Miss America

Hello everyone!

I hope the holiday season is finding you well.

I wanted to bring your attention to Mallory Hagan, Miss New York 2012, she will be competing next month for the title of Miss America 2013.

At Miss America 2011, Claire Buffie Miss New York 2010 brought home America's Choice.  

I believe that we have the power to do the same this year!

Please take a minute out of your day and 

VOTE NEW YORK!!

Election Day

Well as many of you know, yesterday was Election Day.  

This election was a special one for me, because it was the first time that I was able to vote in the presidential election and so I did! I made sure that I didn't go to the polls as just a voter, but an educated voter.  I think it's so important for all Americans to be educated voters, after all, we are deciding who the next President of the United States will be.  

Funny story -- since it was my first time voting...of course I wanted an 'I Voted' sticker!  I felt like a little kid wanting that piece of candy for a job well done.  Anyways, after I casted my vote, the seat of the "sticker lady" was empty (insert gasp face here)!  So again, like a little kid my mom went and found me one.  So, I got my sticker and I have my mom to thank for that.

Fast forward to today November 7, 2012.  

President Obama has been chosen as our President for a second term!

I don't feel that it's right for me to get into the nitty gritty details of what my political opinions are.  However, I will proudly state that "I voted for President Obama".  

I hope that everyone reading this blog (that is of age), exercised their right as an American to vote.  

This isn't a right that is given to every country and we need to embrace our rights as Americans.

The Liebster Blog

Recently, some of my Miss America friends have been participating in "Liebster Blog Awards."  I'm not usually one to jump on to do these things, but this is different.  So what's a Liebster you ask?  It's German for sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome (takes breathe) and the Liebster Award is a pay it forward type system to other up and coming bloggers.  I love blogs, whether I'm the reader or the writer, it's something I truly enjoy and this Liebster Award is great for encouraging more networking throughout the blogosphere.

I want to thank Chelsea Brumagen, author of You Don't Need a Crown to be Miss America for nominating (tagging) me for the Liebster Award!

Here's the rules for receiving this award:

• Each person must post 11 things about themselves
• Answer the questions that the tagger set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you've tagged to answer
• Choose 11 people and link them in your post
• Go to their page and tell them
• There's no tag backs

So lets do this!  

Here are 11 things that you may not know about me:

1.  I-am-addicted-to-coffee....I'm not proud of it, but I've come to the conclusion that caffeine  is imperative for my survival.  Miss Empire Rose runs on Dunkin' 
2.  I'm a social media guru.  I'm very grateful for growing up in a generation that can be defined by social media...although I think we can all agree that sometimes social media isn't on our side, but for the most part I love being able to connect with friends and family in a fast and easy way.
3.  I wish I grew up in the Victorian age.  I know that this is contradicting to no. 2 but I'm obsessed with the Victorian age and would give anything to have the opportunity to travel back in time.
4.  I can be a gamer at times.  By a gamer, I mean I love playing The Sims and I once beat the Harry Potter game on the PlayStation (the very first playstation).
5.  I used to be extremely shy, I think that's how I became a gamer in a way.  The Miss America Organization has helped mold me into the person I always wanted to be and it's really helped me break out of my shell (my nickname used to be turtle)...enough said.
6.  My Great-Grandma lived to be 104 years old!  On her 102 birthday, she said on national television that eating oatmeal everyday for breakfast is the key to living to be over 100.  Find out more about my Great-Grandma here.
7.  I've been in a relationship for what will be 7 years in April!  
8.  I love to bake and I must say, I make a pretty good pumpkin roll.  I used to make cupcakes for almost every occasion when I was in high school...and I did a presentation on 'How to Bake and Decorate Cupcakes' in my speech class for college.
9.  I once had black hair...yes black.  I don't think I need to explain much for this one.
10.  I'm very superstitious...I even believe that putting shoes on a table is bad luck.  (don't do it!)
11. I really want a sloth.  One that even talks to me like in the Ice Age movie would be even better.

