Miss Minnesota Week
June 24, 2010
First, I have to say congratulations to Miss Minnesota 2010, Kathryn Knuttila!! Kathryn and I met a couple years ago and have been good friends ever since. I could not be more happy for her, she has worked very hard for this opportunity and the judges made an excellent decision; Kathryn will represent Minnesota well.
Now moving backwards to the very beginning: when I checked in for Miss Minnesota week I didn't really know what to expect. Because I have competed in six locals and been in the audience for many more, I have heard about Miss MN week from various titleholders and knew that it would be a blast. But somehow the words of past contestants didn't put it in perspective, probably because it's something that words can't really describe. The appearances are so much fun, but went by far too quickly for me to really soak in what was going on. Many times throughout the week the Miss MN board members would say something like "you girls are getting so much life experience in just this week, none of you will see it for probably another fifteen years though." After the competition was over I realized a wealth of things about myself as a person that I believe will already positively impact my future...so I wonder what else there is to know. I guess I'll have to look back fifteen years from now because, like I've been told, it will be much more obvious to me at that point in my life.
So instead of sharing stories from the week I will post some of my pictures (because a picture really is worth a thousand words!)
My bowling team: myself, Miss Moorhead - Bethany, Miss North Metro - Tiffany, and Miss Heart of the Lakes - Lacey
We got the lowest score overall...sorry I'm such a bad bowler guys!!
A crown pinning adventure in the van on our way to an appearance
Gotta love those candid moments!
Molly and I during rehearsal
A dressing room moment: Liz and Lacey decided to have a magic carpet ride on Liz's yoga mat
The last picture on my camera...a "myspace" picture with Kathryn Knuttila before our Saturday night rehearsal
Now that I've shared a little about the week I hope it is clear how much fun it was!! A common question now that it's all over is if I will be there again next year. Everything in me wants to try again! I grew so much as a person, and realized some mistakes I made in my preparation that if changed will make me a better person and hopefully more capable of doing the job of being Miss Minnesota well.
That said, I already have a busy and exciting year ahead of me. It has always been my plan to go straight to graduate school to get my Master's of Music once I finish my undergraduate degree. Applying and auditioning for grad school is no small task, especially since the closest school (by far) that I'm considering is in Chicago. It is also a goal of mine to get into grad school with as much scholarship as possible, which means that I need to knock the socks off of my auditioners! I was also elected the president of my Sigma Alpha Iota chapter for the next year. Our last president left me some very big shoes to fill so I have a lot on my plate with that as well. I also have a few more projects to finish up as Miss South Central.
So the answer to the question of will I be back on the pageant stage is -- I don't know. I want to be there and I believe in all the benefits the Miss America Organization has to offer me and other young women, but I also have a lot of time left before I need to make a definitive plan.
The competition has come and gone, but I'm still Miss South Central until August 14th and I'm not quite ready to lie low yet :)
Your Miss South Central 2009,
Aja