NGKhK6F&b=6470175&ct=13333605">http://www.bbbs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=9iILI3NGKhK6F&b=6470175&ct=13333605</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>This was by far the greatest and most profound appearance that I’ve made yet as Miss California International. I am so incredibly grateful to American Graduate for giving me the opportunity to share with America the challenging parts of my past and how those events coupled with my fifth grade teacher, my first and most significant mentor, changed my life and set me on a path to success. Statistics prove that youth facing adversity are likely to continue in the vicious cycle if intervention is not given; BBBSA provides children with hope and most importantly the life-altering positive influence that they urgently need. If you are interested in making a significant impact in a child’s life please visit www.BBBSA.org to find a Big Brothers Big Sisters office near you. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Since this was my first trip ever to New York City I decided to take advantage of the trip by extending it for two extra days and explored the city! I took the redeye over on Thursday night and arrived at 8:00 AM on Friday morning. Upon exiting the plane my driver was waiting with a sign that displayed my name (I’m such a nerd, I found this detail to be very exciting! Haha!) I checked into my room and then immediately headed out to track down a NYC slice of pizza (yes, it was only 9:00AM) and then after I skipped on down to Central Park; I’ve seen a lot of beautiful places in my life, but never have I experienced a place so dreamlike. I found a grassy area in the sun near a small bridge and took a seat. It’s rather astonishing that you can hear the birds chirp and leaves rustle in the center of the park; It was the only place that I found in NYC where I could escape the yellow taxi non-stop honking! Under the bridge by which I made my temporary escape from the noisy city was an elderly man who had the most beautiful acapella singing voice I’ve ever heard! Mixed with the acoustics of being under a bridge he sounded magical! I sat in that same sunny, heavenly place for over an hour listening to him sing! After a small nap in my hotel I researched restaurants nearby and enjoyed the evening at a little Irish pub. I met a couple girls who were seated next to me and we spent the evening swapping stories and enjoying the Irish accents of the wait staff that I suspect were fake. What a wonderful first day in NYC!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Saturday was the big event and then after I joined Deanna, Director of Media Relations and Community Engagement for BBBSA, Anwar, and HIS Big Brother Derek and family for a dinner at a fabulous restaurant (Derek and Anwar have been matched for 30 years through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program!) <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Sunday was tremendous! I kicked it off with a meal at Ellen’s Stardust Diner where there were back-to-back live performances by the wait staff; they were amazing! If I didn’t have plans for the afternoon I could have spent hours listening to them sing. After brunch I was off to see my first ever Broadway show, Once. After all of the wonderful reviews that I read I had very high hopes, and let me tell you…the show exceeded them BY FAR! I was truly blown away by the performance and fell in love with the lovely cast! I wouldn’t mind seeing Once, more than once!! After the show I wandered around Times Square for a bit and was swept away by a cowboy, literally! (Pictures to follow) After a football game and dinner at a local pub I rushed off to see my second Broadway show, Mamma Mia! The show was lots of fun and was the perfect ending to a perfect day.</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Monday I woke up bright and early and found myself standing in the standby line at the Live! with Kelly and Michael show with hopes of making into the studio audience to watch them film the live show. I met a wonderful mother/daughter in line who adopted me as their own for the morning and we anxiously waited across the way at Starbucks swapping stories until 8:45AM when we were finally given the good news that we made the cut….woo hoo!! Kelly and Michael were such a hoot and it was so neat getting to see Daniel Radcliff, Julianne Hough, and Jerry O’Connell!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>After the show I jumped into a taxi and was off to the location where the twin towers once stood. When the taxi pulled up to an area that appeared to be a construction site with a winding line of at least 200 people to get inside I asked the driver if he knew what the people in that long line were waiting to see and his reply brought a tear to my eye. He said, “Miss, that is the line to get into the 9-11 memorial and it’s the longest I’ve ever seen it!” I’ve never been more proud to be an American. The fact that the terrorist attack took place 12 years ago, and the memorial has now been open for a full two years and people are still standing in lines among hundreds to get inside, was so heartwarming. We truly do live in the greatest county in the world! When I finally made it inside the walls of the memorial I was speechless; not only were there hundreds of people waiting outside to get in, there were also hundreds of people wandering within the memorial. I spent hours walking around the twin reflecting pools, each nearly an acre in size that now sit within the footprints where the Twin Towers once stood. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The names of every person who died in the 2001 and 1993 attacks are inscribed into bronze panels edging the Memorial pools, a powerful reminder of the largest loss of life resulting from a foreign attack on American soil and the greatest single loss of rescue personnel in American history. I was grateful to get the opportunity to listen to several people within the memorial share the stories of how their lives were impacted by the attack and what the memorial now means to them.</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>After visiting the memorial I walked across the street to a restaurant and made friends with a nearby customer. After chatting for a bit he learned that I had never taken a subway and insisted that I try it out before I leave NYC and offered to show me the ropes. What a thrill! I had such a great time on the subway that I almost wanted to go back and try it again! <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Huge thank you to PBS, American Graduate, and Big Brothers Big Sisters for this remarkable experience!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>I’m pretty certain that I am the luckiest girl alive!