CMN Telethon

Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in the annual Children's Miracle Network telethon.  It was such a great experience to be able to support such a great organization!  Although the telethon itself was a fun experience, the trip to the telethon wasn't! 

My little sister Courtney, Miss Empire Rose, and I were in and out of a terrible thunderstorm on the way to Albany.  At one point we were travelling 40 miles per hour on the Thruway.  It was miserable!  I feel very fortunate that we made it to the telethon safely.

Once at the telethon, we were greated by some pretty amazing pageant girls!  Katie Birchenough, Kim  Cantoni, Heather Shaffer, Courtney Sheridan and I all participated in the telethon.  After we signed in we were given some pretty cool Children's Hospital t-shirts and participated in some phone-training.  Now, I have never been a part of anything like this, and to be quite honest I was very nervous about answering the phones.  We completed our training and were brought to the studio.  We had to wait outside though until they were not live and could switch the volunteers out.  During this five to ten minute wait however, we were entertained by a lovely mascot who was there to support the Children's Hospital.  He enjoyed pointing at our sashes and crowns, practicing his "pageant wave" and comparing his tail to my hair.  The mascot was a lot of fun! 

I have never been inside a television studio and the experience was so great!  I loved being under all the lights and watching the hosts interact with the camera and the volunteers.  We all finally settled into our seats and waited for the calls to roll in.  However, my phone never rang.  It turns out my phone wasn't working!  It was just my luck that I get the only phone that happens to stop working as I sit down to use it!  Even though my phone didn't work, I still had a great time.  During the telethon there were stories told of children who had benefited from the services that the Children's Miracle Network offers.  As if the stories weren't touching enough, the children themselves were in the studio answering phones and supporting the organization.  It was so amazing to be able to see the children who benefit from the fundraising.  I feel very fortunate to have been able to participate in this experience. 

Graduation!!! (Graduación!!!)

I can't believe four years flew by so quickly!  On May 22nd I graduated with my Bachelors of Science in Spanish!!  It was such a great feeling to finally complete my degree.  Let me give you a brief run-down of my pre and post graduation experience!

The week before graduation I woke up with a terrible headache.  Now let me tell you, I have never had a worse headache in my life!  I felt like I was punched in the face, to say it frankly.  After about 30 minutes of agony I took a couple ibuprofen and my headache slowly disappeared.  I didn't think much of it and the next few days passed with relatively no problems.  Two days later I started feeling sick and continued feeling worse and worse for the rest of the week.  By the day before graduation I had no voice and was in bed for hours on end.  Now I am usually the type to work through my pain and just ignore my illness, but with this cold it wouldn't happen.  I finally started taking cough medicine and after some wishing and praying I woke up the Saturday of graduation feeling much better!  Incase you are wondering, I am still recovering from this monster-cold.

At SUNY Oneonta there are two graduation services.  I was fortunate enough to graduate at the 10a.m. service, which was much cooler than the 12p.m. service.  With the supportive, watchful eyes of my family I moved my tassel to the left, shook many hands, smiled for pictures and completed the graduation process.

My platform is the Empowering Our Students to Succeed:  The Importance of Higher Education.  As a recent graduate I have not yet fully experienced the value of my degree.  However I know that the experience of higher education has given me the tools to achieve and compete in our society.  Many people focus on the monetary value of higher education.  I can say from experience that I have gained so much more from the completion of higher education.  I have earned a greater understanding of myself and my role in my community.  I understand the value of education and that it is a privilege to be able to receive it.  I would like to thank my friends, family, and professors for their encouragement and support throughout this process.  I have had a wonderful four years!

Memorial Day!!

Memorial Day was such a wonderful day!  I spent my day honoring those who have served our country.  It was a great honor for me to be able to be involved in not just one but two Memorial Day celebrations.  I was asked to participate in the Fonda/Fultonville Parade and the parade in the Town of Glen.  It's always great to be able to show my support for the community.

 I was spent the day with Ashley McDuffee, Miss Mohawk Valley's Outstanding Teen, which is always a pleasure.  We just had a great time chatting and throwing candy!  (Not to mention eating a few pieces!)

  I also had the pleasure of speaking to several members of the community.

  It was a fantastic day!