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.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
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.
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!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Memorial Day!!
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.
Friday, May 21, 2010
I have just a little catching up to do!
Wow! It's been a couple very busy months since I won Miss Mohawk Valley. I can't believe that it has only been only been about two months. I feel like I have been Miss Mohawk Valley for a year now! Allow me to fill you in on the excitement that has occured in my first few months!
I was crowned Miss Mohawk Valley on March 20th and it has been non-stop ever since! My first week was full of interviews with several radio stations! I interviewed over the phone with three local stations. My first interview was with Bug Country, 99.7 and 101.1. As this was my first official radio interview of my year, I was very nervous. I was sitting in the library at my school when I received the call for my interview, so I headed outside to not disrupt the students working around me. While I think that the Miss Mohawk Valley organization is very interesting, I'm not sure how hardworking students would perceive me interupting their studying! The interview went very well! While I know that it only lasted about 5 minutes, it felt like I was speaking for a solid hour! It was a great first interview! Next came this KISS FM, 97.9 and 105.5. This interview was very different from the interview with Bug Country. While all three of my interviews were fun, this one was my favorite. We discussed a lot about my platform and the process of competing at Miss New York. It was relaxed and fun! My third interview was with Bob Cudmore from Lite 104.7 FM WVTL. This was an enjoyable interview despite that fact that it was at seven in the morning. I had set my alarm for 6:45 knowing that I had an early interview and wanted to be awake and prepared. However, I feel back asleep once I turned my alarm off! The next thing I knew my phone was ringing and itw as Bob Cudmore ready to interview me! You can access this interview at:
http://wvtlfm.com/page.php?page_id=48481
Needless to say, if I sound a little tired, it's because I literally woke up three minutes before the interview!
During my first week I also was able to attend the Maple Festival at the Vernon Verona Sherill high school. This was such a fun day! What the Maple Festival is is a celebration of the many uses of maple and the great individuals who devote their lives to the promotion of these products. I was able to see how a maple tree is tapped and enjoy several maple products including maple cotton candy. (If you ever have the opportunity to experience this, I highly recommend it!) I was also able to share this experience with my little sister in the Miss Mohawk Valley organization, Miss Mohawk Valley's Outstanding Teen, Ashley McDuffee.
I have also had several amazing opportunities to promote my platform, "Empowering Students to Succeed: The Importance of Higher Education." I feel very passionately about encouraging our youth to complete higher education, because of the great experiences that I have had through the process of receiving my degree. But more importantly, I feel that there is something missing in the process that potential college students go through while applying and attending college. What I feel is missing is guidance and understanding from mentors. I believe that there is a great opportunity in our local colleges to be a source of these mentors. Pairing new college students with those who are currently college students would be beneficial to both groups. The new group of students will learn from those who are currently in the process of receiving a degree, and the mentors will be reminded of the importance and satisfaction of achieving their goals. I would like to reach out to our students to help them feel confident and empowered in their career selection and be a support throughout the process.
Along with being a, "princess," I am also in my final year at SUNY Oneonta as a Spanish major. What a crazy couple months it has been, but I am loving every minute of it! Stay tuned to see what else I have been up to!
I was crowned Miss Mohawk Valley on March 20th and it has been non-stop ever since! My first week was full of interviews with several radio stations! I interviewed over the phone with three local stations. My first interview was with Bug Country, 99.7 and 101.1. As this was my first official radio interview of my year, I was very nervous. I was sitting in the library at my school when I received the call for my interview, so I headed outside to not disrupt the students working around me. While I think that the Miss Mohawk Valley organization is very interesting, I'm not sure how hardworking students would perceive me interupting their studying! The interview went very well! While I know that it only lasted about 5 minutes, it felt like I was speaking for a solid hour! It was a great first interview! Next came this KISS FM, 97.9 and 105.5. This interview was very different from the interview with Bug Country. While all three of my interviews were fun, this one was my favorite. We discussed a lot about my platform and the process of competing at Miss New York. It was relaxed and fun! My third interview was with Bob Cudmore from Lite 104.7 FM WVTL. This was an enjoyable interview despite that fact that it was at seven in the morning. I had set my alarm for 6:45 knowing that I had an early interview and wanted to be awake and prepared. However, I feel back asleep once I turned my alarm off! The next thing I knew my phone was ringing and itw as Bob Cudmore ready to interview me! You can access this interview at:
http://wvtlfm.com/page.php?page_id=48481
Needless to say, if I sound a little tired, it's because I literally woke up three minutes before the interview!
During my first week I also was able to attend the Maple Festival at the Vernon Verona Sherill high school. This was such a fun day! What the Maple Festival is is a celebration of the many uses of maple and the great individuals who devote their lives to the promotion of these products. I was able to see how a maple tree is tapped and enjoy several maple products including maple cotton candy. (If you ever have the opportunity to experience this, I highly recommend it!) I was also able to share this experience with my little sister in the Miss Mohawk Valley organization, Miss Mohawk Valley's Outstanding Teen, Ashley McDuffee.
I have also had several amazing opportunities to promote my platform, "Empowering Students to Succeed: The Importance of Higher Education." I feel very passionately about encouraging our youth to complete higher education, because of the great experiences that I have had through the process of receiving my degree. But more importantly, I feel that there is something missing in the process that potential college students go through while applying and attending college. What I feel is missing is guidance and understanding from mentors. I believe that there is a great opportunity in our local colleges to be a source of these mentors. Pairing new college students with those who are currently college students would be beneficial to both groups. The new group of students will learn from those who are currently in the process of receiving a degree, and the mentors will be reminded of the importance and satisfaction of achieving their goals. I would like to reach out to our students to help them feel confident and empowered in their career selection and be a support throughout the process.
Along with being a, "princess," I am also in my final year at SUNY Oneonta as a Spanish major. What a crazy couple months it has been, but I am loving every minute of it! Stay tuned to see what else I have been up to!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Allow me to introduce myself....
Hi Everyone!
I'm Kieren Sheridan, and I'm Miss Mohawk Valley 2010. I'm thrilled to be representing Fulton, Montgomery, Herkimer and Oneida counties at Miss NY this year, and plan to use the title of Miss Mohawk Valley to address existing problems with our higher education admittance system. My platform revolves around identifying and rectifying the barriers that keep our local high school students from applying, attending and finishing college. This problem is especially prevalent among first generation college students, and I hope to help make the dream of higher education a reality for local students.
Check back frequently to see what I'm up to! In a few days, I hope to have filled you in on what I've already done in my first few weeks as Miss Mohawk Valley!
-Kieren
I'm Kieren Sheridan, and I'm Miss Mohawk Valley 2010. I'm thrilled to be representing Fulton, Montgomery, Herkimer and Oneida counties at Miss NY this year, and plan to use the title of Miss Mohawk Valley to address existing problems with our higher education admittance system. My platform revolves around identifying and rectifying the barriers that keep our local high school students from applying, attending and finishing college. This problem is especially prevalent among first generation college students, and I hope to help make the dream of higher education a reality for local students.
Check back frequently to see what I'm up to! In a few days, I hope to have filled you in on what I've already done in my first few weeks as Miss Mohawk Valley!
-Kieren
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