</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-68411563670183734972013-10-04T00:43:00.001-07:002013-10-12T23:08:12.486-07:00Miss International, Day #4/ Interviews and Teen Prelims<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>This was by far one of the most nerve-racking days yet. The pageant interview tends to be equally as terrifying as it is exhilarating for me. I love being able to share the ‘real me’ in a face-to-face conversation with the five people who hold a portion of my destiny in their hands, but with that being said no matter how much you prepare there is always a smidge of unknown and the reality that you just might not be the person that they are looking for this year. All you can do is prepare to be the best possible version of yourself and hope that the title is part of God’s plan for your life.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>I felt as ready as I possibly could have been walking into those interviews (well aside from the hair crisis that I found myself in that morning!) and was thrilled with the way that the interviews unfolded. Looking back on the experience I am confident that the job of Miss International just wasn’t supposed to be part of my story; I couldn’t have been more prepared. The truth is that all of us were there that weekend following the same dream of becoming Miss International 2013; obviously only one of would walk away from the experience with the large, oversize crown though. What I found to be most important thing that I took away from this experience was the knowledge that dreams change lives. The world is a much more beautiful place when you are motivated and striving to better yourself. I literally woke each morning, and went to sleep each night of the months leading up to the pageant with a smile plastered on my face! How lucky was I to get the opportunity to represent the beautiful state of California for an international title? I walked in believing that I was a winner, and today the same belief holds true; I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, a wise person of my past stressed to me that a crown and sash doesn’t bring worth to a person, it’s the person who wears them that bring value to the title, not the other way around. We all hopefully walked away better people from this tremendous experience! </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>After interviews we rehearsed the show again, and that evening us Miss contestants got the opportunity to sit in the audience and cheer on our teen-queens as the took the stage for their preliminary competition. I might be a little biased, but my teen-queen, Jayne Giest, rocked the stage! </b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-62492178161457827852013-10-03T22:28:00.001-07:002013-10-12T22:50:45.124-07:00Wednesday, Miss International Day #3 PRINCESS BALL!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>We rehearsed all morning and afternoon of day #3, but that evening there would be no work, all play! We were invited to attend a very special princess ball at the Skokie Library! We each were assigned a little girl and through the process of completing very important tasks we would help them to become a princess. We decorated jewelry boxes with sparkling jewels, answered princess trivia, and went on a hunt to locate a pea; those who were able to locate a tiny pea in the big auditorium were SURELY a princess, as told in the fairytale “The Princess and the Pea”. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>The story:<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>The story tells of a prince who wants to marry a princess but is having difficulty finding a suitable wife. The prince finds that something is always wrong with those he meets, and he cannot be certain they are real princesses. One stormy night a young woman drenched with rain seeks shelter in the prince's castle, and she claims to be a princess, so the prince's mother decides to test their unexpected guest by placing a pea in the bed she is offered for the night, covered by 20 mattresses and 20 featherbeds. In the morning the guest tells her hosts that she endured a sleepless night, kept awake by something hard in the bed; which she is certain has bruised her. The prince rejoices; only a real princess would have the sensitivity to feel a pea through such a quantity of bedding. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6_FDxcxKh64TJnSyMZatQ5JVURgmwueQOouGEt5IDOGBGbkszF7kl0qBKFGvg6qbdRhJTqK4phCk2KN_nQoh9X70Blmr2tbKLmMJkGLVHR-7tecFu6raRfkZOc_s0pIPtfgz8RP67a7J/s320/blogger-image-670242170.jpg" width="240" /></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Why this is relevant? The story was told to all of the little girls in the room and then we were released to see if our partners were real-life princesses; surely if they were REAL princesses they too could locate a tiny pea in this large auditorium. As the host yelled, “ready, set, go find your peas, princesses!” my adorable partner who was 4 years old and was wearing a princess dress tugged on my arm with a very sad face and said, “Wait, I can’t do this…. I won’t be able to find the pea.” I told her, “Of course you can! What makes you think that you won’t be able to?” and she replied, “Because, I am not a princess.” My mind was set; I made it my mission to prove to this little beauty that she was in-fact a princess! I grabbed her hand and promised her that I would prove that she was a princess! Not only did we locate a pea, we were one of the VERY FIRST to locate one! The look on her face was priceless when I picked her up, swung her around, and cheerfully squealed, “I knew that you that you were a real life princess!” She spent the rest of the evening sashaying around as we completed the rest of our tasks and prior to leaving she hugged me and then thanked me for helping her to find her princess pea and said that before this day she had no idea that she was a real-life princess!</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Sometimes it only takes ONE person believing in you to give you the confidence needed to believe in yourself. Mentors of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program provide children facing adversity with the boost that they need to believe in themselves….will you be that life-changing person for a child in your area? For more information please visit: www.BBBSA.org.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-53952618264057292252013-09-08T18:04:00.001-07:002013-10-12T22:53:05.506-07:00Exactly 1 year ago today, that crown was placed on my head<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOflLwKJXLkBFacAXkT6dduIK2qCYSAvToaQdSbAe53tv9LgAAS0A44UZ1B0RIH_6PqgODoVhygn806yDpRTkShfVgFx1WGf14_fplbbE26Jg0E7vVfl22_ROAXKAJOcgxZ1tjcI86YjD/s640/blogger-image--1903476984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOflLwKJXLkBFacAXkT6dduIK2qCYSAvToaQdSbAe53tv9LgAAS0A44UZ1B0RIH_6PqgODoVhygn806yDpRTkShfVgFx1WGf14_fplbbE26Jg0E7vVfl22_ROAXKAJOcgxZ1tjcI86YjD/s400/blogger-image--1903476984.jpg" width="236" /></a></span></div>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">Exactly one year ago from today at this hour I was anxiously awaiting the moment that I would take the stage with hopes of making my dream of becoming Miss California International a reality. Months of hard work, sweat (literally), anticipation, tears, accomplishments, prayers, and polishing all led up to this day, to this opportunity, and to those 2 hours that us contestants would share the stage; only one of us would walk away with a crown and an opportunity to continue on the journey to becoming Miss International, but all of us would walk away with new friends, more confidence, better public speaking and interview skills, and memories that will last a lifetime. