Imagine being five years old, and you are told your teacher is competing at Miss Oklahoma. She will wear a princess dress, she will sing, and she could become Miss America some day. I’m not sure if anyone can fathom what that might mean to a child, but I know of twenty sweet faces who want to see this unbelievable event with their own eyes.
Teach For America places corps members in schools which are located in low socio-economic areas. My students must apply and meet the criteria for Head Start in order to attend, making it little more than a dream to lavishly spend money for their families to attend Miss Oklahoma. At $10 a ticket, their brothers and sisters want to go as well – but around $50 a family, it’s a great expense.
I will be selling Scentsy to fundraise for my students and their families to attend Miss Oklahoma in June! Not only will they be experiencing the arts, but they are exposed to what could happen if they work hard and grow their brains. In 1993, Miss Oklahoma came to the Shawnee Public Library to speak and perform her talent. As a four-year-old, I cannot recall her message, but for the first time ever I thought the flute was kind of cool.
As I left with an autographed photo in hand, we saw Miss Oklahoma’s official car and of course I had to take a picture with it! Donning my best dance pose in curls and polka dots, I beamed next to her bright red car. Little did I know that I could some day be competing to wear her crown.
I know that if I can be affected in such a way, my students can and will benefit from the opportunity to see not just one Miss Oklahoma – but Miss Oklahoma from the past forty years, and a brand new Miss Oklahoma crowned. Please help me raise funds for my students to see Miss Oklahoma by ordering Scentsy from the link below. Twenty-five percent of the profits have been generously donated to me by David of DC Cake Appeal! Thank you David, and thank you to everyone for your orders!!
I’m now sure how time flies faster with each year, but Contestant’s Day has already come and gone! Yesterday, we gathered every Miss and Teen contestant, their local directors and volunteers, and several family members at Jenks Performing Arts Center.
I was SO thrilled to drive a short five minutes to something Miss Oklahoma related, since normally we are Tulsa bound from Shawnee at 6 am!!! We turned in our ad sales information and the talent run-throughs began. Though I had taken allergy medicine, drank a tall glass of green tea and used a neti-pot for the first time, seasonal allergies were giving me a run for my money! Fortunately, I made it through and was happy with how I performed. In fact, it makes me anticipate singing on the Miss Oklahoma stage that much more! This year, I will be singing “Come Rain or Come Shine.”
Watching talent rehearsals reminded me of the amazing talent our contestants possess. Makes me glad I am not a judge!!! After talent rehearsal, we spent some time dancing around with Kent – the nation’s best choreographer (I’m not biased or anything…), and working on a bit of modeling. The show this year is going to be unbelievable! Kent said it currently stands at about sixteen minutes, with contestants performing back up to SEVERAL former Miss O’s dancing and singing. How he tops himself every year, I will never know!
Mignon spoke with us (I have always loved Mignon – what a role model!), about the job of Miss Oklahoma in great detail and what qualities Miss Oklahoma 2012 should possess. She greatly emphasized “committed to educational goals,” which is such an important aspect of Miss Oklahoma, being a scholarship organization, and a mentor for students.
Once we had learned the chorus of our opening number, we gathered with our pageant families to hear from Betty and watch her interview from Miss America. I think it’s quite obvious that her interview was nothing short of fantastic. Betty has done an excellent job as Miss Oklahoma, and it is apparent by the way the board speaks of her as well. They told of her incredible work ethic and how she has never been late. Betty also gave each contestant a gift – a light up (LED) lip gloss with a mirror from Artistry by Amway, a Miss America sponsor! It is seriously super cool. She attached a wonderful poem reading, “If your lips would keep from slips, Five things observe with care; To whom you speak, of whom you speak, And how, and when and where.” She explained how important it is as Miss Oklahoma to always “be” Miss Oklahoma, regardless of how bad your day is going, because someone is looking up to you.
After watching Betty’s interview, we drew for placement! I am very excited to be in the MU group! My schedule will be:
Monday AM: Interview
Tuesday: Swimsuit
Wednesday: Talent
Thursday: OSQ/Evening Gown
The judges were revealed and HOO BOY – what an amazing panel! They are a fascinating group, which I would like to interview, though I will be interviewed by them! Miss Oklahoma has selected an extremely well-rounded panel with entrepreneurs, philanthropists, high achievers, and names with national recognition. We even have an NBA basketball player, a former Miss Oklahoma and a former Miss AMERICA!
