Welcome

Farewell from our 2010 National American Miss Georgia Teen Queen, Amanda Moreno.

To this day, I vividly remember having my name called as the new National American Miss Georgia Teen. After years of hard work, it all payed off and I knew all eyes were now on me. Being Queen was my dream and I was ready to work hard to be the best teen representative I could be.

Nationals was one of the best weeks of my life. Meeting all my sister queens, touring Hollywood and meeting my future boss, Mickey Mouse, were just a few of the highlights. There I was, standing in front of the Disney castle… yet I was the one being honored as a Princess. From the late night girl talks, to the early morning dance rehearsals… our Teen Queen representatives from across the nation are the best! On finals night, I was honored as 1st Runner Up to the National Queen’s title! I was so excited for my ranking, and ready for a nap!

The title of Miss Georgia opened up so many doors for me. Whether being featured in Champions Magazine, or being the emcee/host for the annual Boys & Girls Club Super Saturday Night… my year was dedicated to inspiring others. My favorite volunteer opportunity came from creating the True Beauty Movement (www.facebook.com/TrueBeautyMovement). The movement was created in order to help girls find their inner beauty and understand that “beautiful” is who you are… not what you look like. I was so honored and shocked to see that within one week of creation, we had over 200 girls post their picture to our page with the “no make-up, white t-shirt, jeans” look and many made videos to inspire others.

My year would not have been possible without the love and support of many. Mr. Matt and NAM staff, you all produce a life changing experience for girls all over the country. From helping me fix my hair back stage, to spending hours perfecting my intro… you all were always there with open arms and just the right final touches. Miss Meredith Boyd, you always knew just how to make me look like a Princess and make me feel like one, too. Don Baker, my accomplishments at state and nationals would not have been possible without your coaching. You have always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself – and for that I am forever grateful. To all my sister queens, what a year we have had! You all are so beautiful and I know that you will always have a special place in my heart. Sarah, my big sister – my journey would not have been as memorable without you! Whether we were celebrating your “birthday” at the Hard Rock, or planning for your wedding…. you always stood as my role model and hero. Momma and Daddy, can you believe that this year has gone by so fast? I am so blessed to have such a supportive team like you two. Not only are you always the biggest fans on Team Amanda, but y’all always know the right thing to say, and are always there helping me be the best Amanda I can be. I will always be your little girl. Most of all, I would like to give my thanks to God – for without Him, none of this would have been possible. I have been taken on an amazing journey, and with God’s guidance I have grown into the young lady I am today.

Contestants, get ready! It is your time to shine, and I know you can do this. Spend the next few days enjoying the journey – and focused on the blessings ahead of you. National American Miss is like no other and I am so glad to welcome you to our family. The crown will only last for a year, but the friendships you make will be forever. I challenge you to always strive for your best and remember that with hard work and in due time… all our dreams can become reality. To my successor, I can tell you that there are simply not enough days in a year. Throughout your year, you will be referenced to as a “princess,” and a true princess comes from within. It’s not the bend of your hair, the size of your dress, or the color of your eye shadow that you will be remembered for…. you will be remembered for the memories you make and the influences you make on other’s life. It is a hard job, but it is worth it each and every day. You now represent every girl in your state – a big responsibility, but an even bigger blessing. Work hard, stay humble, always smile, and inspire many. Now… all eyes are on you.

God’s Love,
Amanda Moreno

Farewell from 2010 South Carolina Pre-Teen Queen Brianna Genelle Williams.

Welcome to the Miss South Carolina Pageant! I am so excited to meet all of you. We have so much fun ahead of us! Enjoy every minute of your experience here this weekend, because it will truly be a time that you will never forget.