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My walking away with that crown was nothing short of a gift from God and the beginning of a journey that I'm still so lucky to be on. The Teen and Miss California Int'l pageant directorship is switching hands this year and as a result the pageant was moved to February of 2014. This girl gets to spend a year and a half as Miss California! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5q2iP-uChweQS-qh99K6m1LC1TafK-lsdr-YbNH8y2L48xqUH06aEqt8i9dJpWSxd9rD82-2joWM6ijRkeTM9QwopX6ZpbO2cinIuj6FLxtVWRyvKQF4jeQFRS_hIDDhdvjMjkbBSXGS/s640/blogger-image--49872252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5q2iP-uChweQS-qh99K6m1LC1TafK-lsdr-YbNH8y2L48xqUH06aEqt8i9dJpWSxd9rD82-2joWM6ijRkeTM9QwopX6ZpbO2cinIuj6FLxtVWRyvKQF4jeQFRS_hIDDhdvjMjkbBSXGS/s400/blogger-image--49872252.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I still wake up everyday with a need to pinch myself to prove that this dream that I'm living is reality. I may not have won that large, over sized crown at the International pageant, but that doesn't one bit discount the amazing work that I've been able to do, and will continue to do as Miss California. So many doors have opened this year for me, particularly with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. I'm proud to report that I am officially a Big Brother's Big Sisters of America celebrity ambassador! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I hope that I've made California proud this year so far, and I plan to spend the remaining 5 months of my reign working just as hard! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkVCGy7tj7kVwvo73OTExnSqkcKzTHXSWk6XNA7YlU0xNn3xOBy0yddi-SzSjLSFBeif9QTPRsIC_xO-X7Fv1qxMe2MfT2hkdVJnfbG_bS-GM2GXwSu6hX3OYlMS2Z4THJFUpoFM7HS_T/s640/blogger-image--1629328674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkVCGy7tj7kVwvo73OTExnSqkcKzTHXSWk6XNA7YlU0xNn3xOBy0yddi-SzSjLSFBeif9QTPRsIC_xO-X7Fv1qxMe2MfT2hkdVJnfbG_bS-GM2GXwSu6hX3OYlMS2Z4THJFUpoFM7HS_T/s400/blogger-image--1629328674.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-23318371880307221002013-09-08T02:59:00.001-07:002013-10-12T22:58:55.193-07:00Day 2, part 2. Group photo and dinner<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">The evening of night two was reserved for a group photo followed by dinner and the "you don't know my life" speech by none other than the ridiculously positive and motivating Eddie Peterson (previously the Teen, Miss, and Mrs California Int'l director, and after a one-year break he has come back as the director of the Mrs California pageant. Teen and Miss are now in the very capable hands of Crowning Glory Productions, which are ran by the amazing Gushwa family)!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWJvL6Og9WCqV_c17wISMcUxaDSpR8SVimhr0MH9LLOcGGwTLF1VIq5Hx_P0g4W7mUhkOnk8ni3S42kh3grMQbIxQuc7EKzKA1Ma8nX_Th_9we27K4MShgMrK79m_i7BF33vtsg2_ZoZY/s640/blogger-image--659132472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWJvL6Og9WCqV_c17wISMcUxaDSpR8SVimhr0MH9LLOcGGwTLF1VIq5Hx_P0g4W7mUhkOnk8ni3S42kh3grMQbIxQuc7EKzKA1Ma8nX_Th_9we27K4MShgMrK79m_i7BF33vtsg2_ZoZY/s400/blogger-image--659132472.jpg" width="300" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Eddie's speech was about a woman he encountered at Kentucky Fried Chicken many years ago and a powerful statement that she made to the cashier when he questioned her large order: "you don't know my life!" It's true, he didn't know her life, and in Eddie's speech he reminded us that prior to judging someone we should remember that the very person you are judging is likely masking something that you can't see from the exterior. After his speech there wasn't a dry eye in the room. The international pageant is lucky to have such an inspirational person in their court; Eddie's message made a significant and profound impact on many of our lives.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-82605618106088741792013-09-08T02:27:00.001-07:002013-10-12T22:58:43.961-07:00Miss International, day #2. Part one.<div style="font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LVgL3K0jXpY3yjLowfHA4bt4dqEYg4nqAgBDNHzeUBT9iTa3L7PFyivKw42SQHSti_w3GbR6H5rGhazdu00-XmJu2xX48OCy3OB80eL_YsRJgpN5TlHQEtNocoCTrd67CZHYMTy5xcg_/s640/blogger-image-1722092582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Noteworthy; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LVgL3K0jXpY3yjLowfHA4bt4dqEYg4nqAgBDNHzeUBT9iTa3L7PFyivKw42SQHSti_w3GbR6H5rGhazdu00-XmJu2xX48OCy3OB80eL_YsRJgpN5TlHQEtNocoCTrd67CZHYMTy5xcg_/s400/blogger-image-1722092582.jpg" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tuesday was my favorite day of my Miss International experience. We started out at the John Hancock Observatory where we took an elevator up 1,030 feet to gain a 360 degree view of Chicago. What a neat experience! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Shortly after we re-boarded our buses and headed to the Lincoln Park Zoo where I was fortunate to have joined a great group of girls for conversation, awesome animal sightings, and tons of photos.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu95oplahxsnuXvIDYJhVCHjZeC4E1mGrbDyPjPS_pPdwMsre6OxzphXoLxhn3QlAgISlgQ8Gs61777rrvKQFRs8u-z4diiQi2C29IcVFCEtIzYIoqRoHOg9MCBR_TGXRQoGfKqqcaevu-/s640/blogger-image-592183230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA67hKTSscABLRM41Opp7EzE6PoobBxVHUUdtkrm1CA07vH-uxizE3kvQDNeiEuYjCIMJWO6zzCn56zy6ZomWjAPMU-HHOZ2wNFxK7boXglczS1riWmjf2iJWhgS4M5nDiJJpZte9E3Va-/s640/blogger-image-1994555504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA67hKTSscABLRM41Opp7EzE6PoobBxVHUUdtkrm1CA07vH-uxizE3kvQDNeiEuYjCIMJWO6zzCn56zy6ZomWjAPMU-HHOZ2wNFxK7boXglczS1riWmjf2iJWhgS4M5nDiJJpZte9E3Va-/s400/blogger-image-1994555504.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Next was my favorite part; we joined a group of children for lunch at the Boys and Girls club.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was matched with two intelligent, beautiful, and articulate 6 year old twins and an 11 year-old (going on 20!) little girl who stole my heart. Of course it was fun to take photos with the stunning blond hair, blue eyed identical twins who spoke Russian, but the 11 year old reminded me of why I am so passionate about youth mentoring. At first she was very standoffish and had a tough shell to break through, but once I did I knew that she might be one of the reasons that I was on this journey. A very wise person, and pageant coach, once said to me, "there might be only one person, or one reason, that you were placed in this pageant because of. Perhaps you were meant to touch just one life, but in a very profound way... honor that role!" Maybe SHE was my 'one person'... maybe not, but either way I am confident that her and I shared a meal with conversation that will forever live in my heart as one of the most significant I've ever had. She was wise beyond her years and upon meeting her I got the sense that she viewed us 'pageant girls' as people from a different world, one very far from her own reality. I noticed that she had little interest in joining in on the arts/crafts and conversations that we were set to do prior to our meal. I paid extra attention to her and encouraged her in a soft but insistent manner to let down her guard. In the beginning I told her that we were more alike than she knew but unfortunately I was hardly able to get a word out of her. I asked her if she would like to try my sash on and she refused...which I expected; I would have done the same at her age. After about 30 minutes of sharing my story with her and encouraging her to do the same, she leaned in an said, "You are pretty cool. Cooler that I thought you would be. Can I have one of those cards with your picture? And will you sign it for me?" Yesssss! A break through! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Midway through lunch she tugged on my arm and pulled me in to whisper, "I would actually like to try on that sash. Can we take a photo together?" </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The changing point? While chatting I told her that she reminds me of a little girl that I mentor who was her age. I then told her about my mentor and how she taught my that the challenges I was facing while growing up didn't limit the possibilities of what I could do with my future. I explained to her that I am spending my year as Miss CA Int'l spreading that very message to other children. Her face began to light up when she realized that she and I had more in common than she originally anticipated. I didn't get the opportunity to learn what adversities she faced at home, but what I am sure of is that she realized that while I came from a drug infested home I didn't let that stop me from following my dreams. I truly hope thar our conversation offered her hope for her own future. I pray that she is given a mentor, like my own, that changes her perspective, and ultimately her life. She deserves that! As do all the other children currently facing challenges at home. Will you be that person?? If so, please visit BBBS.org to find out how to become a life-changing mentor to someone just like her. I can promise you that it will be one of the most rewarding roles you will ever hold in your life. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-6167852765487311552013-09-07T17:33:00.002-07:002013-10-12T22:59:40.545-07:00Interview with KEYT news channel 3<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>On August 11, 2013 I met with Alys Martinez of KEYT news channel 3 to film an interview about my childhood and how it ultimately led me to Big Brothers Big Sisters. It was a pleasure working with Alys and I was excited about the way the interview turned out. It feels so great to have the support of my community! Lucky girl here! If even just one person who saw this interview was influenced to become a Big (mentor), then it was a success! Thank you KEYT!</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Here’s a link to the interview:<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://www.keyt.com/news/pageant-winner-raises-awareness-for-local-atrisk-youth/-/17671600/21425690/-/wf3j1sz/-/index.html">http://www.keyt.com/news/pageant-winner-raises-awareness-for-local-atrisk-youth/-/17671600/21425690/-/wf3j1sz/-/index.html</a><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-24839677956984708742013-08-21T17:00:00.001-07:002013-08-24T21:21:19.477-07:00Miss International Pageant, day 1: FLIGHT & ARRIVAL<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">On Sunday July 21, 2013 I met my directors, Connie and Marty Gushwa, at their home prior to my flight because they graciously offered to drive me to the airport to assist with getting my 4.5 pieces of luggage (4 bags and a crown box!) into baggage check at LAX. Upon arriving I realized just how blessed I was to have them there with me, and the hour-long drive on the way over was exactly what I needed; a last minute pep-talk started the week off perfectly. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Upon boarding my plane I had to climb over a man and woman who were already seated so that I could make it to my third-seat-over window seat… whewww, poor planning on my part... or so I thought!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Five minutes into my flight it became perfectly clear that I was placed in that very cramped window seat for a reason. If you’ve spent more than five seconds with me you know just how much I adore the elderly. The couple that I had the opportunity to sit next to were approximately in their early 70’s and the husband (you won’t believe this!) had recently retired from a long career as a fifth grade teacher! As I am sure you have heard me mention numerous times, my life was powerfully impacted when I was in the fifth grade by my teacher. The influence that my fifth grade teacher had on my life was so profound that youth mentoring has now become a large, and important part of my life. We swapped war stories (literally on his end) and at the end of the six hour flight I felt like I had known him for years. I shared the challenging stories of my past, the teacher that helped me to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and how the two collectively led me to that very plane flight that I was on that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While parting ways after exiting the plane he shook my hand with tears in his eyes and said, “I believe in you.” Who knows what exactly he meant with the short but profound sentence, but I can tell you that it was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment as I embarked on a very significant week in my life. Because of people like him, and all the others who have helped me to believe in myself along my journey, I started my week feeling like a winner, and today as I write this, even though I don’t have an over-sized sparkly cap sitting on my head, I STILL feel like a winner. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br>
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">My directors gave me some great tips on how to manage my insane amount of luggage once I was left to my own devices at O’Hare, and I was proud to have managed efficiently. I then grabbed a taxi and made the 15 mile commute to the hotel where I was warmly welcomed by the hotel staff and was elated to learn that not only did my 4.5 pieces of carry-on luggage make it without issue, but the 33lbs of dresses, steamer and gift for the director that I had mailed via UPS made it as well… what a relief! I spent the afternoon grocery shopping, steaming dresses, unpacking, and mingling with other contestants in the lobby. Great start to a great experience. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTVmSMNQ4V-8RC07HZ1r7n0p_dB5OE1IilJrrhWj_BeBjk4JWtjz1LtLAuUGHD6aYSoCTERBQAppNEvVLLujcHNwDQF3wUYILN6RsbtMyMa-mKsCBj1ueBTPBPpdqI2bZHG4ikXYQcpAx/s640/blogger-image-2018699770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTVmSMNQ4V-8RC07HZ1r7n0p_dB5OE1IilJrrhWj_BeBjk4JWtjz1LtLAuUGHD6aYSoCTERBQAppNEvVLLujcHNwDQF3wUYILN6RsbtMyMa-mKsCBj1ueBTPBPpdqI2bZHG4ikXYQcpAx/s640/blogger-image-2018699770.jpg"></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-27852026642785057652013-07-14T15:13:00.001-07:002013-10-12T23:07:23.350-07:00The sky is the limit!