Contestant’s Day is special for many reasons, but most of all I love getting to visit with the extended members of the “pageant family.” Those who I have known since the teen system, former directors, contestants, and many who have judged me in past competitions. Much like other families who are separated by distance, it takes a pretty big deal to get us all in the same room together – but when we are, it is just the most enjoyable day ever! Thank you to everyone who has sent such kind words my way with feedback about talent and more. Here’s looking to June!
Winter Meeting was held last Saturday and it was SO nice to have everyone in one room! There are 45 Miss contestants this year (more than I can ever remember competing!), with 23 rookies and 21 veterans. We’re quite outnumbered!
Team Green Country
In the morning we went over wardrobe requirements, ad pages (who wants to buy an ad from Miss Green Country?!), and the Duke of Edinburgh award. This award recently partnered with the Miss America Organization and the Boy Scouts of America, among many others world-wide. Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011, is an award winner as well! If I were to sum it all up, it could take a bit – so I copied this from the website to allow the creators to explain it as they intended it to be understood.
Taking part builds confidence and develops self-esteem. It requires persistence, commitment and has a lasting impact on the attitudes and outlook of all young people who do their DofE.
Our participants are aged between 14 and 24.”
These are the reward requirements:
THREE LEVELS
The Award is based around three Levels, each successive one requiring a greater degree of commitment.
BRONZE is for those 14 and older. The minimum period of participation to gain this Award is 6 months
SILVER is for those 15 and older. The minimum period of participation to gain this Award is 6 months
GOLD is for those 16 and older. The minimum period of participation to gain this Award is 12 months
The Award may not be achieved in a shorter time span by working more intensively. Participants must persist for at least the above minimum periods.
It is possible to start at any Level – many participants work their way through all three, while others start at Silver or Gold by fulfilling additional time requirements.
FOUR SECTIONS
To gain an Award, participants must complete activities in four Sections – one hour weekly for each activity. Minimum periods of participation vary with each Award Level (see above). Participants choose their activity for each Section – an Activity Coach needs to verify that the participant has been making persistent and regular effort for the minimum time period required at each Award Level.
Activity Coach– an adult supervisor (not a parent) who has a workable knowledge of the chosen activity. The Activity Coach must verify that the participant has fulfilled the requirements for that Section. i.e. – soccer coach, piano instructor, service coordinator.
Community Service – participants engage with their community and discover the impact they can have through service.
Special Skills – participants develop personal interests and learn practical skills. There are almost limitless possibilities to choose from. Participants set their own goals and measure their progress.
Physical Recreation – participants show perseverance and improve their fitness by undertaking some form of organized and regular physical activity. Most sports team and individual sports satisfy this requirement.
Adventurous Journey – participants develop an understanding of the environment, and the importance of working together in a team with a common purpose. It can be on foot, by bicycle, boat or on horseback by learning preparation, self-sufficiency and self-reliance.
Bronze – 2 days+1 night. 6 hours of purposeful activity each day.
Silver – 3 days+2 nights. 7 hours of purposeful activity each day.
Gold – 4 days+3 nights. 8 hours of purposeful activity each day
While this is an exciting opportunity for Miss Oklahoma and Miss America, it is not a requirement, but a challenge provided to each contestant if willing.
In the afternoon we had two fantastic speakers – Rick Brinkley, Miss America Judges Chair, and Lu Sienna, Elite Model. Both were inspiring, humorous, and honest about what Miss America is looking for and how we can achieve our dreams of holding the Miss Oklahoma and Miss America titles.
I loved seeing many pageant friends who I rarely see now that I live in Tulsa, and meeting the new faces who I will become better acquainted with in June. Our next stop? Contestant’s Day on April 14th!
Goofing off at Winter Meeting – Kevin stunted me so I could be in the tall people club like them. Would have worn heels if my legs hadn’t been covered in bruises from a recent scrap with a four-year-old!
It would be an extreme understatement to say that I LOVE meeting with Girl Scouts troops! On Monday, January 23rd I spoke to a group of Union 4th graders. The girls were just bursting at the seams with enthusiasm and had fantastic input about my platform.
