In my first blog post I mentioned an interview that I had done with The Filipino Channel. The interview was shown on TV this past Sunday and it was posted on YouTube. Here is the link:
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
And your new Miss America's Outstanding Teen is...
Hello again!
Now it's time to fill you all in about my time during the Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant. It was a whirlwind of fun, work, and cheering!
Before I left for the Rosen Center Plaza, where I was to be staying during the Teen Pageant, I had an interview with the Osceola News Gazette. They came to my home to interview me and take a few photos for their upcoming paper.
Fortunately, my family only lives thirty minutes away from the Rosen Center Plaza, so I was not too stressed about the amount I had to pack...needless to say...I over packed. Haha. Upon my arrival at the hotel, I met my roommate for the week, Diana Dreman, who is the reigning Miss Colorado. She was absolutely delightful to get to know! After settling into my room, I walked around the hotel to see if I would run into other titleholders and of course I did. As soon as I walked down to the lobby I ran into a whole bunch of them! I found our personal introductions completely entertaining..."Hi, I'm Kristina...Florida."
I also ran into a few other titleholders, state directors, and board members. Time went by rather quickly and I was off to watch the first night of the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant preliminaries. Elizabeth performed her talent that night and beautifully I must add. I was pleased to run into my Miss Florida Pageant sisters that came to watch Elizabeth. I am so thankful that they came out to support our teen queen!
The next day was a very relaxed day. I spent most of the day with Diana. We went to visit the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Trade Show and there we spoke with friends. That night, Elizabeth had her second night of preliminaries. I am so proud to share that she won preliminary evening wear that night. She wore a beautiful white gown and she answered her onstage question with a lot of personality! What an exciting night it was for us Floridians!
Thursday was a very busy day! I was up at 5:30 to get camera ready! All of the Miss America titleholders had to record a 60 second video stating why they should be the next Miss America. I would tell you about my video, but it will ruin the surprise...so you will just have to wait till the videos are released on YouTube! Hehe. After all the state titleholders finished their videos, we got dressed up for a dinner hosted by Regalia and Mary at Maggiano's. I was so excited because Maggiano's is one of my favorite restaurants and who doesn't enjoy getting all dressed up?! All of the girls looked fabulous and the food was out of this world delicious! Sincere thanks to Mary, David, and Carry. I had a blast getting to know the girls sitting at my table. After dinner we attended the final night of preliminaries where the entire Miss America Class of 2012 had the opportunity to introduce themselves onstage. It is such an honor to be representing our state!
Friday was the busiest day of the week! All the state titleholders had to be ready to go to Disney by 6:15 AM. Yes, we were all pretty tired but once we saw the the welcome sign to Disney all of our eyes were wide open! I may have been to Disney every year for the past 10 years, but I still get just as excited as if it were my first time. Our time at Disney was filled with a lot of fun but it was also filled with lot of work. I was busy all morning with interviews and pictures. During the day I bonded with Miss South Carolina, Bree Boyce. I feel as if we were separated at birth! She is probably one of the funniest and coolest people I have ever met.
That night we attended a party hosted by the Porters. LaVoyce Porter is a very special sponsor of the Miss Florida Pageant. The party was one of the most glamourous ones I had ever been to! The party was held at the BEAUTIFUL home of Mr. and Mrs. Leman Porter. The night was filled with great food, fun entertainment, and dancing! It was such a fun night for the Miss America Class of 2012!
The next day was the big day for the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant...we would be finding out who was going to be taking the coveted title home. That morning the state titleholders, and I had our first official Miss America Orientation. All the members of the Miss America Board spoke about production and what to expect in the upcoming months. Teresa Scanlan, Miss America 2011, spoke about the job of Miss America and how to best prepare for competition and the job itself. The excitement I already had for Miss America grew tenfold during the orientation!
Before the Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant began, all the Miss America titleholders had an autograph signing. What a neat experience it was to have people ask for my autograph!