Dear Contestants,
Welcome to the Miss South Carolina Pageant! I am so excited to meet all of you. We have so much fun ahead of us! Enjoy every minute of your experience here this weekend, because it will truly be a time that you will never forget.
I can hardly believe that it has been a year since my journey as Miss South Carolina Pre-Teen began. I will always cherish the memories gained through my National American Miss experience. I was so excited to take my first trip to California to compete in Nationals! The excitement really hit me when I boarded my plane in Myrtle Beach, and felt like true royalty when I was given a shout out from my flight attendant and fellow passengers wishing me good luck in California. Nationals was amazing! I made so many friends and had an unbelievable experience. I also enjoyed participating in community service programs across South Carolina and meeting many of you at open calls.
I would like to thank God for blessing me with this unbelievable opportunity, and all of my family and friends for their love and support during my reign. I would also like to thank Matt Leverton and his great staff for always making me feel special, and the National American Miss family for sponsoring such an outstanding pageant.
As my reign comes to a close, I would like to wish all of the contestants this weekend the best of luck. Only one girl can be crowned, but all of you can walk away knowing that you are special. Never give up on your dreams. I competed for three years before my dream of being crowned Miss South Carolina finally came true. To my successor, I hope that you treasure your title and know that it is an honor to wear the NAM crown. Enjoy every minute and take a lot of pictures!
Again, good luck to all of you, and let’s get this party started!!!!!!!
Best Wishes Always,
Brianna Genelle Williams
2010 Miss South Carolina Pre-Teen

Check out National American Miss!

We wholeheartedly believe in our program and can’t wait to hear from you.

I know sometimes people might have questions about how authentic National American Miss is or if it is a scam, if we are legit. I always suggest to do your homework. Contact your Better Business Bureau (BBB), http://www.bbb.org/nashville/business-reviews/beauty-pageants/national-american-miss-in-nashville-tn-37044518 talk with other families that have been involved and of course, give us a call. We will be more than happy to answer any and all of your questions. We wholeheartedly believe in our program and can’t wait to hear from you.

· · Nam Matt Leverton

How has participating in NAM affected your life?

January 3 at 8:30pm ·LikeUnlike · Comment · View Feedback (30)Hide Feedback (30)

Taccara Barrier, Janet Bright, Amanda McDonald and 5 others like this.

Kirsten Acklin i love nam , its the best(:

January 3 at 8:32pm · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading…

Stasia Herbert McZeal My daughter competes and I can say NAM has allowed us to make wonderful friends from across the United States….We are competing in July and hope to be back in Anaheim in November! NAM is a wonderful organization!

January 3 at 8:32pm · LikeUnlike

Juliana Wynkoop It has changed me for the better!! I remember I used to be so shy and afraid of public speaking…now the stage is like my second home! I love it! My NAMily has helped me blossom into a confident leader, which will be benefit me in all that I do.

January 3 at 8:33pm · LikeUnlike

Danielle Lynn Walker

I’m a different person because of it and I’m happy about that.
If I were never in Nam I would not have thought so many wonderful things could be possible for my own life. Being around girls your age that are using their lives to accomplish a…mazing goals has been the biggest motivation for success in my life. That is invaluable. I ♥ National American Miss!See More

January 3 at 8:33pm · LikeUnlike

Ivey Dyson It gave me goals and positive role models. I ♥ National American Miss

January 3 at 8:37pm · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading…

Kirsten Acklin ‎^^ liy .

January 3 at 8:37pm · LikeUnlike

Sydney Price

I could go on and on about this subject, haha! NAM has become so much more than just a pageant for me. It has become a part of my life. I was never very confident and super shy before I started competing. Whether I was a contestant or a vis…iting Cover Girl I have always been completely satisfied with the effort and friendliness from all directors and staff at NAM. Everyone has made me and my parents feel like family! During my years I have developed a sense of confidence, become more involved in my community, and gained the quality of loving and appreciating all types of people. NAM has definitely made me a more mature individual. I have even met some of my best friends through the pageant. No matter the results, there’s never really a question as to whether or not I will come back the next year because I always have so much fun and always end up learning something new about myself and making new friends. It’s definitely a huge part of my life♥ See More

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Shellye Echeverría NAM has taught me how to be a poised, mannered, self confident, and well spoken young lady. I am very glad that I found NAM because I have learned so much about myself and made many life long friends!

