Miss Ohio 2010

Greetings cyber space,
As I am sitting in front of the computer writing to you, I am completing my daily quotient of multi-tasking. (ie. Miss Mississippi Webcast, Liz Facebook chat, and you!) But, in all honesty, to me the best life is a one because I am able to fill it with so many memories and experiences that help to add to the richness of life.

Now, onto Miss Ohio. Miss Ohio week was truly a life changing experience. First, a huge congrats goes out to Becky Minger. She has worked effortlessly for the past several years to become Miss Ohio and she finally accomplished her goal!! Best of luck to her at Miss America. Second, I am so proud of my sister queens for placing 3rd runner up and winning Miss Ohio's Outstanding Teen. Both Emily and Cecili have made humongous strides this past year and after watching them transform into even more outstanding teens, I am glad to have met such wonderful and caring young women. The girls I met, the people I encountered, and ultimately my lovely host home family and chaperon made the experience so much more meaningful than I ever could have imagined. I wasn't fortunate enough to make the top 10 but to me the experience of just being on that stage made it simply awesome. I do have to admit that I was a little bummed to not make the top 10 but I will NEVER forget what my chaperon Nanci told me. She told me to think about all of the girls who had competed in locals over the year and did not have the chance to grace the judges with there presence on that stage. At that moment it hit me. I had made it- Miss Ohio crown or not.

For a little while my decision to compete in the program further was on edge. But after talking to some VERY supporting and encouraging people I knew that if truly in my heart of hearts that I wanted to be Miss Ohio someday, then I would need to figure out the reason why I was competing. So much of the time we compete to please our parents or our friends. But the true of it reality is that in order to be a successful in this system you have to do it for yourself. Thus this statement will remain with me from now on: "I am competing in the Miss America scholarship organization as a way to promote my platform, earn scholarship money for my education, and to shape myself into the best Anna that I can be." Although this statement may need to be revisited quite a few times during the upcoming year, I know that I will be a much better person if I have a goal and reason of why I truly want to be Miss Ohio.

The final thing that I want to announce on cyber space is that I will be undertaking a new platform. One that I feel adds excitement, joy, and a splash of passion to my life. It's the POW/ MIA cause. For those of you who are not familiar with this cause, it's all about honoring and remembering our soldiers who are Prisoners of War or who are Missing In Action. Some people may remember or have even seen POW/ MIA bracelets. They emerged in the 1970s as a way to remember those who had fallen in the Vietnam war. This cause is still going strong today and I encourage each and every person to purchase a POW/ MIA bracelet from this website: www.aiipowmia.com/bracelets2006.html. Bracelets bought on this website are only $10, all of the proceeds go to helping further the POW/ MIA cause, and it helps to bring this cause into greater light. Buyer beware: if you see these bracelets sold at a retail store the owner may not be donating all of the proceeds to charity. It's truly best if you buy them from this website.

Well I have rambled on long enough. Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer and a blessed day. In the words of Mickey Mouse "All our dreams come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."

Anna

Ps.If you have ANY questions please feel free to drop me an email at: dance71690@yahoo.com.