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>On July 8, 2013 I was honored to be invited to speak at Jason’s Retreat, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation in my hometown of Bakersfield, CA. This was by far one of the most moving and significant appearances I’ve made so far throughout my journey in pageantry because Jason’s Retreat is the very place where the road to healing from my childhood adversities began. I spoke to the clients in the very same rehabilitation program that saved my mother’s life; sixteen years ago she made the brave decision to check herself into Jason’s Retreat to heal from her addiction to narcotics. I’m proud to report that my mother (and father!) have been clean and sober since that day and she has worked her way up the corporate ladder and is now the Executive Director of that very program (way to go mom)!!!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>I began my speech by sharing some of the grueling details of my parent’s addiction and the turmoil that homelessness, molest, drug raids, hunger pains, and absent parents caused my siblings and I. While sharing some of the most agonizing details I noticed that several grown men had begun to tear up. These details are not unique to my past; these men’s children are currently facing these exact experiences because of the addiction that they are currently trying to heal from. When I shared that I was only between the ages of 5-11 when faced with the demons of my parent’s addiction and that I still remember those years like they were yesterday, I could see in their eyes that it hit home. I think that it was eye-opening to them that their very young children will forever remember the adversities that they are currently facing and that they will make a permanent impact on their futures. When faced with adversity we have one of two options, either we follow in our parents footsteps and continue the vicious cycle as statistics prove a majority of children do, OR we choose to learn from their mistakes and use them as building blocks and learning tools to become stronger. I choose option number 2 and I’m spending my year as Miss California International (and hopefully Miss International come July 27th!) sharing this very message. So many children follow in their parents footsteps because it’s all they’ve ever known; through the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program I am helping provide children facing the adversities of my past with a positive influence… a mentor. It’s crucial to prove to these children that they ARE worthy and that another option for their future is available; one filled with healthy decisions, great jobs, a loving family, and positive friends… but they first must make the initial crucial decision to stray far away from the unhealthy decisions of their parent’s past. I hope that I am given the opportunity to continue sharing my story about how I took a challenge that I faced and turned it into an opportunity to help other people, on an international level. There is a need for my voice; Big Brothers Big Sister urgently needs more mentors. In the United States alone there are over 100,000 children wait-listed for a mentor. That’s 100,000 children who likely will follow in their parent’s footsteps if they aren’t provided the mentor that they desperately need. Will you be the positive influence that changes the course of just one of these children’s lives? It’s not time consuming, it doesn’t require teaching math equations of spelling words; it merely requires being a stable, encouraging, and positive influence in their life.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>I’ve realized that through sharing my story I have the power to heal myself through my own message. For years I was embarrassed and ashamed of my upbringing so I kept it bottled in. Pageantry has allowed me to step out of the limiting insecurities that my childhood created by sharing my story to inspire hope in youth who are currently facing adversity. It’s important that I prove to them that their parent’s faults don’t define them or limit the possibilities of what their futures can hold. With a dream, passion, faith, and perseverance the sky is the limit. The odds were definitely against me…but I beat them, and through the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program other children facing adversity will too!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Pictured: my brother, mother, and niece who were present for my speech. Unfortunately due to confidentiality issues I'm unable at this time to post the pictures that I took with the clients. Photo release in the works!</b></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-64692855384377008252013-06-30T08:50:00.002-07:002013-07-14T15:15:16.480-07:00Thank YOU for believing in ME!<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>As the Miss International pageant is approaching I want to take a moment to thank the people who made this opportunity possible. I wouldn't have been able to make my dream of becoming Miss International 2013 a potential reality without these people, companies, organizations, associations, and businesses. I feel blessed beyond words can desribe for those who believed in me enough to help me get there. My promise to you is that if I am lucky enough to have that crown placed upon my head I will be the hardest working Miss Internatonal yet! From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!! <br /><br />*</strong></span><a href="http://fsacares.org/"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Family Service Agency </strong></span></a><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Board of Directors: $1575 </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>*</strong></span><a href="http://www.sbcdsa.org/"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriff's Association</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">: $500 </span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">*</span><a href="http://www.yellowpages.com/lake-isabella-ca/mip/mc-craken-robert-w-dds-7307575"><span style="color: #e06666;">Robert McCracken, DDS:</span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"> $500 <br /><br />* </span></strong></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/handsofjoymassagethrpy"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Hands of Joy Massage Therapy </strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">(Bakersfield, CA): $250 <br /><br />*</span><a href="http://www.riovista.com/"><span style="color: #e06666;">Rio Vista Chevrolet</span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"> (Buellton, CA): $250</span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;"><br /> *</span></strong></span><a href="http://www.drkubisch.