Life after Miss Missouri

For those who usually keep track of my travels through my blog, sorry I haven’t posted in awhile. After the pageant, it takes a while for me to unwind, and grab hold of the load of work that the real world throws at me. Let me give a brief overview of Miss Missouri 2010. This year’s pageant was hands down my favorite and most memorable. I made so many new and wonderful friends. With such a stressful week, it can definitely be overwhelming. Along with about a dozen girls, that week was a little less stressful and was a whole lot more fun. Bible study became an active part of pageant week in which we were able to share stories and our love for God. It was so amazing to be able to connect with so many girls.

Competition and production was fabulous as it always is every year. Congratulations to my sister queen Erika Hebron for her big win! I hope everyone plans on joining her in Vegas to her journey to become Miss America! The week was full of very deserving awards to many of my lovely friends. For myself, I was so blessed to win evening gown preliminary award, swimsuit preliminary award, The Osseck Community Service Award, The Leadership Award, and to be a top ten finalist. Thank you to everyone who has supported me for the last five years. It has been such a wonderful journey.

At this point in my life, my summer is full of spending time with my family and working. School will be starting in a little less than a month and I’m anxious to get started in Ozarks News Journal again, my school’s news cast. I’ll try hard to keep everyone updated on my journalism adventures throughout my job as ONJ reporter.

Until next time, remember to give God praise always.

Katy

Little Sister Program

On Sunday I spent a wonderful day in Columbia, MO with my little sister Ariana. I had such a great time watching her at her dance recital as she jazz danced to “Romeo”.  It was so great seeing her, she’s grown up to be such an amazing, mature, beautiful young girl. It was also equally great seeing my former Miss Missouri hostess, Carolyn Dragoo and her husband David. They’ve been such wonderful support for me over the years. After the dance recital, we all, including Ariana’a Mom, Dad, and Grandma Bev, and Grandpa Ricky, went to lunch. We chowed down on Mexican food while catching up with each other and talking about the Miss Missouri Pageant (which is less than three weeks away!).

The Miss Missouri Little Sister Program is such a fantastic program, aimed at mentoring young girls across the state. I encourage anyone who has a daughter, or granddaughter ages 5-12, to enter her in this program. Please visit the     Miss Missouri  website for more information about the Little Sister Program or contact me with questions.

In the meanwhile, I am working hard at preparing for Miss Missouri with appearances, working out, and mock interviews. I feel more prepared than ever before and I pray I make everyone proud. I have been keeping up with other contestants preparations and I know that there are so many wonderful girls who would make a great Miss Missouri 2010 so it’s going to be an exciting year. I’m anxious to see my pageant girls in a few weeks and to get things started. Check back soon!

Love always, Katy

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So close, yet so far away.

Hey Everyone,

The pageant is only a month away! Can you believe it? It will be here before I turn around twice but I know I still have so much to do. My schedule is very full of appearances from now until then so the pace isn’t slowing down.

On Friday I went to Raymondville Elementary School and spoke with their 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grade classes. It was a great chance to share with these children about the importance of goal setting. I spoke about the four points of the crown, all aspects tying in perfectly with goal setting, and building successful futures. The classes were so enthusiastic and eager to learn more about ways to become involved in their communities & volunteer, how to make their way to college to reach their dream jobs, and how to become more confident about the person they are. After my presentation I opened the floor to question & answer time, a very humorous ending to a perfect day. I absolutely love how creative and imaginative kids can be.

I did learn something very disappointing while at the school. The Girl Scout local chapter recently shut down because of lack of volunteers. I had so many young girls very eager to become involved but felt limited in their options because of this. It is my goal to recruit volunteers in this area to restart Girl Scouts. Volunteerism is such an important aspect of our youth’s futures. We need active adults who are willing and who desire to influence their futures through giving their time. I will keep you updated on my work to getting a new troop established in the coming months.

Remember, less than a month away until Miss Missouri and if you’re interested in attending please contact me or visit the Miss Missouri website for further information. Thanks for checking in and I’ll write soon.

Miss Gateway to the West 2010,

Katy

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The countdown begins!