Most of Troop #340
Each was eager to answer my questions or respond with an example of various forms of aggression! We spoke about bullies, targets and kids in the middle – with each willing to define and explain how they saw the roles. They were wide-eyed and all ears as I spoke – allowing me to be vulnerable in my experiences.
I was impressed with the maturity of these nine and ten-year-olds, and the solutions we brainstormed for them to use at school and in other social settings. Several had tales of seeing relational aggression occur often with special needs students, and were unsure how to handle the situation as a bystander. They felt compelled to stand up for these victims, but unsure of what words to use or how to say them.
This struck a chord with the teacher inside of me. Many of my students have special needs ranging from speech impediments to autism. I know my students may need additional support in the future, which compels me to reach more groups to empower them with the ability to stand up against relational aggression.
Afterwards, the girls had many great questions! The #1? “Are you married?” They were floored when I said I was not, and explained that unmarried women under the age of 25 are allowed to compete for the chance to win scholarships and the title of Miss America. This completely baffled them – until one spoke up that she didn’t want to get married until she was 28! (Power to you, girlfriend! Maybe I can steer her towards a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies too!!) They were curious about my talent, college (all are planning to obtain higher education – holla!), and most importantly the crown. Does it have diamonds? Are those crystals? Do you have to give it back? Can I keep your crown? How does it come off?
I had such a wonderful visit with this troop and I can’t wait to see the impact they make in their schools. Thanks for the invitation, Girl Scouts Troop #340!
A few additional photos for the girls – Thanks again!!
As you are reading this, I am in my dorm room in Phoenix. It is completely surreal that 24 hours ago I was on the Miss Oklahoma stage and 12 hours ago I was boarding a plane to embark upon this next chapter of my life. As you can understand – I’m mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. Last night, Oklahoma crowned a new winner – Congrats Betty Thompson! It was a fantastic show and everyone in the top 15 was deserving of their spot.
I’m amazed at how quickly time can fly. Before you know it, Miss Oklahoma week will be here once again and we will all wonder how an entire year has passed. I hope to earn another title and make my way back to that stage next year, still blogging every step of the way! I cannot begin to thank everyone who has made the past few months not just happen, but the most fantastic experience I could have asked for. There are countless people who care about the organization and the women involved in it, and without them, Miss O week wouldn’t take place. Thank you to everyone who has supported, cheered, and prayed for me as I made my way to and through last week. I am forever grateful for the people God has placed in my life and hope someday I can give to them what they have given to me.
Thank you for following Miss Sooner State and stay tuned for more in the coming months! 🙂
Last Friday I spoke to Lincoln Elementary’s 3rd, 4th and 5th graders! They were a fantastic bunch and absorbed everything I said. Though it was 9 am, the students were not only alert but interested!! I always love speaking with students who are the older trend setters in their schools. Often, they set the examples for younger students and I encourage them to model better behavior in order to create the safest social climate at school, home and in extracurricular activities. They loved their bracelets and enjoyed the gossip game we played even more! One of my new favorite things to take from schools is a list of memorable questions or quotes. Unfortunately, my memory card is being crazy and I cannot access the pictures taken on Friday. Hopefully my dad will have an answer for this when he gets home from work and I can upload them tonight!
“How long does it take you to do your make up?”
“How long does it take you to do your hair?”
“If you absolutely had to change your name, what would you change it to?”
“What is your favorite color?” “What is your favorite movie?”
“Do you like Taylor Swift?” (Uh oh…I’m in trouble on this one!)
“Are your bullies jealous of you now?” “Did your bullies ever apologize?” “What was the meanest thing you ever said about someone?”
“Who do you think is going to win American Idol?” (Little did they know – even if I guessed, I know oh so little about singing!)
“What is your talent? Will you tap dance for us?” (Met my screams and urging, I did a few wings!)
“I know at Miss America you have to change clothes like super fast, so how fast can you change clothes?” (I may have to ask the Red Coats to time me this year!)
“What is your favorite romance movie or book, you know, like Twilight?” (After proclaiming that I am, in fact ‘Team Edward’ the crowd went wiiiiiiiild! Lincoln’s students were awesome, and not only cared about anti-relational aggression efforts, but are already involved in a program to stop bullying in their schools! They have a program called Positive Leadership which consists of a few students, selected by each class for being consistently kind and caring towards others. After speaking to the groups, I was able to chat with these students about what they have learned prior to my visit and how they are preventing relational aggression at Lincoln. It’s always encouraging to see schools which know bullying is one of the greatest issues facing our students, and implement programs of this nature to protect their students!
