farewell – Page 4 – Matt Leverton’s National American Miss (NAM) Pageants Blog

Sarah Ford, 2012 Miss Tennessee Teen, says farewell with blessings and love.

Sarah Ford, 2012 National American Miss Tennessee Teen Queen, says farewell with blessings and love.

As I look back over my year as Miss Tennessee Teen, I can’t help but feel so blessed by this wonderful opportunity. Thank you National American Miss for creating a system that has made me into the young lady I am today. Without this system I would not believe in myself, dream as big as possible or have the confidence I have. After competing for this prestigious title for seven years I was in disbelief when I had finally captured the crown this past September. In those seven years, I had planned out just how I wanted to be the perfect title holder. But boy, I did not know what a whirlwind of a year it would be.
After being crowned in September I donated the school supplies and books, given by my age division at last year’s pageant, to numerous schools in McNairy & Madison County. I continued my work with Soles4Souls by donating over 300 pairs of shoes during my reign. I appeared in many parades from Christmas to Independence Day. In addition, I had the opportunity to volunteer with The Health Fair, Imagination Library and Healthy Women. In the fall, I met my city and county mayors and in the spring met Tennessee Governor, Bill Haslam. The title of Tennessee Teen has blessed me with many travels as I have appeared at five Open Calls and Visiting Royalty at the Kentucky, Georgia, and North Carolina pageants. One of my favorite opportunities, as Tennessee Teen, was being the Honorary Duck Master at The Peabody Hotel to celebrate my 20th birthday followed by being interviewed by WPTY channel 24. I was honored to be able to throw out the first pitch at the Jackson Generals game. Finally, during my reign I was able to use one of my favorite talents NAM instilled in me, public speaking. I spoke to the Rotary Club about how NAM had changed my life and at a Dollie & Me luncheon about etiquette. Finally, my title made it possible to grow my program, Creating Confidence. I was able to hold a Community Wide Workshop as well as speak to many schools about true beauty, poise, and etiquette. Most importantly, I got to teach young children the importance of being confident in who they are and embracing that to make their dreams come true.
One of the biggest adventures of my reign was Nationals in Anaheim, California. I enjoyed competing in Casual Wear Modeling and Actress. I met so many wonderful young ladies who shared the same dreams as I did. My day in Disneyland was such a dream, and yes it really is the happiest place on Earth. I also enjoyed a Hollywood Tour where I truly felt like a celebrity. Most importantly, I got to spend Thanksgiving with my family. Although I did not walk away with the crown at the end of the week, I did get to see my best friend, Megan Webb crowned. What I did walk away with was friendships and lessons that will last a lifetime.
I want to thank my family for coming on this extraordinary adventure with me. Mom thank you for always being there to calm me down when I was nervous and being right by my side during the most exciting moments. Thank you for organizing all my appearances and making sure I had the most fun-filled year possible. You are the true Miss Tennessee. Jodie thank you for always helping with my wardrobe selection and driving me everywhere I needed to be. To Jacob and Josh, thank you for being such supportive brothers of my dreams and always motivating me to “knock ’em dead!” To my state director, Matt Leverton and his team, thank you for letting me have this opportunity and assisting me whenever I needed it. Finally, I want to say a big thank you to everyone that has supported me through this journey and has made it literally the greatest year of my life. I have absolutely loved being your 2012 National American Miss Tennessee Teen.
With Blessings and Love,
Sarah Ford, 2012 Miss Tennessee Teen

“Patience and persistence make an unbeatable combination for success”

Nyla Harrell, 2012 Georgia Pre-Teen looks back on her year with pictures.

Nyla Harrell, 2012 Georgia Pre-Teen Queen looks back on her year with pictures.

Miss North Carolina Princess Faith Anne Yeley says farewell to a wonderful year of service.

National American Miss North Carolina Princess Queen Faith Anne Yeley says farewell to a wonderful year of service.

2012 was a year I will never forget. I was about to turn 7 yrs old, I had just entered my first pageant and my grama had just found out that she had Breast Cancer.

As the pageant grew closer I knew my grama would not be able to attend. She would be having her second chemo treatment the weekend of the pageant. I would miss her terribly, but she gave me an added strength I would carry with me through this journey. Being only 7 years old, I really didn’t understand the meaning of cancer but I was on a different journey to find out and help as many people as I could. I spoke about this in my personal introduction speech and added how important this cause is to me. During pageant weekend I often thought of my Grama when I got a little nervous and she helped me through.