Here are my answers to Chelsea's 11 questions for me:

1. What's at the top of your bucket list?   At the top of my bucket list is to become Miss New York and at the tippy top is Miss America...I know that I can check off almost everything on my bucket list by becoming Miss New York, or better yet Miss America.
2. If you were an animal, what would you be?  Hmmm...an elephant?  I always wish I had the memory of an elephant.
3. In the spirit of Halloween, what's your favorite candy?  Hands down, the pumpkin shaped Reese's Peanut Butter!
4. Did Santa wrap your Christmas presents, or no?  Every single one on my wish list :)
5. Have you ever broken a bone, if so which one?  I broke my pinkie toe dancing and my middle finger doing a back handspring (I took my driving test with a cast on my middle finger...not good)
6. Favorite kind of coffee?  Medium mocha almond iced coffee with cream please!
7. If you had $100 and you could do anything with it, what would you do?  As much as I'd like to buy a new pair of shoes...there's others that need it more than me.  I would donate it to Keelie Sheridan, a former Miss Brooklyn who recently lost almost everything due to the flooding from Hurricane Sandy.  Here's how you can Help Joe and Keelie.
8. Favorite color?  This one is always a hard one...it's between a pastel yellow and coral.
9. Tell me about someone or something that has influenced you to become who you are today?  Like I said before, the Miss America Organization has helped mold me into the person I am today.  But I can't complete this answer without mentioning my parents who have been there for me since the day I came into this world, without them I wouldn't have been able to be a part of the Miss America Organization...and well I wouldn't be here in the first place without them.
10. If you were elected president, what's the first thing you would do?  Having been a part of a family that struggled in the past as far as jobs go, I would definitely do something along the lines of creating jobs for the American people.
11. Who is your role model?  I have a few...Miss America, Audrey Hepburn and Lauren Conrad. 

Tag you're IT:

• Jamie Lynn Macchia, Miss Staten Island 2012
• Stephanie Accardo, Miss Richmond County 2012
• Danielle Trumbull, Miss Empire Star 2012

Here are my questions for you:

1. If you could be anybody, who would you be?
2. What's your favorite outfit look like?
3. Favorite TV show?
4. Favorite book?
5. Describe yourself in one word.
6. What's in your purse?
7. Do you believe in ghosts?
8. What's your favorite holiday and why?
9. Where do you see yourself in 30 years?
10. We all support a cause, what's yours?
11. You're at Starbucks, what do you order?

Good luck!

Happy Halloween!

It's that time of year again, my favorite time of year to be exact.  I absolutely LOVE the fall season and everything it brings with it and leads up to.  The holidays are extremely important to me, because it reminds me of how lucky I am to have a wonderful family.  

As for today's Halloween activities, I've planned to go with my dad to the Fulton County Historical Museum after classes, because on my way to school I heard all about it's hauntings on Fly 92.3 (I'm a firm believer in paranormal activities).  After that I'm going trick-or-treating with my two wonderful nieces, Avery and Julia and I cannot wait, it's my first time being able to go with them since I don't have a work schedule to interfere!  

On a more serious note, my thoughts are with all of those affected by Hurricane Sandy.  I can't describe how fortunate I feel to not have been affected by the storm, other than a few branches here and there.  Recently for Miss New York, I was in Staten Island for a week and it breaks my heart to see all of the damage that Hurricane Sandy has caused.  I'm wishing everyone a safe and speedy recovery, and just remember that even though you may have lost items that contain a lot of memories, nothing can take away the memories you have in your heart.

I hope everyone has a wonderfully spooky Halloween and is safe for trick-or-treating tonight!

Miss New York

Hello everyone, I apologize for the delay in posting a blog about my experience at Miss New York.  Truth is, I couldn't come up with a way to write about my experience that week, I feel that words won't even be able to do it justice.  I'm sure you're all wondering about it and I'm a big believer in telling stories in pictures...so that's how I've decided to share that week with you!

