farewell – Page 3 – Matt Leverton’s National American Miss (NAM) Pageants Blog

Megan Ebert, National American Miss North Carolina says farewell.

Megan Ebert, National American Miss North Carolina Miss Queens says farewell.

My year as the National American Miss North Carolina is one that I will never forget. I was able to spend time and get to know some of my sister queens and other state royalty at open calls for NC and SC, as well as at Nationals.
Having the privilege of meeting our Governor Pat McCrory and the Burlington Mayor Ronnie Wall. I had a blast volunteering and helping raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure with two of my sister queens, as well as delivering bears and other personal items to the Ronald McDonald house for the families. I was able to enjoy a beautiful summer evening with some of sister queens at a Greensboro Grasshopper Baseball Game at their annual Princess Night. Nationals was an experience I will never forget. Placing in the top 10 at Nationals was a true blessing and the friendships made during that week will last a lifetime!
To my director Matt and his wonderful staff, thank y’all so much for all y’all have done for me and my family. It’s hard to believe that nine years ago I stepped foot on the National American Miss stage for the very first time as a shy pre-teen, and very soon I will stand on the same stage for the last time as a confident, growing young woman!
To every young lady who competes in National American Miss, no matter what age division your in or what state you reside in. Always remember that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, and you are beautiful just they way you are! Never given up your hopes and dreams, because if you can dream than you can achieve it!
I look forward to meeting all the NC contestants this week!!
Much love always,
Megan Ebert
Miss North Carolina

A warm and welcome word from your 2013 Miss North Carolina Jr. Teen Alexandria Murphy!

I was truly blessed to be crowned the 2013 Miss North Carolina Jr.Teen! This year is one I will never forget. I was fortunate to have been visiting royalty at some of the state pageants, spending time with my sister queens at open calls and workshop sessions throughout North Carolina.

My volunteer opportunities consisted of the American Heart Association, Night the Light Cancer walk, the Little Elf Workshop, Dress for Success, the Ronald McDonald House, Learning Together, Halloween 5K Hustle, The Girls Rising event, and much more! These opportunities also afforded me the chance to meet the mayor of Raleigh, Mrs. Nancy McFarlane and the Governor of North Carolina, Mr. Pat McCrory.

Nationals was a blast! I met friends from all over the Unites States. The day at Disney, Hollywood, Universal Studios and window shopping on Rodeo drive are wonderful memories. I was fortunate to have placed in some optionals. Placing top 10 in the Nation was the icing on the cake and a wonderful blessing from God!

To all the girls competing: Good luck, be yourself, and have fun because the weekend will go by fast! You will have an amazing time and make friends for a lifetime! Make sure to never give up no matter what! This was my fourth try for the North Carolina state title! Just remember the words of Walt Disney: “If you can dream it, you can achieve it!” I am so excited to meet you and spend a great weekend together!

Alexandria Murphy Miss North Carolina Jr.Teen

Royalty Letter from Brandi Alden, Miss North Carolina Pre-teen!

Royalty Letter from Brandi Alden, National American Miss North Carolina Pre-teen Queen!

Royalty Letter from Brandi Alden, Miss North Carolina Pre-teen!

It’s hard to believe a year has already passed. My experience has been incredible – from the moment I was crowned to each and every day since.
I have had the opportunity to work fun stations for the Easter Seals Foundation, walked for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, made goody bags and candy necklaces for Bright Blessings to support homeless children and families and collected food and supplies for my own charity, B.R.A.Y.S. Love (Bringing Rescued Animals Your Support). I have entertained for many local pageants and was invited to sing the National Anthem for the Charlotte Knights and Davidson College.
Nationals was a blast!!! From going on a Hollywood Tour to visiting Mickey in Disneyland, I made so many friends and memories to last me a lifetime!! I was also honored to have received 2nd RU Naional Casual Wear Modeling and 3rd RU National Spokes Model.
A big thank you to Mr. Matt Leverton, my awesome state director!! You have made this such a special year always making every girl feel special!!
To my successor, the impact you make on the lives of those around you depends on how you utilize the title given to you so wear it proudly and above all make lots of memories and have fun!!!!

Laney Edwards, says goodbye to her year as the 2013 Miss South Carolina Jr. Teen!

Laney Edwards, says goodbye to her year as the 2013 National American Miss South Carolina Jr. Teen Queen!

Dear NAMily,

I can’t believe that my reign as SC Junior Teen is already coming to an end; it seems like only yesterday that I heard my name announced as the winner! My year representing NAM has flown by in a whirlwind of traveling (across the country-literally!), volunteering, and making appearances and memories. Being a NAM queen has been a privilege and an honor that I will always cherish, and I am thankful to have had this amazing opportunity. I’m so excited to welcome all the new contestants and look forward (with a smile and tears) to crowning my successor!