It was finally time for the competition to begin! My heart was racing in anticipation for the unknown! The top 15 was announced soon after the show began. My heart was beginning to sink as 14 semifinalists had been called and Elizabeth was not one of them but my heart soon leapt for joy as she was the last name called! She re-competed in Evening Wear and looked like an absolute angel in her gown. Afterwards, she was called into the top 10 and had the opportunity to re-perform her talent. She was beaming! After talent, she re-competed in lifestyle and fitness and was then called into the top 8 where they called the runners up and winner from. The host called the 4 runners up leaving 4 girls on stage, Elizabeth included.
Your new Miss America's Outstanding Teen is...
Miss Florida's Outstanding Teen, Elizabeth Fechtel!!!
I honestly cannot remember what happened after that. All I know is there was a lot of screaming and jumping around! I am so, so, so very proud of our OUTSTANDING Teen Elizabeth who is beautiful not only on the outside, but even more so on the inside.
GO FLORIDA!!!!
Proudly Floridian (lol),
Kristina
Style and Service
After the Trendz Market, Mary, Ann Marie, my mom, and I met with Sierra Minott, Miss Florida 2008 for dinner! I was so ecstatic to see her. She had been in the Philippines during Miss Florida week (how ironic that I am Filipino) so I had not seen her since I had won. She had a lot of great advice to share with me about the job and preparation for Miss America.
After dinner with Sierra, Ann Marie, Mary, and I headed back to Miami. What a busy weekend I had!
The next day a was a BIG day! It was the Miss America lottery and I am so delighted to say that I am very happy about my placement! I am number 15 in the Mu group. My competition is as follows:
Monday (AM) - Interview
Tuesday - Onstage Question
Wednesday - Swimsuit and Evening Wear
Thursday - Talent
Ahhhhh! Can you believe it?! I am officially all set with my paperwork and placement for Miss America!
That night, my mom, sister, and I went to visit Miss Florida's Outstanding Teen, Elizabeth Fechtel, to send her off with our love and best wishes for the upcoming Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant! She and her family were so excited!
The following week, was the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant, where I had the honor of meeting the other 52 members of the Miss America Class of 2012 and watch Elizabeth give the performance of a lifetime! That is a whole other blog post! Hehe!
All my love,
Kristina
Sunday, August 14, 2011
My Top 10 Tips
Hello All!
Many of you have contacted me asking for help as you prepare for the upcoming pageant season. Although I cannot give any individual help, I wanted to share my advice.
As I prepared this past year, I thought BEYOND the Miss Florida competition and into the actual job of Miss Florida and the preparation for Miss America.
The list below showcases how I prepared and although nothing is necessarily tangible it challenges you to change your thought process. Remember, that it all begins with the power of the mind, the passion of the heart, and the will of the soul.
- The role of Miss Florida is not just a job, but it is a way of life. Starting now you should place yourself in the shoes of Miss Florida and live accordingly.
- Practice time management skills. The job of Miss Florida is a demanding one and it is imperative that you master these skills before you are crowned Miss Florida.
- Physical Fitness and nutrition should be viewed as a necessity for the REST OF YOUR LIFE and not just for competition week. The purpose of this is to ensure that Miss Florida is healthy all year long! I believe that “a better you equals a better service.” How can anyone give the best of themselves without first being the best that they can be?
- Take every opportunity you can to speak publicly. The only way to master public speaking skills is to actually practice!
- ALWAYS be gracious! So many people give their time to this organization because they believe in the benefits that it truly provides to us young women. In order for our organization to thrive, we must FIRST AND FOREMOST give our many thanks to those involved.
- Realize that there is a true power behind the crown even at the local level! As Miss Winter Park, I booked most of my appearances myself and was able to find support from so many people as I prepared for Miss Florida and also with my platform.
- Separate yourself from any negativity…especially as you prepare for any of your competitions. Know in your heart that you are who you are and “those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind, don’t matter.”
- Every encounter you make leaves a lasting impression, and as contestants in the Miss America Organization, you must always remember this. When you meet someone, this may be the only time they meet a MAO contestant, so leave them with the best impression!