But first, I just wanted to express how blessed I am to have been given the opportunity to compete for my dream and honored to have stood on that stage with the 25 other beautifully talented women.  The week went by so fast, but it was an experience of a lifetime and one that I will cherish forever.  A special thanks to everyone that helped me prepare for Miss New York, including Kathleen Piccirillo, Janet Murphy, David Curtiss at Progressive Fitness Training, Alayne Curtiss at Make Me Fabulous, Capital Region AFSP Board of Directors, and of course my parents (I love you!) - thank you all so much for helping me feel better than ever about myself!  Also, a huge thank you to the Miss New York Organization for making Miss New York week and the pageant so memorable - it literally wouldn't be possible without you!  A huge congratulations to Miss New York 2012, Mallory Hagan, your journey to becoming Miss New York is a prominent example of where persistence can lead you, you're going to have such a fabulous year and I can't wait to see how great you're going to be at Miss America in January!!

So, without further adieu...ENJOY!

Introduction 

Lifestyle & Fitness

Lifestyle & Fitness

Coney Island

Evening Wear

Coney Island

Talent

First Day at Miss New York

Talent

Settling in with all the girls

Departing the hotel

Mr Empire Rose at Mr New York 

Ready to go!

Parents at Visitation Night 1

The Empire Rose Group

Miss Empire Rose Princess

Jan & Poppy on the final night

Miss Empire Rose Outstanding Teen, now Miss New York's Outstanding Teen 2012!

Colleen (Fulton County), Kaitlin (Miss New York 2011), and myself at the Gala

OH and Happy Father's Day Daddy!

Miss New York Week Begins!

Contestant Voting!!

Miss New York 2012 is right around the corner and I need YOUR help!!

Vote for me as your favorite contestant to help secure me a spot in the Top 10!!

Here's how:

1. Visit www.missny.org
2. Click under my photo
3. Choose 1, 10, 25 or 50 votes
4. Click ADD TO CART
5. Choose your preferred way of payment

Thank you for believing in my dream and helping me get one step closer to making me the first Miss New York to advocate for suicide prevention and awareness!

Happy Memorial Day!

I had the honor of riding in the Gloversville Annual Memorial Day Parade this past Saturday.  The sidewalks filled with people who came out to se the parade and honor those who serve our country.

After the parade I attended the memorial service that was held to honor our service men.  I was joined by Mayor Dayton King, who continues to give me that extra boost of confidence to believe in myself and I'm so honored to have him and his families support.

 

 Ronald F. Zimmerman gave the main address at the ceremony, he is a senior vice president and portfolio  manager with the Mohawk Valley Group of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and it was such a privilege to meet him, and I support him in his efforts for restoring the opera house in Gloversville.

I also was overjoyed to meet Scooby and Clara Smith at the memorial service and of course I had to get some pictures!









One group of young girls that do a tremendous amount of service for their community are the Girl Scouts.  I was happy to join them as they celebrate their 100th year anniversary, service being one of the most important points of the Miss America crown, I give them kudos for everything that they do.  I complemented the girls on their sashes that were filled with oodles of badges and I let them get a feel of my crown, which they loved almost as much as I love their cookies!!  Thank you Girl Scouts for always putting your best foot forward when helping out in the community.


I would also like to give a special thanks to George Zinner at Fucillo Ford of East Greenbush for sponsoring a 2012 Ford Mustang for me to ride in at the Gloversville Memorial Day Parade.  Miss Empire Rose was definitely riding in style thanks to you!!

Princess For A Day

As a benefit for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, I hosted A Princess For A Day.  But, that wasn't the only reason for the event, it was also to educate young girls about the Miss America Organization and the four points of the crown; scholarship, style, service and success.  I was joined by my sister queen Miss Empire Star, Danielle Trumbull and through different activities, we emphasized the importance of the four points of the crown.

At the scholarship station, each of the girls wrote on a foam crown what they want to be when they grow up and decorated it with glitter and crystals.

The style station consisted of headbands and bracelet making, it allowed each girl to show off their individual and unique style.

At the service station, we really wanted to emphasize the importance of service so we all made over 30 cards with messages of hope that will be delivered to the children at the Albany Medical Center.