A lot of girls have asked what advice I have for pageant weekend, so here goes: Make lists for everything, and check them off as you go. Come prepared; have all your paperwork ready to turn in. Do as many optionals as you possibly can (It’s so worth it!). Don’t be nervous. Smile at the judges and the audience. Speak clearly and use complete sentences during your interviews. Most importantly, HAVE FUN and BE YOURSELF! Be confident in the knowledge that you are unique and beautiful, made in the image of your Creator. And if you’re the girl who is fortunate enough to walk away with the crown— Count your blessings and enjoy every moment of your reign because, take it from me, it will be over sooner than you think. Good luck to everyone, and God Bless!

Pageant Hugs,

Laney Edwards, 2013 SC Jr. Teen

Miss 2013 Oregon Jr. Pre-Teen Alexandra Skordal shows highlights of her year as Queen.

National American Miss 2013 Oregon Jr. Pre-Teen Queen Alexandra Skordal shows highlights of her year as Queen.

Miss 2013 Oregon Jr. Pre-Teen Alexandra Skordal shows highlights of her year as Queen.

2013 Miss Kentucky Jr. Pre-Teen Hannah Martin says farewell to her year as Queen.

2013 National American Miss Kentucky Jr. Pre-Teen Queen Hannah Martin says farewell to her year as Queen.

After five years of hard work and dedication, I was overwhelmed with emotion to be crowned your 2013 Miss Kentucky Junior Preteen. It has been an incredible year with many wonderful experiences. I was truly honored to represent my state for National American Miss.
I had the opportunity to meet several community and state leaders. Touring the state capital with my sister queens and meeting Governor Brashear was a great experience.
I loved supporting my community at festivals, parades and fundraising events. I was excited to raise over $1,000 for breast cancer awareness with my NAM bake sale. I also collected books and helped comfort children at the Volunteers of America emergency shelter.
The national pageant in California was amazing. I had so much fun with the contestants and their families at Disneyland. I think my parents had fun too! Seeing the stars on the Hollywood walk of fame and shopping in Coconut Grove was a blast!
I was honored to place second runner up in casual wear modeling and first runner up as the most promising model at nationals.
I made so many new friends this year. Olivia, Miss Indiana, and Maddie, Miss Kansas, you will be my life-long friends. To my sister queens, Aaniyah, Brooke, and Savannah, I am so blessed to have shared this journey with you and you will always have a place in my heart.
A very special thanks to my mom and dad for supporting my dream. You are always encouraging me to do my best and never give up. Thanks to my friend, Gracie, who is more like a big sister. You are always there and even made the trip to California to cheer me on.
Thanks to Matt Leverton for being a wonderful state director and role model for so many young girls. I will remember this year forever.
To my successor, embrace this year and enjoy every moment.
Until next time,

I am your 2013 Miss Kentucky Junior PreteenHannah Martin.

Aaniyah Burnett, Miss Kentucky Princess, looks back fondly on her year as Queen.

Aaniyah Burnett, National American Miss Kentucky Princess Queen, looks back fondly on her year as Queen.

Hi everyone!
My name is Aaniyah Makay Burnett and I am your 2013 Miss Kentucky Princess! Being crowned Miss Kentucky Princess was a dream come true for me. Just like some of you, it was my very first pageant too! Since receiving that amazing honor, I have learned so much like, being confident in who I am, getting to meet some amazing people, and giving back to my community. I have been blessed to meet the Governor of Kentucky, Steve Beshear and Senator Mitch McConnell. I’ve made friendships with other girls from all over the country at NAM and met my wonderful new friend Hannah Martin, my sister queen! Throughout the year I also visited other NAM pageants as royalty, flew for the first time to Anaheim, California for Nationals, had a blast at Disneyland with my mom, and even placed Top 10 at Nationals!
This May, I will be crowning the 2014 NAM Princess Queen and I look forward to a weekend of NAM fun! Even though my reign is coming to an end I will continue to volunteer and use the tools National American Miss has taught me. This is just the beginning for me and you will see me again!
I would like to say Thank you to National American Miss, Matt Leverton, and all the staff for this amazing experience. And Good luck to all the new princesses that are going to be competing this year..

Yours Truly,
“2013 Miss Kentucky Princess”
Aaniyah Makay Burnett

Tennessee Pre-Teen Anna Grace Smith says farewell.

Tennessee Pre-Teen Queen Anna Grace Smith says farewell.