January 3 at 8:40pm · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading…

Holly Creasy It was a really good experience, I made a lot of friends I would’ve never known. I also gained confidence while being on stage (: I.♥.NAM.

January 3 at 8:44pm · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading…

Elizabeth Kayleen Hamilton NAM changed me in more ways than one I learned that not all girls are the same it taught me to be confident in myself and me Kayleen all the time because there is only one me and it gave me the best friends I could ever ask for (:

January 3 at 8:45pm · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading…

Amy Faith Frizzell Hinson i wouldnt have met some of the best friends ive ever had! i would never trade the fact i was in it for anything! i constantly recommend it to people and it made me deside that one day i would love to work in the pagent industry!

January 3 at 9:00pm · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading…

Chrystle Ntow

Well its had big impact on my life. Well I competed in 2009 and that fall I was going into 8th grade so I just knew that I was going to be separated and Nam gave me the ability to voice out who I truly am so during the summer of 2010 my hig…h school had a freshmen orientation were I was not with the 3 other girls who were attending that school(they choose a different session). I made TONS of friends and even though now during school I have maybe 15% of my classes with them, I have even more friends who I think are truly amazing and awesome. NAM gave me that confidence. Pageant was 3-2 days and so was my orientation and I made friends 🙂 and being able to do presentations in front of my class,I can totally speak confidently, and clear so Nam has really changed my life so thank you. I would love to be on Broadway so this summer I WILL compete in Nam and hopefully start my ambition. Thanks Nam and you guys have a place in my heart, the top left corner :)See More

January 3 at 9:15pm · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading…

Patricia Diniz NAM has made my daughter a better person!!! You guys help her to stay focused. And I as a parent have been able to bond with other pageant mothers.

January 3 at 9:15pm · LikeUnlike

Patricia Diniz thank you so much… God Bless!

January 3 at 9:16pm · LikeUnlike

Olivia Dee

Just where do I begin? NAM has helped me become the confident experienced girl I am today. When I started at 5 years old I could hardly speak but Mr. Matt always told me to not give up and learn and then he told the parents to support us …in all we do. Well , I have been to 3 Nationals and every year I just grown and get better. I might never have brought home the state crown but I will never give up my dream. The best thing + besides confidence and great friends that I got from NAM is the love of giving back.Me and my family began volunteering right at 6 years old and I even was the youngest person to volunteer at the Nashville Zoo because I needed hours for NAM but it grew in my heart to help others and now I have TN H.U>G.S. and help the Ronald M. H. and people all over the country can learn about helping others through me. NAM gave me that first love of giving back. I also have learned to be a god role model wherever I am -school, church or even NAm. Oh ,and I can give an interview which most of my friends would die if they had to and even present a speech. So many things-this is just the begininng.Love, Olivia WSee More

January 3 at 9:42pm · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading…

Olivia Dee NAM gave me positive role models all ove r the country just like Sydney Price who wrote above.

January 3 at 9:44pm · LikeUnlike · 2 peopleLoading…

Olivia Grace There’s so much to say about NAM! I will start by saying it has helped me gain confidence in myself. Every summer I look forward to meeting new friends as well as reuniting with old friends! It is a wondeful, fun-filled family experience, and I am proud to say that this is my 4th year competing. NAM helps develop positive, young role models who are changing this country one step at a time, and who will go forward to become even greater than they themselves could ever imagine♥

January 3 at 10:17pm · LikeUnlike

Megan Alisa Webb

NAM has made me a great person. I could go on with a huge list. But I have learned to be happy with who I am, I now know I am beautiful on the inside and out. Dreams do come true through nam, you can never give up. I’ve not only gained life… long skills but I gained friendships I will never lose. I have one of the best leaders and staff members that you could work with in nam and I am so glad that god has brought them to me. Yes, I know I’ve been a queen but title or not I would still feel the same about nam. There’s nothing else like a nam pageant. Thanks for changing me for good, and for the betterSee More

January 3 at 10:20pm · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading…

Sheryl Callahan We have been truly blessed by the friendships we’ve made, the confidence gained, and most of all, the gift of giving back. Thank you NAM!