Last but not least, the success station.  This station was something that was just fun for the girls, they had the activity of drawing a picture of their favorite memory and think about how they define success.

At the end of the day, we surprised the parents with a show for the all of the girls to showcase the dance that I had taught them and the song that Danielle sang for them.  We then honored every single girl with a crown and certificate for completing A Princess For A Day with Miss Empire Rose and Miss Empire Star.  We celebrated with cake, cookies and brownies (YUM)!

Broadalbin-Perth Pre-K Wellness Day

I had the honor of joining the Broadalbin-Perth Pre-K class for their 2012 Wellness Day.  I was in charge of my very own dance station to teach them a dance, get them moving and emphasize how important it is to live a healthy and active lifestyle.

The weather was beautiful, so we all decided to host the station outside!  I had so much fun teaching a dance to Honnah Montana's 'Ice Cream Freeze'...which I now know all the words to!  I was a little nervous at first, because I wasn't sure if the dance was too difficult for the kids.  I wanted all the kids to walk away from my station having enjoyed themselves and with something that they could take home and show their parents what they learned.

I had no idea why I was so nervous, the kids were all so fantastic and learned the dance quickly!  At the end of the wellness day, we got all the groups together for a end of the day performance....take a look!

Thank you to Mrs. Barker (my former cheerleading coach) for having me participate in your Pre-K Wellness Day, it was my pleasure!

Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Carwash

Today, I joined my sister queen Miss Empire Star, Danielle Trumbull for a day full of suds and fun!  We hosted a carwash to benefit the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, the carwash was free and we accepted donations only.

It was a slow start to the day, but eventually we started to pick up and we were getting one car right after the other.  Never did we think that we would have a couple people decide to come back in 20 

minutes because there were so many car ahead of them!

We were even surprised by a couple guests that decided it was time for a wash....sheriff cars!  Yes, that's right we were given the task to scrub as hard as we could to get those bugs off their cars.....trust me it wasn't easy.  We even got to wash a firetruck...so my workout for the day was done!

 Along with the carwash, we hosted a table filled with delicious homemade baked goods.  I'm still unsure if I ate most of the chocolate chip cookies....

Thank you so much to Ken Studier and the Perth Volunteer Fire Department for allowing us to host this carwash at your department and all of your help was greatly appreciated.  It was a joy meeting you as well!

After the carwash, of course I had to get my Dunkin' Donuts fix and I was amazed when I ran into a few fans next door when my mother and I purchased some Mother's Day flowers and some vegetables at Simply Sweet Produce.  It was so nice to meet some little ones that look up to me and were so excited to meet me, I was just as excited to meet them!  We snapped a few pictures and sipped on some of their homemade lemonade that they were selling.

OH!  I almost forgot to mention...we raised $276 for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals!!!  Thank you to everyone that came out to have your car washed and for everyone that wasn't able to make it but still donated, your money is going to support such a great cause and YOU have helped make miracles happen.

Purchase Your Tickets Now!

Please help me raise money for Miss New York by purchasing raffle tickets for a chance to win a 

Mary Kay basket with a value of $98!

As many of you may know, I am a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, and if you didn't know...now you do!  So, when thinking of different ways to raise funds for Miss New York I thought, why not use some resources that I already have?!  So I decided to put together a basket full of some of my favorite Mary Kay products!  

I will be selling these tickets until the 20th of May and the winner of the basket will be drawn and announced on May 21st!  If you are interested in purchasing tickets, you can mail either money or a check along with your contact information to my address listed on the flyer and I will then fill out the amount of tickets you purchased with your name and number that will then be added into a jar of which the name will be drawn from.  If you happen to be the winner, I will then mail your gift basket to your address and you will have tons of beauty products that I promise you will love!

But, thats not all!

Once I reach my goal of $100, I will add in the Timewise Microdermabrasion Set that will increase the value of the basket to $188!!!  

So the more tickets you buy, not only do your chances of winning increase, but the value of what you win increases also!

So get your tickets now before time runs out!!