May is for Miracles and the perfect time to help a child through the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals! When I speak about the Miss America Organization, many are surprised to hear that the organization has a national platform, among the contestant’s platforms as well. Children’s Miracle Network and Miss America have teamed up for the past few years to provide mentors and funds to children’s hospitals across the nation.
CMN was founded partially by Marie Osmond (trivia for the day!), and you have probably seen their signature yellow balloon in many ad campaigns throughout America (above). As of this year, CMN hospitals have raised over $4.3 billion to help kids in every community. Children who benefit from CMN often have life-threatening illnesses including cancer or birth defects, but many are also treated for asthma, burns, broken bones or the flu. The most amazing aspect of CMN is that, while the organization often receives large donations, most funds are raised one or two dollars at a time.
An example of this is IHOP’s National Day of Pancakes. If you refer back to previous posts (A Syrupy Sweet Saturday, National Pancake Day) you’ll remember that IHOP helped fundraise nationwide for CMN hospitals. that day, participants could purchase bracelets or a paper balloon for just a few dollars to aid in the organization’s mission. Isn’t it amazing that donating one dollar can change a life in the big picture?
Right now, I am fundraising as a Miss Oklahoma contestant. My goal is $650 and I have raised $550! While only $100 shy of my goal donation, every dollar counts – and this is where I am asking you to join in my efforts. Please consider donating to the link below. As you’ve learned, every dollar counts and can make a huge difference in a child’s life. For more information, visit the link below or Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
Today I visited another group of students – the Norman Girl Scouts! Growing up, I wasn’t involved in Girl Scouts and I learned quite a bit today. Here are a few fun facts about the Girl Scouts of America:
There are more than 3.7 million members.
This is the 99th year of Girl Scouts.
The motto is “Be Prepared.” (My motto too!)
The levels include Daisies (Kindergarten/5 years), Brownies (6-9 years), Juniors (9-11), Cadets (11-14) and Seniors (14-17).
I had no idea the Girl Scouts had been scouting for nearly 100 years! Of course, I’ve always known them, like much of America, for those delicious, pageant diet-hurting, fantastically made cookies. What can I say? When it comes to the Girl Scout cookies….I’m a goner! Today I was able to speak to a troop of Brownies and Juniors about my platform. I met the girls at Jackson Elementary in Norman and they were absolutely exuberant with energy and curiosity.
After spending an hour with them, I knew I had to search for more troops of this nature. The Girl Scouts are ideal to encourage with information about relational aggression and how we can stop it in our schools, particularly since their pledge consists of respecting others, being friendly and fair, courageous and strong, considerate and caring, and responsible for what they say and do. Girl Scouts are instilled with leadership from day one! The girls were extremely interested in my platform and paid close attention to each detail discussed. Normally, I stand in front of a group and speak, but with this troop I was able to sit in a large circle with them, which allowed for more comfortable and open dialogue.
After my program, the girls ALL wanted my autograph! They were so sweet to tell me how much they hoped I would become Miss Oklahoma and if so, how they would stay up all night watching Miss America. 🙂 Today, I had some different requests though! While they all wanted my autograph, two asked me to sign rocks. I’ve never signed a rock before, so that was a first!! One even said it was her lucky rock and she knew it would be even luckier with my “autograph.”
Ready for an even stranger request? Several of the girls had stuffed animals (who also requested an autograph – my favorite was when I wrote one for Cookie the kangaroo – “Hop to stop bullying, Cookie!“). One Girl Scout brought a rubber snake (imagine the look of panic when I saw that thing on the floor!), and requested that Miss Sooner State sign the snake! Fortunately, I’m no longer afraid of fake snakes and was able to grant her wish. That’s my kind of adventurous!
Days like this remind me that “celebrities,” no matter if we are past the “D” list, are still looked up to and thought so highly about. That is one reason I believe in the Miss America Organization and the power of being Miss America. Kids of all ages, genders and ethnicities need role models and some of the “A” listers are not who I would want the girls I spoke to today aspiring to become. I’m not perfect, but I have a powerful message and desire to do good while striving to become who God intended for me to be and that is exactly what America’s youth need.