- Nourish your heart with only positive thoughts about your fellow competitors. Remember that every single girl has her own journey and their own personal triumphs, as you do.
- Be yourself and most importantly EMBRACE THE JOURNEY! We can get so caught up in our preparations that we forget how fortunate we are to be a part of such an amazing organization.
All my love,
Kristina
Monday, August 8, 2011
Dreams really do come true! The beginning of an unforgettable journey
Hello Friends!
I know that many of you have been anxiously waiting to hear about my first month as Miss Florida 2011! So many exciting and fun things have happened, that I too, have been anxious to share these events with you.
First, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the lovely young women that I had the honor to compete with during Miss Florida week. You were all so wonderful and truly kind, not only to me, but to all that were involved during the week. In all of the years that I have competed, I have never seen a class more team oriented than ours and I can honestly say that we are more like sisters than friends. The feeling of hearing my name called as the new Miss Florida will NEVER compare to the feeling of love that I received from all of you girls.
After the gala, I returned to my room at 1:30 AM. I was so overcome with many different emotions that I found it extremely difficult to fall asleep! But somehow I managed to catch some shut eye and I was up at 4:45 to gather my things and head to our Executive Director, Mary's, room to get my makeup done for a Fox News 13 Tampa interview. Bill Doniel, came to pick Elizabeth (Our new Miss Florida's Outstanding Teen) and me at the hotel and brought us to the Fox News Sation. It was the first time I had ever been in a news station, so I was completely fascinated with the set, the crew, and the cameras. The interview was a blast and I was ecstatic because I had the opportunity to watch my crowning moment for the first time!
After the gala, I returned to my room at 1:30 AM. I was so overcome with many different emotions that I found it extremely difficult to fall asleep! But somehow I managed to catch some shut eye and I was up at 4:45 to gather my things and head to our Executive Director, Mary's, room to get my makeup done for a Fox News 13 Tampa interview. Bill Doniel, came to pick Elizabeth (Our new Miss Florida's Outstanding Teen) and me at the hotel and brought us to the Fox News Sation. It was the first time I had ever been in a news station, so I was completely fascinated with the set, the crew, and the cameras. The interview was a blast and I was ecstatic because I had the opportunity to watch my crowning moment for the first time!
To watch the interview click on the link below:
New Miss Florida stops by our studio
After the interview, we returned to the Hilton. Upon my arrival to the front lobby, a group of little girls gasped, pointed at me, and said "It's Miss Florida!" It was at that very moment that it hit me...I'M REALLY MISS FLORIDA!
As soon as I checked in with Mary, she informed me that I would be meeting with the Everglades Foundation in about an hour or so to talk about my role as a spokeswoman for the foundation. I met with Vivian Miller and Jessica Hodder who were just as kind as can be! Their enthusiasm and excitement for the year ahead was extremely contagious! They recorded a short video of me for their facebook page. You can click on the link below to watch it :-)
Miss Florida 2011: On working with The Everglades Foundation
After my meeting with The Everglades Foundation, the Miss Florida Board took Elizabeth and I, and our moms out for lunch. Soon afterwards, we had our official contract meeting. As soon as I was finished signing the official contract, I left for home to see my family and friends.
I was elated to find that all my family and friends were anxiously awaiting my arrival. We shared our Miss Florida week stories with each other. They all wanted to know about what was running through my head while I was up on that stage while I wanted to know what was running through theirs as they watched in the audience! I was overcome with laughter as they shared their stories of emotional reckless abandon as I was called into the top ten...then into the top 5...and finally as Miss Florida!
Mary allowed me to go on a mini vacation with my family to Singer Island in West Palm before moving into her house. So a week after Miss Florida and relaxation on the beach,
I drove on my way to Miami.
