Miss America's Outstanding Teen

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

I am finally feeling better after 14 days of being sick! I started feeling sick during the last few days of modeling for Sherri Hill, and it only continued to get worse in Orlando at Miss America’s Outstanding Teen. However, I AM SO PROUD OF JAMESON!!

 To recap the trip: I left on Tuesday with two of my local directors (also Jameson’s local directors) and my mom (who adores Jameson). I rode down with them the whole way and basically just slept. I contributed to a few of the conversations in my deep, raspy voice. ;-) We arrived to the hotel around 4:00pm on Tuesday and quickly got ready for the first night of preliminaries. Jameson was doing fitness that night. It was really enjoyable to briefly meet the 2013 Miss America class in the lobby of the theater. Everyone was so welcoming and excited to be there! We all sat together to watch the show, and it was indeed a show. Jameson looked great in her fitness routine. I am pretty sure anyone in the audience would have loved to be able to do push-ups like Jameson’s! It was such a relief to finally see Jameson at visitation after night one of preliminaries. It was so hard not being able to text and call her all week, let alone only being able to see her thirty minutes a night.

Wednesday mainly consisted of staying in bed and resting. I had nothing scheduled until 4:45pm, so I took full advantage of the down time! At 4:45pm, I went downstairs to my Artistry by Amway consultation. It was such a privilege to be there and to receive a great Artistry gift bag. I got their travel-sized skin-care system, blemish control cream, their famous light-up lip gloss, and a whole make-up set! Let me just say, my skin LOVES it all…especially the toner that came with the skin-care set. After we got surprise gifts, we had individual meetings, a mini photo-shoot, and some make-up application tips. Who has ever thought to use mascara as a finishing eyeliner?! Get a fine point brush, stick it in your mascara tube, and apply it to your lash line. It instantly makes your eyes pop. After my consultation, we headed to the theater for night two of preliminaries. Jameson had talent that night, and she left everyone speechless. She ended up tying with Miss Arkansas’s Outstanding Teen for the talent preliminary award. Needless to say, I was one happy “sister.” After the show, all of the Miss contestants had a meeting with the Miss America board. It really hit me that night: sitting in a room with 52 other beautiful, talented, and smart women listening to Art McMaster and Sam Haskell speak about the Miss America competition week was quite surreal. I think all of the women would say the same thing. There was a general thought of “is this real!?”

 

Thursday was a great day to spend time with my Miss America sisters and make a decision about my swimsuit choice. We had a welcome meeting in the morning and a sponsor meeting in the afternoon. Catalina, the first swimsuit sponsor for Miss America, is sponsoring swimsuits again! They had preview options available, and we were able to pick two options to send in. I am oh so excited about the two options I chose. Another fun fact: the exact swimsuits that the contestants will be wearing at Miss America will be available for purchase in Walmart next spring: pretty convenient. Thanks to the Miss Florida board and Regalia, the contestants were then treated to a delicious dinner at Maggianos Italian Resturant. The Thursday preliminary show was extra fun. All of the Miss contestants got to introduce themselves on stage, and while I loved it, my voice sounded about nine octaves lower than it normally does, combined with a lot of “raspy-ness.” I felt it necessary to explain to the audience that I was sick and I didn’t always sound like that- thank goodness. Jameson looked stunning in her evening gown. She was the epitome of grace, beauty, and pure joy!

 Friday was another busy but fun day. We started the morning off with an extremely informative meeting. Everything from production, to rules, to life as Miss America was covered. Laura Kaeppeler, the current Miss America, spoke to all of us. I will write more about her speech in another post; however, I could not help but sit there in awe listening to her. Not only at her ability to convey her thoughts, but also at the reality of the job she holds. She said everything I wanted to hear: especially the part about Miss America being a totally selfless year. We had a break after the meeting, and it was then off to Disney World. It was a night filled with laughter, bonding, pictures, good food, and screams (the screaming did not help my voice!).

Saturday morning started off with a really exciting interview and a great lunch with two people from the Miss Georgia board. The day went by so quickly…I think the anticipation of final night was helping the time pass! We headed to final night not knowing the outcome but already so proud of Jameson. She made the first cut for top 15, and then the top 8. Our excitement was becoming hard to contain! By the end of the night, Jameson was named 3^rd runner-up, and Miss South Carolina’s Outstanding Teen was named Miss America’s Outstanding Teen. Jameson walked away with roughly $7,500 in scholarship money, as well as a full ride scholarship to Troy University. I can honestly say I have never seen so many intelligent, talented, beautiful, and sincere teens all in one place. The Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Organization is one I wish I had been a part of.

Leaving Orlando was bittersweet. I knew it would be awhile until I got to see Jameson again, but I also knew I would get some much needed rest to heal. I got home late Sunday night, and it took the whole next week to get better. I slept, read, slept, and read last week. I can finally say I am back to “me.” No more headache, fever, cough, etc. Thanks be to God! The week of rest was a hidden blessing. It made me slow down, evaluate a lot of things, and make sure I am in the right mindset before Miss America preparation really takes off. I am surprisingly thankful I was sick because the week spent resting was one I will wish I had in a few weeks from now. God also revealed Himself in some pretty significant ways and reminded me what it truly means to stop and take the time to hear His voice with an open mind and unguarded heart. More about this in my next post.

That’s it for now; although, I think I could write a novel with each post I write. My next post will either be about some amazing opportunities that have come my way with the Children’s Miracle Network and my platform, or about the things I learned during the week of being sick and resting. It will be a surprise…

-Love in Christ,

Leighton