When I was crowned both CoverGirl and Miss NC Princess I could not believe it! My heart jumped. I was overjoyed and could not wait to call my Grama.

Being crowned Miss North Carolina Princess Queen was a dream come true. I have gained so much more confidence and pride in myself. The crown does not give me this confidence its being involved with National American Miss and the wonderful friends and Families surrounding it. The support system in NAM is wonderful. My sister queens have been exactly that sisters. I love them all!

Throughout this past year I have visited and helped local charities and organizations. I always try and bring a friend with me to share in these experiences.

Nationals was a great experience. I learned so much and made lifelong friends. There are so many people that made this happen for me. Thank you to my Family for your support and love. All of my sponsors who generously support me,Grama and Papa, Aunt Tiffany,Grandma and Grandpa Yeley, Star Coach Race Tours, Tony Stewart, Dooling Machine, Rockwell Security, ASCS and of course, Mommy and Daddy!

To all of the girls getting ready to go to their first pageant or maybe thinking of trying it, do it! You will not regret it for a moment. It has been the best time in my life. Be confident, strong and proud.

Faith Anne Yeley

Miss NC Princess 2012

2012 Miss South Carolina Pre-Teen Felicia McGill looks back on her journey as South Carolina Pre-Teen.

2012 National American Miss South Carolina Pre-Teen Queen Felicia McGill looks back on her journey as South Carolina Pre-Teen Queen.

I can remember being crowned as the 2012 Miss South Carolina Pre-Teen as if it was only yesterday. What an amazing journey it has been. I got to start off my reign by donating all the books and bears that the contestants donated to the Sister Care Foundation. It felt wonderful to know that all of the donated items would put a smile on a child’s face. Then, to prepare for nationals, my mom and I got to volunteer as traffic guards in a 5K run. My whole life wearing one of those orange vests was my dream, and I actually got to live it while helping others. Before I knew it, we were on our way to Anaheim for Nationals! My family and I had the time of our lives! We got to go to Disney World, walk the Hollywood walk of fame, and I made life lasting friendships with girls from all over the country! When I got back, I had the privilege of riding in my town parade and representing NAM. Before I knew it open calls were around the corner, and I got to meet lots of beautiful girls who were beginning the NAM journey like I had two years ago. Through this experience, I have not only been blessed with such a supportive family, but awesome sister queens. Most importantly, I could not thank God enough for this life changing experience! I am blessed to say: I am your 2012 Miss South Carolina Pre-Teen, Felicia McGill.

Reagan Foster, 2012 Miss South Carolina Junior Teen, looks back on her year as South Carolina Jr. Teen.

Reagan Foster, 2012 Miss South Carolina Junior Teen Queen, looks back on her year as South Carolina Jr. Teen Queen.

June 14, 2013

Dear Contestants,

Welcome to a fun-filled weekend of meeting and making new friends. There is excitement in each and every moment. You will learn poise and self-confidence and discover just how special you really are. I wish I could crown each of you because you are all winners.

For the fortunate one that takes home the crown, you are in for an exciting year. You will attend other pageants as visiting royalty and the trip to Nationals is unbelievable. You will enjoy a day at Disneyland and tour the streets of Hollywood with all of the wonderful shops. You may even run into a celebrity at the Walk of Fame.

It has been an honor to represent the great state of South Carolina this past year. I want to thank our State Director, Matt Leverton, and his staff for the inspiring job they do. Most of all, I want to thank God for this opportunity I was given. I cannot put into words how special this has been to me and my family.

It is hard to believe my year, as Miss South Carolina Junior Teen, is coming to an end. It seems like only yesterday I was crowned and began my journey filled with memories and life-long friendships. As I crown my successor, I wish you all the success and excitement you could possibly imagine. Cherish these memories for they will last a lifetime.

Good luck and God Bless,

Reagan Foster

Your 2012 Miss South Carolina Junior Teen

Alexis Blakely Wise, 2012 Miss Kentucky Princess, looks back over her year as Kentucky Princess.

What an amazing year this has been. From the first moment that they said my name, Alexis Blakely Wise as your 2012 National American Miss Kentucky Princess I knew that my life would change forever. Just a few short hours after crowning, I was so lucky to be able to help crown the girls who would become my big sisters forever.