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Kubisch and Ferris Orthodontics</strong></span></a><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> (Santa Barbara), my awesome orthodontist who helped me make my smile stage-ready!: $100</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><strong><span style="color: #e06666;"></span></strong></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>*George Bernard of </strong></span><a href="http://www.balanceindustries.com/balancebernard.html"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Balance Industries</strong></span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>: $100</strong></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> </strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><strong><span style="color: #e06666;"></span></strong></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>*Heidi Holly of the </strong></span><a href="http://www.friendshipcentersb.org/staff.html"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Friendship Center</strong></span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>: $50</strong></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> </strong></span></span><strong><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br /><a href="http://www.uniquetansb.com/locations-go.html"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Unique Tan </strong></span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>(Santa Barbara): Official tanning sponsor </strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">*Neil Webb for community outreach and support <br /><br />*</span><a href="http://www.crowninggloryproductions.com/"><span style="color: #e06666;">Crowning Glory Productions</span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"> for prepping me physically and emotionally for the national pageant <br /><br />*</span><a href="http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.5962335/k.BE16/Home.htm"><span style="color: #e06666;">Big Brothers Big Sisters </span></a><span style="color: #e06666;">mentoring program for allowing me to work side-by-side with you to share my passion of mentoring.</span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><strong><span style="color: #e06666;"></span></strong></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>*</strong></span><a href="http://trishhigginsphotography.com/"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Trish Higgins Photography</strong></span></a><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> for my beautiful headshots for state and nationals</strong></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;"> <br /><br />*</span><a href="http://kennybacker.com/"><span style="color: #e06666;">Kenny Backer Photography</span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"> for my stunning headshots for State <br /><br />*Sabrina Valverde-Herrera my amazing hair stylist/sponsor <br /><br />*....and last but not least, my lord and savior as well as my amazing family and friends for supporting me, encouraging me, and giving me the confidence needed to continue following my dreams. Without you guys, this opportunity wouldn't be possible.</span></strong></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-4269855342061807752013-06-14T11:26:00.001-07:002013-06-16T13:11:11.655-07:00Daniel Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
<strong><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was honed to be invited to volunteer at the 3rd annual Daniel Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament on June 10, 2013 at the Santa Maria Country Club.</span></strong></div>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><strong>Daniel Johnson was 23 years old when he was killed while serving in Afghanistan on October 5, 2010. Dan was a member of the Air Force’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, and was stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County.</strong></span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Daniel was a devout Big Brother for two years with the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program prior to being killed in the line of duty. To honor Daniel his family holds this golf tournament anually and all proceeds go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Barbara County. </span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaF8vGwHVYD6hrzxCesxlEO9Y6OgKJkThnE81v2q7CHD9Gi84bkujVQkCM2rGIx59zXucSGiVoMAqif11JeWj3547Fik0IE7BqMxlz_bYBxI1r5AafRyOzg6Hwu3JsQWylzfFs5rawOQA/s1600/golf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" cya="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaF8vGwHVYD6hrzxCesxlEO9Y6OgKJkThnE81v2q7CHD9Gi84bkujVQkCM2rGIx59zXucSGiVoMAqif11JeWj3547Fik0IE7BqMxlz_bYBxI1r5AafRyOzg6Hwu3JsQWylzfFs5rawOQA/s400/golf.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-13166820053702731872013-06-07T08:07:00.003-07:002013-06-07T08:07:33.832-07:00We are more than friends, we are SISTERS!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Sh1MgnXld_WpncRktxsuCuedTu0ncXeasskACnluJfKOm4kFZ82tmqx6Pa4v5VDVUc4xF3MCb6cbsq_9hlbjrEvJ5lQLYC9NCJNQBB-3OSPmGZPveNi71QyMqcLp5HCLze56JXcf6S1v/s1600/b7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Sh1MgnXld_WpncRktxsuCuedTu0ncXeasskACnluJfKOm4kFZ82tmqx6Pa4v5VDVUc4xF3MCb6cbsq_9hlbjrEvJ5lQLYC9NCJNQBB-3OSPmGZPveNi71QyMqcLp5HCLze56JXcf6S1v/s400/b7.JPG" width="400" yya="true" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>This picture says it all: "We are more than friends, we are SISTERS!" </strong></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-25146719367111336412013-06-07T08:03:00.000-07:002013-06-07T08:09:19.454-07:00BIG smiles!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2DE_OEBqoF5RYYECocQoSYviu0rrlIT5f1Lza8LgRusmKwOBDtvbRsKbG-JRfIMugFY2Y4CIesD4xl7lP-1Q3yj4qObkNuyhSogo4brmSOdxLidFp_1BT_mbuMwptKeocKtL0a7iOpcF/s1600/b1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2DE_OEBqoF5RYYECocQoSYviu0rrlIT5f1Lza8LgRusmKwOBDtvbRsKbG-JRfIMugFY2Y4CIesD4xl7lP-1Q3yj4qObkNuyhSogo4brmSOdxLidFp_1BT_mbuMwptKeocKtL0a7iOpcF/s320/b1.JPG" width="320" yya="true" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj103IkBnWF3htMBJPkROfVQeP26kqnNnasbdmGEMJGAOxTEz9GSI5AaI-XR7sXC0ZKHRvIYQpVNbgupuBhXu62M7hYZflfrloODrf256TTF9gX8X7agMtTbkt9Xbx9Atkzr7uBt9j7JLkY/s1600/b2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj103IkBnWF3htMBJPkROfVQeP26kqnNnasbdmGEMJGAOxTEz9GSI5AaI-XR7sXC0ZKHRvIYQpVNbgupuBhXu62M7hYZflfrloODrf256TTF9gX8X7agMtTbkt9Xbx9Atkzr7uBt9j7JLkY/s320/b2.JPG" width="320" yya="true" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>I thought that you might enjoy seeing what Tania (my Little) and I have been up to lately. Our recent outings have included tandem bike riding, dinner at Japanese and Mexican restaurants, pizza dates, frozen yogurt, balloon animals, Easter celebration, arcades, miniture golf, playing at the park, learning how to tie-dye, birthday celebrations, henna tattoos, and the California Strawberry Festival. As you can see in our pictures, no outing goes by without a TON of smiles (and silly photos!). So lucky to have her in my life, she brings me so much joy. YOU would also make a great Big Brother or Big Sister, if you are interested in joining this life-changing program you can visit: </strong></span><a href="http://www.bbbs.org/"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>www.BBBS.org</strong></span></a><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> to learn more. </strong></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-75678135956099329612013-05-30T07:36:00.001-07:002013-06-07T07:16:34.480-07:00Volunteering at the Cajun & Blues Festival<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">On May 25th I volunteered at the 23rd Annual Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival. I've been fortunate to attend/volunteer at this event 2 years in a row now, last year as Miss Ventura County Intl. and this year as Miss California Intl... maybe next year I'll be fortunate enough to attend the event as Miss International! Wishful thinking! <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival is an annual event hosted by the Simi Sunrise Rotary Club to benefit both Cajun heritage and the people of Simi Valley and surrounding areas. All proceeds from the event go to local charities. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">I had a wonderful time supporting the rotary and spending the day with my Ventura County sister-queen, Bryana as well as my director, Connie Gushwa of Crowning Glory Productions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-62052117753554006932013-05-30T07:11:00.001-07:002013-06-07T07:17:37.495-07:00Guest reader at the Strawberry Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="background-color: white;">Tania, my 'Little', and I were invited to be guest readers at the California Strawberry Festival last weekend. Tania is working very hard to overcome her shyness so I was elated when she agreed to help me read the strawberry-themed book. We practiced in advance and when the day came she seemed excited about the opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm so proud of her for facing her fear of public speaking!!<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love this photo! This is Big Brother Pedro and his Little, and me with my Little.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-73383979921861253332013-05-18T19:35:00.001-07:002013-06-07T07:20:20.857-07:00President's Circle Guest Speaker<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My "Little" princess sporting my crown after the event</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">I was honored to be invited to be the guest speaker at the Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara's President Circle reception. The event was wonderful! There was a phenomenal group of people in attendance who were beyond gracious and welcoming. Below I've attached an email that I received after the event from the Development and Marketing Co-Chair of Family Service Agency. This email is one of the best compliments that I've ever received. So blessed to have these opportunities. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">"Hello Miss California,<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">I wanted to personally thank you for coming out yesterday and speaking about the passions which move you. You were fantastic! Many folks in attendance were very impressed with your natural commitment to serve, your energy, and the hope you bring to our organization and community. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Please know that we are all behind you cheering for you as you move onto Miss International in July. Let us know what we can do to facilitate your BIG impact. Let's move forward and make things happen! <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Again, thanks for your willingness to reengage us. You are an exemplary woman. Know that this Committee and board are behind you all the way. You really impressed the crowd who attended. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">A special thanks and hello to your little gem Tania. She is in GREAT hands. "<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Tania (my Little)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>IS a gem... But I'M the lucky one! <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">This email that I received from the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program Director also warmed my heart, I am so fortunate to be a part of this wonderful and life-changing program:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">"Thanks again for being our guest speaker and making a wonderful President’s Circle evening. You did a terrific job talking about why you personally give your time mentoring in BBBS and you’re a great spokesperson sharing why BBBS is a worthwhile program."<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Lucky girl here. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-89209214971905354052013-05-02T17:48:00.001-07:002013-07-04T06:58:11.615-07:00Huge thank you to the SB County DSA!<span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>HUGE thank you to the Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriff's Association (DSA) for their incredibly generous donation toward helping me make my dream of becoming Miss International possible! <3 </strong></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>http://www.sbcdsa.org/index.php<br /><br />I am so fortunate to be represented by such a wonderful association! </strong></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-37504334564396111532013-04-26T13:52:00.001-07:002013-07-04T06:55:43.596-07:00Celebrating my match anniversary with Tania<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">Last weekend Tania and I had a wonderful time celebrating our match anniversary! Over the last few years Tania has mentioned several times how much she enjoys miniature golfing. Unfortunately there is not a place to miniature golf in Santa Barbara so up until this weekend we haven’t had the opportunity. Seeing that this was a special week for us I decided to surprise her by picking her up from school and driving her down to Ventura, CA to visit Golf ‘N Stuff. We played 2 rounds of golf (36 holes!) and then took a spin on the bumper boats (she got significantly less wet than I did, I’d say that she won this round!). Afterward we went inside and practiced throwing basketballs, baseballs, and skeet balls followed by numerous rounds of friendly competition on Dance Dance Revolution. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my favorite aspects of being a ‘Big’ is being able to view the world through a child’s eyes again in adulthood. It allows me the opportunity to run, play, dance, sing… and miniature golf, without a worry in the world. Our visits are often spent taking silly photos, singing off-key, playing on the monkey bars, building sandcastles, doing arts/crafts and playing tag…all with a BIG smile on our faces. