farewell – Page 2 – Matt Leverton’s National American Miss (NAM) Pageants Blog

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

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”

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

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.

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

Jennifer Mullins, 2011 Miss Georgia Farewell

Jennifer Mullins, 2011 National American Miss Georgia Farewell

In 2004, I decided to be in my first pageant ever. I had no idea what I was doing and I told my mom “whatever happens, happens.” That year I was 3^rd runner up to Miss Georgia. I competed in the pageant for 6 years. Then in 2011 when I turned 20 I knew it would be my last chance. I put everything I had into it and was overjoyed to hear I would be going to the National Pageant to represent Georgia as the Miss Queen. I had been told that Nationals would be the time of my life but didn’t fully believe it till I was there. I made friendships I’ll never forget, got to do things I never thought I’d do, and being called in the top ten contestants for the national title was the cherry on top of a perfect Thanksgiving week.

Being Miss Georgia has been such a blessing. From riding in parades in my hometown to walking in a 5K for breast cancer, I was able to donate stuffed animals to the children at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, help the police department with their “shop with a cop” Christmas fundraiser, and attend the UMDF Christmas breakfast for children with mitocondria.

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 Amanda for being my pageant bestie and believing in me, to Jacob for supporting and never letting me forget im beautiful, to my best friend Megan for always being there chearing me on, to my Nana and and all my grandparents in heaven for giving me confidence, and to my parents Mom and Dad, thank you for everything you do and for loving me completely, I couldn’t have done it without you.

To all the wonderful girls who are contestants today, I want you to know you are unique, beautiful, and you can do anything you put your mind to. All you need is to be confident. Henry Ford once said, “whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.” Believe in yourself and remember it’s not the crown makes a princess. It’s who you are that makes you royalty.

2011 North Carolina Jr. Preteen Cailee Calabrese’s Farewell

2011 North Carolina Jr. Preteen Cailee Calabrese’s Farewell

Being part of the National American Miss system has truly been an honor. I was so surprised when my name was called as the 2011 NC Jr. Preteen out of so many beautiful girls. I started out my year with taping a commercial for Communities in Schools and then being able to volunteer for such a worthy event was very special. I had so much fun volunteering with the American Red Cross, Give 2 the Troops, Wounded Warriors, March of Dimes, local nursing homes, and many more. I love to help others and that is what inspires me to volunteer. Nothing makes me happier than to be able to put a smile on someone’s face. I have learned that sometimes it is not what you say, but what you can do to make a positive impact on someone else and to always be a good role model. I was so proud when our State Representative came to my school to present me with the Gold Level Volunteer Award. I also got to meet our U.S. Congressman who also serves on the committee in Washington, DC for armed services.

Going to California was so much fun and I enjoyed getting to know other girls from other places. I have made so many good friends. The week was so much fun going to Disneyland, The Hollywood Tour, and the party was a great way to kick off the week. I was proud to have received the Community Achievement Award, Photogenic Award, 1^st runner up Most Promising Model and 2^nd runner up volunteer out of so many girls. I want to personally thank Matt Leverton and his staff for always being supportive. Matt, being a part of the NAM family has been such a pleasure and I have grown so much just being part of this wonderful organization. I have been blessed with opportunities that would not have been possible without being a part of the National American Miss organization. I truly feel that I have learned things that will only help me in the future. To the new queen, enjoy your year because it will go by so fast.

National American Miss Ashley Thompson Farewell

I could not believe I had won Miss Kentucky 2011-2012 in the Miss division. It was my first pageant and I thought nothing would come of it, but I was wrong!

My name is Ashley Thompson, and I am not an ordinary pageant queen; I am a soldier. I joined the Kentucky National Guard in 2010 and since then, I have loved trying new things. I am a tomboy and have never learned how to use make-up or fix my hair, but I had an amazing journey learning that and more during the national competition in Anaheim, California.

I started my journey with a letter in the mail, open calls, phone interview and a phone call that I had won state queen! I almost thought she was joking! I did not get crowned because of Army training, but I did get to go to nationals and that was amazing! It was my first time going west, my first time going to Disney, and my first pageant! I met some really nice people there. They all helped me, even the other competitors. I originally tried this pageant because it was so different from all the others and anything I have done before. Military training is totally different from the runway, but this pageant has the same values, like integrity. The pageant requires community service, goal setting, and interviewing/speaking skills. These guidelines made for some fierce competition, but great friends! I will never forget going to Disneyland or being on stage, but the best part of it all was that I set a goal and I met it!

One thing that stuck out to me most was during our Thanksgiving banquet, they took the time out to play a slideshow of pictures of the U.S. military and thank them for everything they do. It is amazing to know that there is a beauty pageant that is not all about dresses and swim suits, but caring about the future of its competitors, individually and in the big picture.

I am still meeting new people as I prepare to crown my successor at the state competition and I love every minute of it. Thank you, National American Miss for a wonderful experience and for supporting our troops!

Ashley Thompson, Miss Kentucky, 2011-2012