A few events have happened since the last time I posted, here’s the update:

On Saturday April 24 I attended the Personal Interview Preparation hosted by the Miss Gateway board. Interview is a very crucial part of the pageant competition and this was a wonderful way for me to enhance my preparation. Since Miss Missouri’s job will be a representative of the state, the organization, CMN, and her personal platform issue, it is imperative that she is well spoken. I feel confident that my board has done a wonderful job in helping me prepare to the best of my ability.

Today I spent the morning and afternoon in Dixon, MO judging the Tiny, Little and Pre-Teen Miss Pulaksi and Miss Mid-MO pageant. I had a great time being entertained by all of the beautiful young girls competing. It was such a difficult job, but congratulations to all of the queens and sweethearts. You all did a wonderful job! Today was also fantastic because it gave me the opportunity to see some of my dear pageant friends, Malorie Howe, Tippe Emmott, Chelsey Jones, Kari Gai, Me’Lisa Enyard, Abby Grimmett and Melanie Schneider. It’s always great to catch up with these beautiful young women.

Just a reminder to all: To pass The Healthy Media for Youth Act the Girl Scouts and I are asking for your support! I recently was contacted by Representative Roy Blunt who has agreed to speak with me about the importance of the bill, and as it develops in Congress I will keep you updated. If you want like to take action and gain support for this very important bill, please visit The Girl Scout Advocacy Network today to send a support letter urging your Representatives to cosponsor the bill.

By the way, the countdown begins…I leave for Miss Missouri in 35 days (which is also my 22nd birthday!) Keep updated for upcoming events!

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Staying busy!

On Saturday April 17 I spent the day at two very wonderful children charity events. I was invited by The System Paul Mitchell to be a special guest at their Pretty Princess Party. Girls from all over came to have their hair, and nails done, have their face painted as well as enjoy treats. It was such a great idea and the girls all loved it. I was able to speak with so many young girls including a Girl Scout troop. The day was wonderful for girls to feel pretty and confident. On top of the girls’ self esteem improving, all of the money raised went to Children’s Miracle Network! The System Paul Mitchell is an active business in fundraising for CMN and I felt honored to have been invited. The day was a success with an estimated $500o being raise with matching gifts from both the local owner and the corporation.

That afternoon I joined The Boys and Girls Town in volunteering at Rock N’ Ribs which is Springfield’s Children’s Charity Event. The program raises money for many children’s organization throughout the Ozarks. I worked the merchandise booth with my fellow volunteers. It was nice being behind the scenes watching how much money was being raised. During the 4 1/2 hours I was there, we cleared out of almost all the souvenir merchandise which was great! Thanks to everyone who came out and contribute to such a wonderful cause.

I hope you are all having a wonderful week and I will post again soon!

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The Healthy Media for Youth Act

I am very excited to announce that on March 25, 2010 a bill supported by Girl Scouts of the USA was introduced to Congress. Bill HR 4925, also known as The Healthy Media for Youth Act was introduced by U.S. Representatives Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). The bipartisan legislation establishes a national task for that would develop guidelines to promote positive images of girls and women in the media.

According to the national Girl Scout of the USA Blog:

” The bill would support media literacy programs, promote research on the effect of media images on young people, and encourage the adoption of voluntary guidelines to promote healthier media images for youth. The Healthy Media for Youth Act is part of a Girl Scout effort at the federal, state, and local level known as Live Healthy, Lead Healthy, which seeks to engage policymakers and community leaders around key health and well-being issues affecting girls. On the importance of healthier media images, Representative Baldwin states:

“Children are consuming more media than ever… Unfortunately too many of the images they see often reinforce gender stereotypes, emphasize unrealistic body images or show women in passive roles. All young people would benefit from seeing healthier and more positive messages about girls and women. The Healthy Media for Youth Act is a critical step towards achieving this goal.”

Moore Capito goes further in saying:

“The need for healthy, positive images of girls in the media is clear… We applaud the Girl Scouts’ response to this need. The Healthy Media for Youth Act, which builds upon with their tireless efforts to build girls’ self-esteem, will improve youth media literacy and create new opportunities for the media to positively impact the health, relationships and future of our young people.”

With the bill now formally introduced in Congress, Girl Scout staff and volunteer leaders from councils across the country will meet with their local members of Congress in coming weeks to build support for the legislation. The effort, known as Girl Scout District Congressional Advocacy Days, is part of an organization-wide effort to be the leading voice for girls and promote healthy media images for girls.”