What a weekend! I’m still recovering from the combination of my 8 hour class Friday, driving to Shawnee late that night, sleeping napping for three hours, and waking up at 5 am to pack up and head to Tulsa. I was in the early group (lucky me!), and danced fifth. In terms of my talent, it’s not where I want it to be at Miss Oklahoma, but I’m pleased with the improvement I’ve made over the past few months. I received several compliments and even my mom said the quality of the dance was much more entertaining compared to my previous performances. Over the next two months, I’ll be tweaking my dance and pushing myself to perform the best that I possibly can. Here’s a clip of my song:
After talent, we had a short meeting with Kent and then lunch. It was great to sit with a few old friends and meet new girls at lunch, since we didn’t have any other down time to chat! Kent did announce the theme: “On the Line.” He wants us to focus on bringing everything we have to Miss O and putting it all on the line. Our opening number dresses have great movement to them (example below). He described the stage which sounds fantastic, especially for swimsuit. I won’t give any more away, but think Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show! (If only we got to wear huge wings!!!)
After lunch we had time with Kent to learn a part of the opening number dance, but we also had walking lessons! Kent moves so well. Seriously – far better than ANY of us could ever hope to walk. He is always pushing us to get out of our comfort zone, be more natural and increase the sex appeal. When you are 5’2″, blonde, and often mistaken for a high school senior – sexy is the last thing which comes to mind! Looks like someone will have to practice being sexy for the next two months….
Later, Jack and Mignon spoke with us about the duties of Miss Oklahoma, what to expect, and what the judges will be looking to crown. The Miss Oklahoma Organization is fantastic for so many reasons, but one of them is because they give us the same list they provide for the judges. When we came back, we were able to watch Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlan’s interview at Miss America. I love watching the interviews because when watching a pageant, you see everything except that – and it accounts for 25%! After the video, we were given the judge’s bios for Miss O 2011. The judges are from every background and are extremely well qualified! There is a past Miss America, Miss Florida, NFL superstar (Selby wanted to ask if he was single. Now I bet she comments on this post!), local Oklahomans from backgrounds including education and business, and a few others! Interview is absolutely, hands down my favorite part of competing and I’m too excited to meet the judges!
THEN we finally moved on to the best part of the day – placement selection! The three teens and miss contestants who sold the most ads were able to select their placement first, and then titles were drawn and we had 30 seconds to choose a group/number. Sidenote: Congrats to Sarah Simpson, Miss Elk City for selling 52 ad pages! Looks like the program book will be bigger and better than ever! I was hoping to be drawn somewhere in the middle, but I was the fifth or sixth to choose! Selby and I thought fast, and selected number 18 in the Omega group. Somehow, there are 4 tappers in this group, something I was hoping to spread out. Fortunately, I am the first one!
I’m so excited about the girls in my group – they’re all really nice and I already know several! I’ll be on their same dorm hall, in the same chauffeured cars as them, and we will be getting ready alongside each other before the competition. In the Omega group, I will have my interview Monday afternoon, perform talent Tuesday, compete in on-stage question/evening gown Wednesday and swimsuit Thursday.
We left around 5, and between Selby, my mom and I – we were starving. I took advantage of my cheat meal (didn’t make a day out of it! YAY ME!) and ate at Red Rock Canyon. I put away a filet, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and best of all – cornbread! Oh, the taste of carbs….it just cannot be explained. I had so much fun getting to sit with Selby for a large portion of the day and didn’t want to send her back to Lawton/Houston! She’ll be back in a few weeks, and I may be able to meet up with her next week as well. I’m beyond fortunate to have a director who is supportive, enthusiastic, and above all – a dear, dear friend.
Now that my placement has been set, I can continue working on each portion of the competition and intend to perform my very best. Someone made a good point and said to treat every aspect as if it were weighted equally. I completely agree and I think contestant’s day was great motivation to put it all “On the Line” in June! Last night I drove back to Shawnee, then back to Norman, and am now off for another 8 hours of Strategic Fashion Communication! Needless to say, I look forward to sleeping. 🙂
P.S. At the end of the day there was a VERY big announcement….
Miss South OKC 