January 3 at 10:23pm · LikeUnlike

Amanda McDonald

NAM opened so many doors for me in my life. Before NAM, I was very shy, awkward, and did not have many friends. After my first pageant in 2004, I can honestly say, NAM was the best thing that happened to me. I was a more confident, outgoi…ng, and outspoken young woman. The highest title I ever held with NAM was National Cover Girl. I was never a state or national queen, but the experiences I had in my five years of competition mean more to me than any title, crown, or banner ever could. Throughout those years, I made friends whom I am still in contact with today, and when your directors or choreographers tell you the girls you meet may some day be in your wedding, it is true. Two of my friends I met through NAM will be my bridesmaids at my wedding in November, and they are my best friends I have ever had. Other friends will be guests at my wedding. Everything that NAM is about is real and it is definitely one of those organizations that cannot be explained in words…you have to experience it for yourself to know just how wonderful it is. Thank you, NAM and thank you, Matt, for everything you have done for me!See More

January 3 at 11:52pm · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading…

Meagan Williams

National American Miss…What to say…I never thought in a million years that this system would be such a big part of my life today. NAM has changed me into a poised, outgoing, confident young lady that I never thought I could become. My f…irst year at nam I was shy, afraid, and pretty much kept to myself, the first day anyway, by the end of that weekend I had so many new friends! 🙂 I felt so accomplished that I said my intro perfectly! And my interview was way easier than expected! I was very pleased with the pageant system! And I even got to bring home a few trophies at the end of that weekend! It has taught me so much and I can not wait to come back for my 3rd year!! Not to mention all of the amazing people and role models you meet there!! All of the queens are truly amazing people, and lets not forget about the staff!! I have to admit I didn’t expect the friendliness, and fun filled activities the first year, but boy was I surprised. NAM is truly an amazing system. Mainly because its not a typical beauty pageant. Its not a BEAUTY pageant at all. I love NAM because you don’t have to be 5’8 and look perfect in a swimsuit to win. You don’t have to have perfect teeth and long sculpted hair. You have to be you. And if nothing else has, this pageant has taught me to be myself more than anything else in the world. So thank you to everyone at namiss from the bottom of my heart! ♥ I love you all and I have no idea where I would be in life today with out you!See More

January 4 at 1:29pm · LikeUnlike

National American Miss Phone Number

Our phone number is 615-349-1993

I know sometimes you wonder, ” How can I get in touch with my state director?” I wanted to make sure that all of our information if accesible to you to get. Our address is 701 Broadway Suite B-14 Nashville, TN 37203. Our phone number is 615-349-1993, or you can e-mail the office at mattoffice@namiss.com. We look forward to hearing from you with any questions or comments.

National Amerian Miss-Facebook, YouTube and MySpace

Here are some great places to meet other families that have participated in National American Miss from all over the country. Feel free to leave a comment, post a question or show us your pictures from NAM.

Click here to see our Facebook Page

Click hereto see our MySpace Page

Click here to see our YouTube Page

Is National American Miss A Scam?

One of the hardest things about my job is dealing with the stereotypes that exist about pageants. Like every other stereotype that exists, its unfortunate that you have to deal with people passing judgement before they have all the information. People who are unfamiliar with our program immediately thing of thinks like Little Miss Sunshine.

National American Miss is different from any other pageant system. That’s why we have a no make-up rule contestants 12 years old and younger. That’s why we never have and never will have a swimsuit competition. At National American Miss, we pride ourselves on setting the bar higher in every aspect: quality, integrity, production value, professionalism, and providing our customers with quality and value. At National American Miss we emphasis self-esteem, confidence, communication and interviewing skills, and community service.

Here are a few of the things people have to say about our program:

Caroline Graham(Waubonsie Valley High School) wrote at 8:36pm on January 24th, 2009 I had the best time at National American Miss Illinois!!!

Sara Beth Clapp wrote at 4:28pm on January 24th, 2009 National American Miss is definitely one of the best experiences I have EVER Had! I love it!