If you want to take action and help us gain support for this piece of legislation, please visit The Girl Scout Advocacy Network today to send a support letter urging your Representatives to cosponsor the bill. As you know, Girl Scouts of the USA is my personal platform issue and I work closely with this organization to promote self esteem and goal setting. I am very pleased with this bill and hope to gain your support. I will keep you updated on the status of the bill as it reaches the House of Representatives.

A Day with Miss Missouri.

This morning I began my day bright and early with a trip to Reed’s Academy Middle School where I met Tara Osseck, current Miss Missouri. I received a phone call from the Girl Scout Council of the Heartland about needing volunteers for their Go Green activity afternoon so I jumped at the chance. I knew Tara would be traveling to Springfield so I volunteered the both of us.  Tara and I spoke with the girls about the important of recycling and living an eco-friendly lifestyle. We had fun with a recycling activity relay race which taught the girls which types of materials can be recycled and which category each belong to. I also had the opportunity to pitch the Miss Missouri Outstanding Teen Program to the girls and several seemed very excited. It was a hot day but we had a great time.

After pictures with the girls,  Tara and I had to rush from the Girl Scout event to Missouri State campus to go film an interview with Ozarks News Journal where I was interviewing her about her job as Miss Missouri. We spoke about her platform issue of Raising Awareness of Eating Disorders as well as the national platform of Children’s Miracle Network. The interview went great and everyone was very impressed with Tara’s presentation and the work she does as Miss Missouri. She definitely represented the organization with such grace and professionalism.

After our interview we drove to Cox’s Hospital to visit CMN patients. Fortunately, when we arrived, we were told that many were discharged from care, which made both Tara and I very happy. It’s good to hear that the children received the care they needed and are on their way home to live their lives. We were able to visit one patient, Peyton, a 6 month old baby whose smiles and happy attitude made my day. Peyton was leaving the hospital after head/brain surgery and was on a speedy track to recovery. We had a short but very rewarding visit, and was welcomed with open arms by the staff. It’s so wonderful to see and experience all the hard work we do as CMN ambassadors really pay off. I will post pictures soon.

Keep updated because this weekend I have several other very exciting volunteer opportunities. I was asked to be a special guest on Saturday morning at the Pretty Princess Party which is a CMN fundraiser hosted by the Paul Mitchell System Academy. Young girls from around the area will be there dressed in their princess attire to get their hair and nails done while we raise money for CMN. The Saturday afternoon I head to the Rock N’ Ribs Children’s Charity Event working the merchandise and food/beverage sales booths from 3-10pm. If you’re in the Springfield area, come on out! It will be a great time with food, music and lots more. Advance tickets can be bought at Great Southern Bank, Bass Pro, and Kum & Go’s for $7 or at the door for $10. Hope to see you there!

I will write soon!

Always Your Miss Gateway to the West 2010, Katy

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Children’s Fundraisers

The weekend of April 15-17th will be a busy weekend and I hope anyone who can help, will help! On April 15 we will kick off our Children’s Miracle Network Benefit Yard Sale. This event will take place in Houston, Missouri near the golf course. Those who want to donate items, volunteer or contribute, please call or email me for more information. As Miss Gateway to the West I have set  a goal to raise money for CMN by June. As of now I have raised $400. During the yard sale, my goal is to raise $1000. Please help me by stopping by. Remember- “Another man’s trash, is another man’s treasure.”

WHEN: April 15-April 16 6:00am-5:00pm

WHERE: 17409 Oakwood Rd. Houston, MO 65483

WHY: To raise money for Children’s Miracle Network local hospitals.

Another event taking place that weekend is the Rock N’ Ribs BBQ Festival Children’s Charity Event. This event is hosted by Springfield Rotary Club to benefit Boys and Girls Town of Missouri, Big Brothers-Big Sisters, Ozarks Trails Council-Boy Scouts of America, Ronald McDonald Charities-Care Mobile, and Good Samaritan Boys Ranch. The event is a two day event Friday April 16, and Saturday April 17. Admission is $10 and all proceeds benefit Children of the Ozarks. Stop by and visit me at the Merchandise Booth on Saturday from 3:00pm-7:00pm and at the Food and Beverage ticket booth 7:30-10:30pm. For more information please visit www.rocknribs.com.