Tuesday, July 19th, I went to the Everglades Foundation to meet with Vivian, Jerry Karnas (The communications director), and Kirk Fordham (The CEO). I was completely enthralled by all of the information that they were sharing with me about the Everglades, its history, and the mission of the Foundation. I had so many questions and they made sure that I left with all of them answered. The foundation is truly remarkable and I encourage each of you to take the opportunity to learn more about our Everglades and the Foundation.
Wednesday, July 20th, Mary and I, met with Elizabeth and her mom, Dixie, for lunch. :-) It was so much fun seeing my little! We talked about the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant and about her final preparations. I am so excited for her!
Thursday, July 21st, Lissette Gonzalez, Miss Florida 1998, came to Mary's house to help me with my Miss America song selection. I was so thankful that she was not only willing but also excited to help! That same night, Mary and I went to Ann Marie's where I received many new and FABULOUS additions to my wardrobe! I am so grateful for her endless generosity. Ann Marie then took us out to dinner at a local restaurant called Capri. It was there that I got my first taste of the TRUE power behind the crown. As we were looking through the menu, the owner of the restaurant informed us that there was an event going on next door.
The following Saturday, July 23rd, I drove back to my hometown, Kissimmee, for an appearance that I had the next day. I was invited to the first annual Puerto Rican Parade in Osceola County. I was there to help the local Remax team. While there, I took pictures with the visitors and had the opportunity to speak for a few minutes on the main stage.
The following day, I had my official headshots taken with Deanna Meredith. The photoshoot was loads of fun! Elizabeth joined me towards the end of the photoshoot to snap some Team Florida pictures! Afterwards, we went to visit Regalia and grab some lunch. Mary and I then headed back to Miami.
After the interview, we returned to the Hilton. Upon my arrival to the front lobby, a group of little girls gasped, pointed at me, and said "It's Miss Florida!" It was at that very moment that it hit me...I'M REALLY MISS FLORIDA!
As soon as I checked in with Mary, she informed me that I would be meeting with the Everglades Foundation in about an hour or so to talk about my role as a spokeswoman for the foundation. I met with Vivian Miller and Jessica Hodder who were just as kind as can be! Their enthusiasm and excitement for the year ahead was extremely contagious! They recorded a short video of me for their facebook page. You can click on the link below to watch it :-)
Miss Florida 2011: On working with The Everglades Foundation
After my meeting with The Everglades Foundation, the Miss Florida Board took Elizabeth and I, and our moms out for lunch. Soon afterwards, we had our official contract meeting. As soon as I was finished signing the official contract, I left for home to see my family and friends.
I was elated to find that all my family and friends were anxiously awaiting my arrival. We shared our Miss Florida week stories with each other. They all wanted to know about what was running through my head while I was up on that stage while I wanted to know what was running through theirs as they watched in the audience! I was overcome with laughter as they shared their stories of emotional reckless abandon as I was called into the top ten...then into the top 5...and finally as Miss Florida!
Mary allowed me to go on a mini vacation with my family to Singer Island in West Palm before moving into her house. So a week after Miss Florida and relaxation on the beach,
I drove on my way to Miami.
Tuesday, July 19th, I went to the Everglades Foundation to meet with Vivian, Jerry Karnas (The communications director), and Kirk Fordham (The CEO). I was completely enthralled by all of the information that they were sharing with me about the Everglades, its history, and the mission of the Foundation. I had so many questions and they made sure that I left with all of them answered. The foundation is truly remarkable and I encourage each of you to take the opportunity to learn more about our Everglades and the Foundation.
Wednesday, July 20th, Mary and I, met with Elizabeth and her mom, Dixie, for lunch. :-) It was so much fun seeing my little! We talked about the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant and about her final preparations. I am so excited for her!
Thursday, July 21st, Lissette Gonzalez, Miss Florida 1998, came to Mary's house to help me with my Miss America song selection. I was so thankful that she was not only willing but also excited to help! That same night, Mary and I went to Ann Marie's where I received many new and FABULOUS additions to my wardrobe! I am so grateful for her endless generosity. Ann Marie then took us out to dinner at a local restaurant called Capri. It was there that I got my first taste of the TRUE power behind the crown. As we were looking through the menu, the owner of the restaurant informed us that there was an event going on next door.