Lindsey Sauerer (St. Cloud) wrote at 2:59am on January 22nd, 2009 I LOVE NATIONAL AMERICAN MISS!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂

Cindy Washington Hammers (Nashville, TN) wrote
at 12:07am on January 21st, 2009

NAMISS pageant is the best! Matt Leverton is the best pageant director. The pageant staff is very helpful and extremely kind. My daughter will be in the pageant for the 4th year this year and she’s climbing her way to the top! This is the most enjoyable pageant Brittany has ever competed in. If your hesitant give it a try, you’re won’t be disappointed!

Marie Wood (Gray Stone Day School) wrote
at 11:49pm on January 20th, 2009

I had an awesome time in this past NC state pageant. It was my first, and sadly my last chance to enter as I will be busy with college and wedding planning this next time. I had an amazing time participating and only wish that I could have known about it sooner and participated more. I will never forget the girls I met and the experiences I had. Thank you NAM!!!

Tammy Watson (Nashville, TN) wrote at 10:23pm on January 20th, 2009 NAM is truly a great experience for any girl of any age. My daughter participated last year in the Jr. Teen division. She had a great time, and made some great friends along the way. She is ready to do it again this year. I recommend this experience to any young girl and her family. It is truly amazing to watch.

Karly Kindoll (Louisville, KY) wrote at 12:44am on January 20th, 2009 I LOVE NAM. Matt Leverton is a GREAT state director. I had such a great experience last year that i will hopefully return this year. thanks NAM!!!!

Christy McCall (Louisville, KY) wrote at 10:56pm on January 19th, 2009 We just love the NAM organization. We’ve participated in the KY State pageants for the last 2 years and look forward to many more great years of meeting new friends and having great times.

Alla Jawarish (Atlanta, GA) wrote at 2:15pm on January 17th, 2009 NAM is AWESOME!!! My daughter can’t wait for the next year pageant, loves the experience and making friends. Can’t wait to see what happens in Pre-Teen division!

McCartney Paige Alessi-Jensen (West Springfield High School) wrote at 4:56am on January 10th, 2009 NAM rocks! Patti and Lew are awesome state directors and the Mayes are also awesome national directors! I hope to go back to Miss. Mass. again this yr…and win again! I made it to nationals and that was deff. 10 of the best days of my life! -McCartney

Ellen Jester (Houston, TX) wrote
at 4:42pm on January 5th, 2009

NAM is the best! =) We love the Mayes and what they stand for in pageantry, and with respect to today’s girls. Our daughter, Kimberly, has gained so many valuable life skills through her participation and affiliation with National American Miss over the years. They are awesome from the top of the organization to the bottom, and all layers in between!

Keke	Jan 22 2009 5:03 PM NAMiss we are extremely excited about the pageant this year. Can’t wait to get started!! Miss ya!!Yours truly, Katura!
Mela☮	Jan 8 2009 12:18 AM hey! thanks for the add i was one of the new york jr teen state finalist for 2007-2008 i won the volunteer service award and namiss is a great pageant that boosts your confidence and its just a great experience where you can have fun and meet new friends! -Melanie-

Kim

Sep 6 2008 9:30 PM I had a great time this year at the WA state NAM Pageant. I placed 4th runner up in the over-all competition and 4th runner up in the photogenic. What a great experience. Can’t wait until next year.

*Rach*	Sep 6 2008 10:41 PM I had so much fun in the southern California pageant this year I made so many MORE friends and I am still talking to a few of them along with friends I made 2 years ago! This pageant has opened up so many opportunities for me. And now I am one of the first ones to raise my hand in class to volunteer and demonstrate things! Can’t wait till next year!
leslie;ily <3	Sep 5 2008 9:10 PM I had such a wonderful experience this year in the NAM pageant…cannot wait till next year to make more awesome friends & meet new ones. (:

*~*Miss Determined*~*

Aug 31 2008 5:41 AM I love National American Miss! This pageant has really inspired me to go beyond my dreams. I have participated in GA Teen for the past two years and this year I will try out for the MISS division.
Thank you NAMISS and good luck to all the girls going to nationals!