Hope to see you there!

Friends, Paperwork and a Lottery…

It was an early morning for me and twenty-three other beautiful Missouri girls! I checked in to Miss Missouri Orientation in Mexico, MO at 8:30am ready for a day full of meeting new people, seeing old friends, and getting prepped for June’s pageant. My first task was to make sure all of my paperwork, pictures, and salute advertisement pages were in order, and yes they were! I have sold a total of five salute pages this year, the most I’ve ever sold. I intend to continue to sell, sell, sell with a goal of 8 pages!

The day continued with lots of information including what to expect the week of Miss Missouri; rehearsals, production music and wardrobe, roommates, the Little Sister Program and much more. I’m so excited to announce my new Miss Missouri roommate as Claire Thorpe-Klinsky, Miss Metro St. Louis. I know we’re going to have a great week and become great friends. I was also informed that my little sister will be Ariana, my little sister from the last three years. It has been fantastic getting to know this very beatiful and intelligent girl over the last several years. She has grown so much, and I love being her Big Sis.

The Lottery is a very exciting aspect of orientation. This is where contestants choose their competition number for competition. I am pleased to say I am competing in the SIGMA group, contestant number 9. My sister queen sister, Erika Hebron will follow me in the SIGMA group as contestant number 10. This makes it easy for those who come to support the Gateway girl! Back to back cheering

I am very excited for June. It is approaching so very quickly and I can’t wait to spend a great week with some of my favorite girls! If you’re interested in going to Mexico, MO during the second week of June please let contact me for further information.

On another note, on Thursday morning I met with Boys and Girls Town in regards to working as a volunteer. Boys and Girls Town program coordinator asked me to speak at the Changing Prisms luncheon to speak about overcoming past challenges, and taking charge of your future. Many of these girls have faced challenges in their lives that are unfathomable and my goal is to make an impact on their journey to overcoming these obstacles. I was also asked to help coordinate various programs including a self image and body health awareness event that is possible through a state grant. I am very excited for my year with this new partnership and will keep everyone updated on my future events. Thanks for checking in!

Your Miss Gateway to the West, Katy Reed

Gateway Girl Weekend!

Hey Everyone! I had a busy, very fun and productive weekend in the STL area. I arrived in St. Louis early Friday morning at Cardinal Glennon Medical Center along with Miss Gateway St. Louis Erika and Miss Gateway St. Louis OT Shelby. We spent the morning doing arts and crafts with several patients. We had a fun and messy time making tambourines and bunny ears as Mrs. Steingraber played her guitar for the children. My heart hurt seeing these children suffer through their illnesses and afflictions. I immediately connected to one little girl in particular, Haley. Her mother explained to me how she’s often mistaken for a boy because of her short hair and because she can’t wear her favorite girly clothes because of treatment. Haley and I worked together decorating her tambourine with glitter and Hello Kitty stickers. I could tell how much Haley emotionally and physically hurt. As a five year old girl, she should never have to feel this way. By the end of my visit Haley and I were taking pictures together, she was talking and smiling. I truly felt that my time there was time well spent. She seemed like a different little girl. We had such a good time and she left such an impression on me. I feel more blessed for getting to know Haley. For anyone who has had a chance to work with Children’s Miracle Network, they know and understand the significant importance of the Miss America partnership. I am so blessed to be apart of two wonderful organizations.

After our visit at the Children’s Hospital we met with Miss Gateway to the West OT Kensie and spent the afternoon visiting sponsors. Thank you to Service Metal Products, The Hampton Inn, and Steak N’ Shake for your continued support. We ended our day with dress shopping and then met at The Stottlemyer’s beautiful home for a round table discussion in preparation for the Miss Missouri pageant. We had a great discussion with many differing opinions which helped me greatly.

The next day we met early for Gateway Sister Queen photo session! I had such a fun time with my sister queens. I’m sure I’ll be posting pictures soon. The rest of the day was spent doing mock interviews, talent practice, wardrobe discussion, and just getting to spend time with our wonderful board and director, Gary. Thanks so much to everyone who participated and helped out.

Orientation is quickly approaching and will be here in a week. I will update everyone on things to come. Thanks for checking in.

Your Miss Gateway to the West,

Katy Reed

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