What an amazing year this has been. From the first moment that they said my name, Alexis Blakely Wise as your 2012 Miss Kentucky Princess I knew that my life would change forever. Just a few short hours after crowning, I was so lucky to be able to help crown the girls who would become my big sisters forever.

I am a believer that it is the impact that you make while wearing your crown that is most important so I got to work right away making a difference in my community. Before my school year started I collected over 800 school supplies to donate to our family resource center to hand out to students in need and in October I founded my very own nonprofit organization called Book or Treat where I collected over 2500 children’s books for my school and Kosair Children’s hospital! I also got to volunteer my time at the women’s and children’s shelter and do a runway fundraiser for the Lexington Humane Society and Thursday’s Child, a special needs adoption program here in Kentucky.

Over this year I have gotten to meet so many people, and have so many great experiences. I got to meet the governor of Kentucky, the honorable Steve Beshear and sit in his chair at his office. He even gave me an official pin to wear on my suit while I was at nationals in California! My first visiting royalty experience was in Nashville at the Tennessee state pageant, where I met and got to crown the Tennessee princess as well as meet several other visiting royalty that I stay in contact with still today. But nothing compares to going to nationals in Anaheim over Thanksgiving! I was so excited to go and represent my home state of Kentucky. On the first day at orientation I met all of the other princesses from across the country and many of us became fast friends. We found out that we had so much in common and we stayed together and supported each other all week. Now that we are home we still call each other and talk over skype! It’s so cool to be able to say that I have friends from all across the country. Some of us are even going to Gatlinburg on a weekend reunion trip soon! Oh! Did I mention that I met Mario Lopez on one of our outings? My mom was really jealous! We got to tour Hollywood, walk on the walk of fame, visit the Chinese theatre, check out Rodeo Drive and go to Disneyland! It was the trip of a lifetime! Even though I didn’t bring home the crown this year, I had a blast and I hope to go back again someday.

But none of this would be possible without my wonderful support team that I have backing me the whole way. To all of my friends at school and my cheer gym Power Cheer, thank you for the send off and for staying up late to cheer me on in California even if it was from watching on the computer and for the cards my classmates sent me at my hotel, they meant so much. To my grandparents and family- thank you for your undying support, helping to sell ads and do fundraisers and for helping mold me into the young lady I am today. To my parents, thank you for making this dream come true and supporting me in anything I want to do and helping to make it happen. To Mr. Matt and the NAM staff- You all are incredible. Thank you for everything you have done for me both here at home and in California. I could always count on Mr. Matt being somewhere at rehearsal and making me laugh and feel confident. Did you know that he has one of the best cartwheels I have ever seen! Thank you for this incredible opportunity.

To my sister queens, Brennan, Tyra, Logan, Megan and Morgan- I have had so much fun with you this year, throwing out the first pitch at the Bats baseball game, opening ceremonies of the State Fair and everything in between. You all will be my NAMily always. Before last July I didn’t have any big sisters and now I have 5. Thank you for being amazing role models and being such a blessing in my life. I truly look up to each and every one of you.

This has been the best year of my life. So thank you National American Miss for a journey that I will remember for a lifetime. Good luck to all of the young ladies competing in the 2013 Kentucky Pageant and all across the country. One of you are about to embark on an amazing journey. Make the most of every minute and remember you are a girl with dreams.

This is not goodbye, this is I’ll see you again next year. I am proud to be your 2012 Miss Kentucky Princess, Alexis Blakely Wise.

Sydney Nelson reflects back on her year as National American Miss Oregon Teen Queen.

As my year as the National American Miss Oregon Teen comes to an end I would like to reflect on all the amazing experiences and friendships this program has provided for me.