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #e06666;">The time that I’ve spent with Tania over the last couple of years has been eye-opening and incredibly rewarding. I’ve watched her grow (physically and emotionally) and mature into a very remarkable young lady. The area that I’ve witnessed her make the most improvement in is in her willingness to trust people. When I first met her she was incredibly introverted, had a difficult time making eye contact, and had a very hard time making and retaining friends. While there is certainly still room for improvement in this area the changes that I’ve witnessed have been significant. When appropriate she makes conversation with people we’ve just met, she smiles and makes eye contact with people that she’s speaking with, she has rekindled several friendships that previously ended, and she has made numerous new friends. I am so honored to be a part of these crucial years in Tania’s life. I hope that in a small way I am able to prove to her that she can continue to count on me to push her and support her through all of her endeavors. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-34443871345060012182013-03-30T07:23:00.001-07:002013-03-30T07:28:02.591-07:00Mentoring is fun, not work!<br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>People frequently ask me what my Little and I do when we hangout. They also often mention that they fear that they would run out of things to do together as a match if they became a Big, or that it would occupy too much of their time. I've attached some photos of our typical outings which prove that the possibilities are endless and that mentoring is fun and definitely does not feel like "work"! Children simply need someone that they can count on; someone to be their biggest cheerleader and a reliable friend.</strong></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-72453395569708355152013-03-29T12:41:00.000-07:002013-03-29T13:12:07.854-07:002013 Bakersfield pageant update and photos.<h1 style="margin: 24pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #e06666;">I really enjoyed visiting with friends, family (thank you Uncle Josh for making the trip over from Visalia!), my Bakersfield pageant sisterhood, and my Mrs. CA sister-queen, Shana Smith, at the 2013 Bakersfield pageant. Sitting in the audience was so surreal. It was the first time since 2004 that I sat in the audience and didn’t play an active role in the pageant. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I previously held the title (2007 Miss Bakersfield), worked as a committee member for several years, and then later was a judge for the pageant, so as you can image it felt equally as odd and it did relaxing to sit and enjoy the production. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #e06666;">I was unquestionably impressed with the contestants that graced the stage that night. They were elegant, beautiful, well spoken, and most importantly the camaraderie was evident amongst the contestants. Congratulations to the 2013 titleholders: </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Miss Teen Bakersfield Brittany Louey, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Miss Bakersfield Jamie Swetalla, and </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Mrs. Bakersfield Jennifer Maddern.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
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<b><span style="color: #365f91; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Ladies, I hope that this year is everything that you dreamed it would be! You are already making a difference in your community and giving your platforms a stronger voice. Keep it up. I know that you will make Bakersfield proud. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><strong>For more information on the pageant for Teen and Miss California International produced by Crowning Glory Productions you can visit: </strong><a href="http://crowninggloryproductions.com/"><strong>http://CrowningGloryProductions.com</strong></a><strong> and for information on the Mrs. California International pageant produced by Peterson Productions visit:</strong> <strong><a href="http://www.californiaitl.com/">http://www.californiaitl.com</a> </strong></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495779841504197585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4053917824577664299.post-20678869785809003462013-03-27T05:58:00.003-07:002013-07-04T06:46:20.562-07:00A very special lunch date!<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 16.2pt;">
<strong><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On Monday I had the opportunity to finally come face to face with one of the most influential people of my past, my mentor and fifth grade teacher. Words cannot describe how wonderful it was to see her face and catch up after being apart for almost 15 years. </span><o:p></o:p></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This particular woman proved to me just how important and life-altering it is to have a positive influence in your life when faced with adversity. Having that encouraging someone to count on likely makes the difference between a child following in their parents footsteps in that destructive path, ultimately continuing the cycle, or choosing to use their misfortune as a learning opportunity to better themselves and their future. Thanks to the positive influence that I had during those very challenging years I chose the latter and am stronger, wiser and better prepared for my future because of the trials that I faced.</span><o:p></o:p></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While visiting we discussed how we came into each other’s lives and now looking back it strengthens my faith that God had a hand in the placement of her in my journey. She was in fact my fifth grade teacher but she was not the teacher I was originally given. I was assigned to another teacher and then Mrs. Webb was hired on to work at my elementary school a month after school began. Several students from every fifth grade teacher were moved to join her class and by the grace of God I was one of those few students that were picked. What is even more peculiar is that Mrs. Webb only taught fifth grade for two years in her entire career as a teacher, she instead preferred to teach kindergarten and first grade; what are the chances that I was lucky enough to get her for one of those two years? Looking back it seems nothing short of a miracle. </span><o:p></o:p></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mrs. Webb: I want to take a moment to sincerely thank you for teaching me to believe in my potential; for proving to me that the sky is the limit when a dream is backed with heart, determination and perseverance; for continuing to show me now in adulthood what unconditional love for another person truly means; for promising to be a life-long friend and confidant for the foreseeable future; and most importantly for still encouraging me set goals and for helping me reach them. I will never truly be able to thank you enough for the difference that you have made in my life. My promise to you though is that I will use the tools that you have instilled in me to impact another child’s life. You have proven to me that simply being a cheerleader for a child can make a vast difference in their future. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping me see my potential and for encouraging me to never give up on it. </span><o:p></o:p></strong></div>
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