Aug 21 2008 2:04 AM Thanks for being such a great influence on girls across the United States. We have a blast every time we go to your pageant and we cant wait until nationals in CA.
Thanks again, Mikayla

Pageant Director Tells All! Why I Love My Job.

When I meet new people, they often ask, “What do you do?” With a grin, I reply “I’m a pageant director!” That always prompts them ask follow up questions and gives me the opportunity to tell them about our organization.

One of my favorite parts of being a director are the letters that I get after the pageant from parents and contestants. I literally have a file drawer full of them! I get the sweetest letters telling me how the pageant experience has impacted their lives. They talk to me about the confidence they have gained, the friends they made, how they were shy before and now have come out of their shell. I am often told that now they aren’t scared to try new things like running for student government, trying out for a team, that through the pageant they have gained that self-esteem to be able to step out and be a leader among their peers. The letters are truly inspirational.

One letter I got about a year ago was from the sweetest little girl. As a project for school they had to write a thank you letter to someone other than a family member, and she picked me! OK, first of all, how cool is it a an educator is teaching kids not only math, science and reading, but also to be thankful and grateful, that is so cool in my opinion. But most of how, how touched do you think I was that this little girl chose me to single out and say thank you to! I don’t care how bad of a day you are having, something like that puts a smile on your face. In this letter, she simply stated that she was so thankful for all the pageant had done for her, the confidence, the self-esteem, the friends, it truly was a beautiful letter.

My joy of this job comes from knowing that I am making a difference! I think as human beings we are all searching for purpose, and I have found mine. Through this program I have the opportunity to meet the most amazing kids and their families and play a role in their future.

To all of you, thank you for giving me a chance to be part of you lives, I have truly been blessed.

Matt

Pageant Director Tells All! How I Got Started In Pageants

So one of the questions I get the most is, “how did you get involved in pageants?” Well here’s the answer. I grew up in Hagerstown, Indiana. When I was 13 years old I started working for a DJ company call Heart Breaker Video Disc Jockeys. When I first started I was just a DJ helper at school dances, wedding receptions, stuff like that. As I got older I started working as an actual DJ for the company and worked for them all through high school and college. Well, in 1997 the DJ company gets a call from Steve Mayes, the Indiana pageant director at the time. He was at the Indiana pageant and wanted someone to come and do some lighting at the pageant. He literally found us in the yellow pages!

By this time I was one of the most experienced DJ’s in the company, so the owner, his son (Jason Black) and I went to the Indiana pageant to put up some fun lights. We had no idea what to expect. But as soon as I met Steve and Kathleen I immediately knew that this was a lot different than what I expected. I was figuring it would be like what I hear about on TV about youth pageants, boy was I wrong. I saw a staff that genuinely cared for the contestants, that had a goal far beyond giving out crowns, banners and trophies, they had a true purpose to see kids lives enriched for the better. I immediately knew that this was a program that I wanted to be a part of. After the Indiana pageant, I sat down with Steve and talked to him about working at some other events for him as a sound and light tech. That summer, I traveled to the Missouri and Washington pageants. The following year, I traveled to all the Mayes’ pageants doing the sound and lights. It worked out great since I was in college, it was the perfect summer job, traveling the country, working with an amazing group of people and mostly importantly, impact lives.

After about 5 years traveling with the pageants I started to express interest that I wanted to get more involved and in 2003, while I was working as an algebra teacher, Steve contacted me and asked me if I would like to be a state director. To say the least, I was more than honored that he would consider me. I said yes and that year I directed my first pageant, Tennessee. Then in 2005 they offered me Kentucky and South Carolina and then in 2008 I was offered Oregon and the rest is history.

Hello everyone, welcome to my National American Miss pageant website/blog. I am the state director for the NAM system for the states of Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina and Oregon. I am very excited about this new website. This will not only not only to be a resource to talk about NAM pageants, but also a chance to share my personal insights, thoughts and experiences. I look forward to interacting with everyone. Please stay posted, more content coming up soon.