January 13, 2006
The delegates line up for the group photo in the historic
lobby of The Plantation Inn and Golf Resort.
January 13, 2006
The delegates line up for the group photo in the historic
lobby of The Plantation Inn and Golf Resort.
» Miss Nature Coast USA from The Audience
It
was so much fun to venture to a new part of our state as for the first time ever
we had a preliminary pageant in Citrus County. Congratulations to director
Shalyn Barnes and her pageant staff of volunteers made the first ever Miss
Nature Coast USA Pageant quite the success!
The day started with a modeling session featuring the contestants on the historic grounds of The Plantation Inn and Golf Club. Even though it was record cold for the day the girls managed to look spectacular. As for me it was too cold to venture out so here are some of the indoor pictures from the shoot!
The Lake County contingent was supporting Miss Collins.
Then it was time for the one on one judges interview competition. The ladies all looked spectacular in their interview suits and the judges were very impressed with all of the delegates. Then it was over to the Plantation Inn Convention Center for the evening to begin.
Miss Vermont USA 2006 Amanda Gillman interviews this pretty little pageant queen
(left)Chelsea Bacon & Brittani White both sang solo numbers
(right)
Miss Vermont USA 2006 Amanda Gillman hosted the event with the grace and confidence of a seasoned professional. As a side note she is a very sweet and gracious young woman and we look forward to rooting for her at Miss USA. The buzz was apparent throughout the evening as I can say first hand this area is pageant crazy!
Pageant Director Shalyn Barnes gives last minute instruction to the anxious delegates Saturday afternoon.
The judges awaiting the competition Saturday evening
Awaiting the Nature Coast USA Judges are Kristen Bare, Alyssa Anderson, Shilah Goodwin and Lalita Arjune
The event was very well attended and featured performances by MAO Teen Titleholders Chelsea Bacon and Brittani White who both were outstanding. It was so nice to see our Miss Florida Pageant family come together for such a special evening. We look forward to seeing all the delegates again on The Road To Hollywood. See everyone next week in both Daytona Beach and Tampa! Enjoy the pictures.
(click on thumbnails to enlarge images)
»
From Lab To Limelight 
When
I arrived at MIT, I thought I had life figured out. Science was a joy. Music was
my passion. I dabbled in literature and history, loved my Nintendo Game Boy,
went dancing on occasion, and spent time with a few close friends. I grew up in
a world where much of my time was spent staring into a microscope, helping kids
with homework, or playing classics on the piano. By the time I graduated from
high school, I had won state-wide, national, and international science and piano
contests and had accumulated more than $40,000 in scholarships. It seemed clear
that I was on the path to becoming a modern-day Marie Curie who tickled the
ivories on the side.
On
a Saturday night during my sophomore year, I was studying when a friend
suggested a break. My friend turned on my TV and found the Miss America pageant.
I had not seen the show in many years, and we decided to watch. At the end of
the pageant, my friend said, "If she can be Miss America, why can't
you?" Luckily no one was there to take a snapshot of the MIT student with
poor fashion sense, badly styled hair, and no makeup. I was skeptical.
Over
the next few days my friend continued prodding me to participate, and I
continued declining. The truth is, I was afraid of being stereotyped, of looking
ridiculous, and perhaps most of all, of losing. Several days later, I checked my
e-mail and found that my friend had signed me up for a pageant. I hesitantly
decided to participate. I remember grumbling during the drive to the contest,
not realizing that this was going to be one of the most important episodes of my
life.
Although I did not win that first pageant, the experience changed me. By competing in the Miss America program, I earned $25,000 in scholarships and improved my leadership and public-speaking skills. I began to appreciate the importance of having creative ideas about ways to help people. I saw the need for the scientific community to become involved with improving students' test scores and rekindling their waning interest in math and the sciences; I wanted to share my love of these subjects with those who needed confidence and inspiration. So in 2002 I started WhizKids -- a nonprofit dedicated to improving students' awareness of science and technology.
As
I tried to involve the scientific and pageant communities in promoting math and
science education, I was met with both respect and disdain. This wasn't easy,
but it made me realize the importance of having faith in my ideals.
Two
years later, when I became Miss Massachusetts 2004, I took every opportunity to
share my experiences with students, hoping to inspire them to follow their
dreams. As Miss Massachusetts, I continued pursuing my goals and worked at the
Edith Nourse Rogers VA hospital in Bedford, MA. My research there involved using
bioanalytical techniques in the emerging field of metabolomics, which could
result in faster, more accurate diagnoses for many diseases. My particular
research was directed at modeling the signaling and process control of small
molecules in neurodegenerative disorders.
When
not in the lab, I spoke with audiences that included politicians, scientists,
and teachers and realized that being an MIT graduate and Miss Massachusetts gave
me a platform from which to encourage people to help better math and science
education in the United States. I have received many notes from students in
which they describe their increased interest in math and science after
participating in my WhizKids program. Numerous organizations, colleges, and
universities around the country have partnered with WhizKids. I have had the
opportunity to address the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the state
senate. Also, the list of staff members and volunteers for WhizKids continues to
grow.
I
am pursuing my goal of becoming a research scientist, but I have not lost sight
of the need for involvement in education, politics, and community service.
Helping assist and encourage the students of tomorrow in subjects including
science and engineering may be one of the most lasting contributions I can make.
I hope that others in the sciences and in academia share that sentiment.
Erika Ebbel '04 majored in chemistry with a minor in music. She is a doctoral candidate in biochemistry at the Boston University School of Medicine and also intends to obtain an MD. She stepped down as Miss Massachusetts in June 2005.
-
Kudos to our Miss Florida USA Cristin Duren on her recent venture with
the upcoming beach video network coming in March! Check out her demo at http://www.beachvideonetwork.com/ for
a peak. You will also notice other familiar faces from our Miss Florida USA
family. Great job Cristin!
- Did You Know that former Miss Florida Teen USA alumni (1st ru ’05) Aimee Seheult is giving up her title this as Miss Manatee County Fair this Saturday Night. The event is at Bradenton Municipal Auditorium at 7:30pm and has 75 contestants in four age categories. If your in the area support this great local event. Hopefully we will see Ms. Seheult competing in a FLUSA preliminary in the near future. Way to go Aimee!
- Kudos to Miss North Florida Teen USA 2006 Myriaha Musgrave who spent Three Kings Day at the Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville. She gave presents to the boys, stuffed animals to the babies and her tiara collection to the girls. She’s picture here with her new friend Darbie who will start treatment this week. This is one great thing that you did Myriaha we are very proud of you!
» Pageant News Wanted!
Are you a titleholder or at large delegate who is making appearances or doing good things in the community? We would love to tell all of the Miss Florida USA Family your story. Send pictures and updates to telair@aol.com as we feature everything Miss Florida USA on Friday’s at Faces & Places.
»
Alumni News Wanted!
If you know of any Miss Florida USA alumni in the news please drop us an email to feature them in future articles. Email all info to info@missfloridausa.com! Until next week here to good pageantry!
PICTURE OF THE WEEK!
Even though we at POTW enjoy the warmth of the Caribbean we really loved
the beauty of this German mountain range with the16 delegates for Miss Deutschland
(Germany Universe) 2006. We think you will also! Enjoy.
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