As my year as the National American Miss Oregon Teen comes to an end I would like to reflect on all the amazing experiences and friendships this program has provided for me.
During my year I rode in numerous parades, volunteered for the Oregon Food Bank and had the time of my life at Nationals in California. I would like to thank Mr. Matt for this amazing experience as well as my sister queens for making it so memorable.
I would also like to extend a huge thank you to the people that supported me throughout this journey. Thank you to Shelly at Haley James for being my fashion advisor, Jamie O’Neill at Skull Sugar Cosmetics for making me look like a queen and Angie from the Bridal Gallery in Salem for finding me that perfect dress. And of course I can’t forget my ever supportive family, Greg, thank you for always reminding me to practice and always believing in me. Mom and Dad thank you for all you have done this year, from flying me back from Nevada, coming with me to appearances and cheering me on at Nationals I truly cannot thank you enough.
To the contestants, I hope that this weekend you not only grow as a young woman but also as a daughter, sister and friend. I encourage each and every one of you to step outside your comfort zone and make the most of this weekend.
Best of luck
~Sydney Nelson

Hailey Kilgore, 2012 Oregon Pre-Teen, welcomes the new contestants and says goodbye to her year of service!

Hailey Kilgore, 2012 Oregon Pre-Teen Queen, welcomes the new contestants and says goodbye to her year of service!

Dear Miss Oregon PreTeen Contestants,

It’s hard to believe that just one year ago, I was crowned Oregon’s Preteen Queen. The time has gone by so fast. There have been many exciting opportunities for me because of NAM and I am so grateful for them all.

My year has been filled with parades, volunteering for community organizations and having fun with all the

Oregon Royalty. We spent hours decorating for parades, collecting donations for local charities like the Teddy Bear Parade, Toy and Joy, Oregon Food Bank, making a meal at the Ronald McDonald House and more. I could not imagine a greater group of girls to spend the day at the pumpkin patch, share a holiday sleepover, support Mr. Matt at open calls and representing the entire NAMily.

A funfilled week in California at Nationals where I got to meet some amazing girls from all across the country. The highlights of my week was winning the National Spokesmodel title, being 1st runner up in Talent and Actress and in the Top 10 overall.

Cheiska, Sydney and Alexandra are such amazing role models and I know they will be the best women of this Century. Stacey, Tia and Jeanneil, no one could have asked for more amazing Cover Girls! You are all so supportive and just fun to hang out with. Lily and Ilyarah, you are the most special little Sister Queens a girl could have. National Cover Girls Kyra and Isabella rounded out our crew and added a lot to the mix.

Mr. Leverton, Brittany Clute, Lacey Fitzgerald and the rest of the staff at NAM, I love you and thanks for putting up with me for the last year. I sure appreciate everything you have done for me.

No matter who goes home with titles and crowns this weekend, you are all smart, special and most of all, beautiful. The best advice I can give you is to just be yourself, make new friends and enjoy the every moment because the weekend goes fast, but your memories last forever.

To my successor, cherish these moments like they could disappear any second and love every person that becomes a part of your journey. You’ve got an exciting year ahead of you!

Your 2012 Oregon Preteen Queen,

Hailey Kilgore

Lilyan Duckett National American Miss 2012 Junior Pre-Teen Oregon farewell.

Lilyan Duckett National American Miss 2012 Junior Pre-Teen Oregon Queen farewell.

National American Miss has inspired me more than words can say! I have been a contestant in the NAM program for 4 years before receiving my title. Which goes to show, hard work and determination does pay off! There are so many people I want to thank for this opportunity. To all my friends, family, and sponsors, to Matt and my NAM-ily, to Sydnee for being my pageant secret sister and to Hailey for believing in me, I couldn’t have done it without you. I have had many wonderful adventures, met many wonderful people, and visited Disneyland!

To the parents here tonight, continue supporting your daughters. To all the amazing girls who are contestants today, I want you to know you are unique, beautiful, and you can do anything you put your mind to, you can achieve anything so Dream big! Once again I am your 2012 Miss Oregon Junior Pre -Teen Lilyan Duckett

2011 Miss Kentucky Pre-Teen Farewell

2011 National American Miss Kentucky Pre-Teen Queen Farewell

I just wanted to say to everyone that it has been my pleasure representing the great state of Kentucky. I have had many wonderful adventures, met many wonderfule people, and visited many wonderful places. This year will always hold a special place in my life. Getting to know the NAM Nevada Pre-Teen Queen, Allison Garcia and her family is especially dear to me and will never be forgotten. My volunteer work, as well as the organizations that I had the great pleasure of meeting with, was an experience that I will hold softly in my heart.

Just remember, that if you dream it, you can achieve it. Beauty is within each one of us, and it is up to us on how we choose to show it. Give from the heart, and get so much more in return.

Love,

Christina Rubio
2011 Miss Kentucky Pre-Teen