Pioneer Trail Elementary

I was so excited I got to speak at my first elementary school this morning! Thank you, Pioneer Trail elementary school for having me :)

Their character trait focus for this month was self discipline. At the morning assembly I gave a speech about how self discipline truly is the key to success. Four key ingredients of self discipline--acceptance, hard work, persistence, and will power--were crucial to my preparations for the Miss Missouri pageant.

This elementary school was wonderful and the school spirit believe was unlike any other elementary school I have seen! The principal there has done an amazing job!

I am grateful for experiences like these and look forward to many more.

Thank you, CMFCAA!

 Sydnee and I had the honor of attending the Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association's Winter Wonderland Ball this past weekend.

Not only did the kids have a wonderful time, Sydnee and I had a blast! From the cha-cha slide to the YMCA- everyone seemed to really enjoy the evening. We even learned a couple dance moves, too :)

I cannot say enough good things about the Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association. They are touching so many lives of Missouri Children and their families every single day. I look forward to helping this organization in every way I can in the future.

Thanks again, CMFCAA for letting us be a part of your wonderful evening :)

Snowed In!

Wow,

The past month has been such a whirlwind for me. Winning the state crown in mid-November was a dream come true. I returned to Mizzou to complete finals and finish up the semester! After enjoying Christmas and the New Years with my friends and family-- it's time to get back at it! This semester I have a part time internship at the Capitol, which allows me to have more time to travel and help out as many organizations as I possibly can :)

I started off my reign by attending the Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association annual Forget Me Not Gala which raises money to help families and children across the state. It was a wonderful experience to be a part of.

Not only do I get to be a part of such amazing organizations such as CMFCAA, I have also been lucky enough to do some neat photo shoots along the way :) Jefferson City's own Her Magazine is launching a special issue titled Women in History where I was able to interview and take some photos with the former Miss Missouri USA 2010.

 This past weekend, Sydnee and I were fortunate enough to tour the Shriner's Hospital for Children in St. Louis. This was probably the most inspirational visit I have ever had. All of Shriner's services are free to the children and families- they are able to provide these services based off of donations. This organization touches the lives of thousands of children and their families across the nation. Missouri is blessed to have a Shriner's hospital and I encourage everyone to help this wonderful cause.

Seeing how children respond to the sash and crown has been a truly humbling experience for me and I am looking forward to my year of service as Miss Missouri USA 2011 :)