Just one short year ago, I started the most amazing journey when I was crowned your National American Miss Tennessee Preteen queen. I had no idea at that special moment how much fun and what an honor the following year of service would be. Meeting Governor Haslam, and volunteering over 700 hours with Boys & Girls Clubs, Second Harvest, The Multiple Sclerosis Society and my own organization, Queens for a Cure and making appearances all over the great state of Tennessee with my sister queens have been times I will always cherish. Nationals in California were a fantastic experience where I walked the famed streets of Hollywood, met Mario Lopez at the Farmers Market, enjoyed Disneyland with my NAM Preteen besties, Lauren, Claire and Gracie and of course competed for the National American Miss Preteen title. All the rehearsals and parties were so much fun and Mr. Matt, you truly are the most fun and awesome state director EVER! You don’t know how much I appreciate you dressing to match my formal dress at nationals (even if it wasn’t planned) and I will never forget seeing you dance on stage at nationals! Ava, you are my cute little Princess. Taylor, I love to watch you dance, and our spontaneous swim parties are so much fun. Alex, you are such an inspiration to me and I love singing, volunteering and just hanging out with you. Sarah, you are an amazing role model. You are all amazing and fun sister queens, and you all inspire me to do more in my community and be a better person. I love you all! I am thankful for the best parents, grandparents and sisters a girl could have. Thank you for always supporting me and cheering me on at everything I do. Mom, you are my biggest inspiration because you are always there encouraging me to reach for the stars and you do so much to help others. Olivia, Macie, Kate, Kelsie, Sarah, Cade, Tyler, Ms Christa and Mrs. Jennifer, you are such wonderful friends and inspirations to me. I am blessed and love you all! Most of all I thank my Lord and Savior because I could not do any of this without Jesus Christ. It is through Him that all things are possible. To my successor – enjoy every minute of your year of service and remember that it is an honor and a privilege to wear this crown. You are a role model and an inspiration to everyone you meet. You will make many new friends and have experiences you will remember always. Take lots of pictures because this next year will go by faster than you can blink. You have the most awesome director and team, so take all the advice they offer. Have fun! Thank you Mr. Matt and the whole Tennessee NAMILY and staff– you are all so much fun and I have truly had the time of my life this past year. For the last time, I am your 2012 Miss Tennessee Preteen, Anna Grace Smith.

2012 National American Miss Jr. Teen Queen Alexandra Wallace looks back on her year of service!

Wow. What a crazy but fun year I had as the 2012 National American Miss Tennessee Jr. Teen. I am so excited to share with you all some of my favorite memories throughout this year. When my name was called I was in shock. I remained completely composed however until I saw Anna and remembered what a great group of sister’s I’d have to reign with. It was that moment when I started to cry and couldn’t compose myself for pictures after. There truly are no words to describe my national’s experience. I made some amazing friends and caught up with old ones. From crazy rehearsals, our day in Disney, and competitions we always had a great time. I even met my personal favorite Disney character Winnie the Pooh! I was able to help at Anna Grace’s queens for a cure charity pageant in October. She did a fantastic job and it was awesome to see and catch up with the other queens she had present, including Miss Tennessee Teen USA Emily Suttle. I participated in the Jingle Bell Run walk for arthritis by passing out water cups to the runners and met the governor with my fellow sister queens! However, the greatest blessing throughout this year has been furthering my platform, the American Heart Association. I spoke at various elementary schools throughout my area on the importance of keeping active and healthy through the Jump Rope for Heart program. I spoke at the state capitol and met with my local representative and senators as a high level advocate. My favorite event however was the Red Out in my high school. This was something new this year and as a school we raised 3750 for the AHA! It was so cool to see my classmate working for a cause so near to my heart. As mentioned earlier, I was truly blessed with a great group of sister queens. Ava, Taylor, Anna Grace, and Sarah what a privilege it was to reign with each of you. You all brought smiles to my face and I am so thankful for each of you. I know you will all go far wherever life takes you. I’d like to say thank you to my family; Mom, Richard, Taylor, Granny and Tate for always being my biggest support system. You all mean the world to me and I love you all. Most importantly I’d like to thank God for this amazing opportunity. This year would not have been possible without his many blessings. To the girls competing be yourself and have the time of your life! You are all beautiful and winners and I can’t wait to meet all of you. Best of luck!!

National American Miss Tennessee Jr. Teen 2012, Alexandra Wallace

National American Miss Tennessee Jr. Pre-Teen Taylor Parsons says farewell.

National American Miss Tennessee Jr. Pre-Teen Queen Taylor Parsons says farewell.

When I heard my name called as National American Miss Tennessee Jr. Pre-Teen Queen 2012, I was so excited. This year has gone by way too fast! During my reign I have volunteered at my church, collected food for Second Harvest, donated school supplies to my school, hosted a “Walk for A Cure” for Susan G. Komen, made cupcakes for police appreciation week, visited local nursing homes, Relay for Life, and rode in parades. Giving back to my community and volunteering was truly rewarding and taught my to be truly grateful for what I have. Going to Nationals in California was a blast! I rocked the stage with my clogging routine and brought home the National Talent Title! Disneyland, the Hollywood Tour, and Thanksgiving banquet were amazing experiences. I met new friends and now have friends from all across the U.S.

I want to thank God for giving me this amazing opportunity, Matt Leverton for being the best director in the world, Steve and Kathleen Mayes and Kenn and Lani Maples for a wonderful pageant system. To all my sister queens, Ava, Anna Grace, Alex, and Sarah, you are beautiful and I love you all. Mom and Dad for all your unconditional love and support, Grandma, Grandpa, Mamaw, Alex, Zack, and Averielle for always cheering me on and believing in me. You are the best family a firl could ask for and I love you all!

Best of Luck to all the girls competing this year. I can’t wait to meet each of you. This will be a weekend you will never forget! Make new friends, believe in yourself, do your best, and most of all have FUN!

Your 2012 Miss Tennessee Jr. Pre-Teen,

Taylor Parsons