My Story

As I attend events for various charities, and start thinking about writing my bio for the pageant in June, I have come to realize that most of the people currently in my life don’t know “my story.”  Everyone knows that I give a lot of my time to charity, but they don’t know why, or that I’ve done so since I was 8 years old.  Most people don’t know that I grew up with 2 younger brothers with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, that are now deceased, or what kind of people they were.  Very few know that I had a child before Alec that only lived for 8 hours, that I have watched countless relatives die of cancer, or that I served in the Army.

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, and that the heartache helps to form who we are as people, just as much as the joy.

People ask me all the time about why I am involved in pageants because they see the headlines, and hear the stereotypes, and know that I am not that “kind of person.”  There are two main reasons that I choose to be in what could be considered by many as such a superficial industry.  The biggest one is that I get to help young ladies and women live their dreams on a regular basis.  Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that??  The other main reason is that I get to make a difference, and align myself with others that do as well.  There is so much more to the young ladies and women involved in pageantry than meets the eye.  Yes, there are those that are superficial and do it because they want to feel important.  They are not the majority though.  All of my closest friends are people that I have met through pageantry, whether they compete, direct, or are sponsors.  They are the ones that have helped me through many dark days over the last 10 years, and I wouldn’t give them up for the world.

I hope that you’ll be inspired to take the time to get to know people for who they are, and not who you think they are because of what they do.  Over the coming days and weeks, I’ll be sharing more about my story, and what makes me who I am.  I’ll also share information on various causes and what they mean to me, and how you can help them.  I hope that you’ll enjoy learning a bit more about me, and it will make you stop to think about what drives you, and what more you can do to help out in the community and those around you.  My almost 13 year old son, helps me in whatever ways that he can, at whatever events I bring him to.  He ASKS to come so that he can do his part to help as well.  There is not minimum or maximum age to doing charity.