The event was an AMIKids event sponsored by BP and the US Olympics. "AMIKids is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping troubled youth develop into responsible and productive citizens." Upon learning that I was Miss Florida, they asked if I would speak to the kids in reference to their theme which was "Overcoming Adversity." Before ordering our food, we headed next door where the event was being held, and I spoke to the kids about how I had overcome my own adversity. I tolf them about my dream to one day be Miss Florida and how after six years, I had finally made my dream a reality. After sharing my story I had the opportunity to sign autographs and take pictures with the kids! It was the coolest experience!
The following Saturday, July 23rd, I drove back to my hometown, Kissimmee, for an appearance that I had the next day. I was invited to the first annual Puerto Rican Parade in Osceola County. I was there to help the local Remax team. While there, I took pictures with the visitors and had the opportunity to speak for a few minutes on the main stage.
The following day, I had my official headshots taken with Deanna Meredith. The photoshoot was loads of fun! Elizabeth joined me towards the end of the photoshoot to snap some Team Florida pictures! Afterwards, we went to visit Regalia and grab some lunch. Mary and I then headed back to Miami.
The days during the following week were dedicated to Miss America Paperwork. A few of the nights Mary and I went out to dinner with David Gilbert, who is vice president of the Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant. On Thursday, the 28th, and Friday, the 29th, I was at the Everglades Foundation by 10 AM for meetings. That weekend was Mary's birthday weekend! Ann Marie treated us to dinner on Thursday and David treated us to dinner on Sunday. I am so thankful for their kindness and their generosity and of course for making
Mary's birthday special!
The following week, Mary and I finalized my Miss America paperwork and I am ecstatic to say that it has been delivered to Miss America! That's right...I am official!
On Friday, August 5th, I flew from Miami to Orlando. The following day, Saturday the 6th, I was interviewed by The Filipino Channel. The Filipino Channel is an international television station that is viewed by people in Asia Pacific, Australia, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and the United Sates. The Filipino Channel crew members, who are stationed in San Francisco, California came to my home to film an entire segment about me and my family. They interviewed my parents, brother, sister, and myself about my journey while competing in the Miss Florida Pageant. After the interview, my family and I traveled to the Osceola Heritage Center where I had the opportunity to perform for The Filipino Channel's Concert that was featuring Jericho Rosales. Jericho is one of the biggest stars in the Philippines and I was so honored to meet him and have the opportunity to perform right before him! I sang "I Surrender" and "Ikaw," which is a beautiful Filipino Love Song.
Mary's birthday special!
The following week, Mary and I finalized my Miss America paperwork and I am ecstatic to say that it has been delivered to Miss America! That's right...I am official!
On Friday, August 5th, I flew from Miami to Orlando. The following day, Saturday the 6th, I was interviewed by The Filipino Channel. The Filipino Channel is an international television station that is viewed by people in Asia Pacific, Australia, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and the United Sates. The Filipino Channel crew members, who are stationed in San Francisco, California came to my home to film an entire segment about me and my family. They interviewed my parents, brother, sister, and myself about my journey while competing in the Miss Florida Pageant. After the interview, my family and I traveled to the Osceola Heritage Center where I had the opportunity to perform for The Filipino Channel's Concert that was featuring Jericho Rosales. Jericho is one of the biggest stars in the Philippines and I was so honored to meet him and have the opportunity to perform right before him! I sang "I Surrender" and "Ikaw," which is a beautiful Filipino Love Song.
My first month as Miss Florida has been a whirlwind! I just can't believe that one month has already passed. The rest of this month is going to be super busy, especially with the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant taking place next week! I hope to see many of you there! Please watch out for more updates! You can also follow me on Twitter, my username is MissFlorida11 and if you haven't already friended me on Facebook...add me! I will do my best to keep all of you up to date with all of my adventures!
All my best,
Kristina
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