SafeTALK

Today's event that I hosted at Fulton-montgomery Community College, was a SafeTALK training.  The focus of this 3 hour training, is to create a "suicide safer" community by preparing you to identify persons with thoughts of suicide and connect them to suicide first aid resources.  

Marianne Reid, was the trainer for the SafeTALK, she was my SafeTALK trainer and she is just so amazing in what she does.  I was very pleased with the turnout, although I surprised that not many students attended, being that suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students.  So I made it one of my goals as a student, to get other students more involved in preventing suicide because this affects us, it affects everyone.  

I highly recommend that everyone be SafeTALK trained, because I know that it makes me feel safer knowing that anywhere I turn, if I need help, someone will be there and that if someone else needs help, I will be there to listen and to help.  

If you're interested in getting SafeTALK trained, contact me and I will love to set you up with the resources you need to host a SafeTALK training in your community, so that you can feel safer and so you can help others feel safer.

The Truth About Suicide

As a student at Fulton-Montgomery Community College and as a sitting board member on the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, I decided to coordinate several events throughout the week to not only help raise awareness of suicide, but to also educate people about suicide and how to prevent it.

Originally I had wanted to plan an event for every day of the week, but because of the busy schedule with the college and finals, I decided to narrow it down to two events that I felt were extremely important for college students and faculty.  

Today's event was the showing of the short film The Truth About Suicide: Real Stories of Depression in College.  It's a 27 minute film thats meant to present a recognizable picture of depression and other problems associated with suicide, as they are commonly experienced by college students and other young adults.  The film contains real life stories from families that have experienced suicide, and I feel that nothing has more of an impact than hearing it from someone who's experienced it.  

Amy Molloy, the area director for AFSP-Capital Region was a guest speaker at the event and after showing the film, she discussed and pointed out key points.  What was great about this event was that it was an open conversation the entire time and everyone shared personal stories and experiences that they've have with suicide.  

My platform begins with Starting the Conversation and that's what we did.  It's so important to talk about it, even if it's not about suicide, everything begins with a conversation.  So we need to take that step to start the conversation because it does save lives. 

A special thanks to Bill Trojan from the Leader
Herald for attending this event, the article was great and very much appreciated, thank you!!

Bowling Against Bullying

Today, I attended my most fun appearance to date.  I joined hundreds more to bowl against bullying...I know what many of you are thinking that know me, I know I'm not a extraordinary bowler but I did get a strike or two in there!  I'm proud to say that I was beaten by Kaitlin Monte, Miss New York 2011...so it's perfectly okay with me and we can now say that 2nd runner-up to Miss America is a pretty good bowler!!

This was Anthony Gargiula and the AG Dance Crew's 2nd Annual Bowling Against Bullying event and I have to say it was a remarkable event with a great turn out.  Event proceeds benefit the Kids Empowerment Programs and will be used to bring anti bullying education and programming to the Capital Region.

Anthony is a 12 year old 7th grader and is a remarkable singer, just a few of his appearances to give you an idea of how amazing this young man is, he's been on the Ellen Degeneres show 3 times, sung the National Anthem at Madison Square Garden for the New York Knicks 4 times and he is also the youngest singer to perform on the main stage at Carnegie Hall!  Just....WOW!  It was such an honor to meet Anthony as well as his family, his mother is actually a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant like myself and it was such an inspiration to meet her.  

I also had the pleaser of meeting Jaleel Williams from Jamz 96.3, otherwise known as the host of the J Will Jamboree!  Turns out we have a lot in common, because I am a communications major, so I will be looking forward to that internship in the future!!

And what would this event be without a performance by the one and only Anthony Gargiula and his dance crew!?  I was so impressed with his performance, he's one talented young man and his dance crew is just as talented...I enjoyed every bit of it!

 Anthony was also joined by some amazing talent.... who better than Miss New York herself.  They sung a duo and it was pretty amazing given the fact they had about 5 minutes to decide what song they were going to do!

Thank you Anthony Gargiula and the AG Dance Crew for having me at your event, I had a blast!