Reading to Children at Benchmark

Up early, today I read stories to students at Benchmark Family Services in Watertown, NY. I sat down with little ones, ages 18 months to preschool, for a chance to meet and share some reading time. Benchmark is an Early Learning Center in Watertown that offers preschool, early intervention services, daycare and pediatric therapy.

Programs like this are special to me. First, I know how important they are to the families of children living with disabilities. More importantly, I know how important it is to integrate these students together. My brother never had a problem with his differences until he got separated from his "normal" peers, thus making him able to classify himself as "abnormal." He didn't like feeling different or that he was not worthy of other students' time. Also, growing up alongside a brother and sister with disabilities gave me a unique perspective, allowing me to see them as no more different than anyone else. At that at the end of the day they were still just kids. Sometimes you just had to listen harder or have patience. It's often hard to watch my peers - those who did not grow up around disabilities - try to figure out how to interact with someone who has differences. Benchmark is enabling all children to interact better, helping the community's future become stronger.

Thanks to all my new friends for sharing stories with me! A huge thank you to the staff at Benchmark for what you are bringing to the community.

My Return to Clarkson University

Today was a journey back to where it all began. Where my 16 year old self waved goodbye to my parents and hello to adulthood. I returned to my freshman stomping grounds at Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY.

Clarkson was the springboard for the life I have lead. The Clarkson School, a program that accepts students early out of high school and is neither a prep school nor starter program, accepted me during my sophomore year of high school. I submitted my grades, took the SAT's and did my interview. When they said yes I dropped out of high school and became a full fledged freshman. I didn't even have my night license.

I wanted something more. I was ready to be independent, to grow...so why not move on to college? Granted, this was no easy task. Clarkson in one of the top engineering schools in the country and thus no academic walk in the park. My work ethic exploded that year, not only because of classes but also because of the job I landed as assistant to the Head of Media Relations. Every day was a challenge, but I absolutely loved the push I was getting.

As my little brother, who is a Junior at Clarkson (he also went early out of his third year of high school,) drove me onto the campus I instantly wished I had come here before Miss America. A smile crept onto my face and didn't leave the entire time. I discovered the world here...Clarkson University is my Disneyland. I will think of it every time I sing my talent song. Clarkson's motto is Defy Convention. I strive to live by that every day.

So great to see my friends in the Media Dept, and a huge thank you to President Tony Collins for welcoming me back! Oh, and I might call you about the MBA thing...

National Anthem at Cheerleading Competition

Tonight I sang the National Anthem at the Frontier League Cheerleading Competition held at Indian River Middle School in Pittsburg, NY. Teams from schools across Northern New York showed their best work, including my new friends from Lyme and LaFargeville.

I was a cheerleader. For an hour. It's an odd story: I got asked to join the team by a friend in my college dance class. He said that my small frame would make me a good flyer. Oblivious to what that meant, I joined the team for a practice. We started with the dance portion and I started to think that maybe I could do this after all. Plus, we were the Spartans and our colors were red and gold (any Saturday Night Life fans out there?) We got to the cheer portion of practice and I was told to put my foot into someones hand. They shot me into the air and the following moments were a flurry of screams and panic. Once back on the ground I thanked them and promptly exited the gym. Two lessons learned: I have a violent fear of falling, and I am not cut out to be a cheerleader.

Tonight I got to enjoy the cheers from the safety of the viewing stands. Lyme even let me join in for some pre-show pumping up!

Tonight was particularly exciting since Lauren Wagenaar, one of our Miss Thousand Islands 2012 contestants, and Morgan Bocciolot, Miss Thousand Islands 2011, were both coaches! Their teams rocked, and congratulations to all the teams for incredible work!! Thanks for letting me take part!

Superintendent of Sackets Harbor to Talk Bullying

Sat down this afternoon with Fred Hall, Superintendent of Sackets Harbor Central School, and Jennifer Gaffney, Principal of Sackets Harbor High School, to talk about our shared passion for youth development programs. After telling him all about Project Empower and my work discussing bullying across the state, Fred shared details on the countless activities and groups his school has started to offer in order to engage students in character development.

From community anti-bullying campaigns by the Glee Club to community service raffles and events, Fred pushes students to develop their social and civic skills in addition to academics. This school even has students doing midnight video-chat tutoring with students in other countries. Learning to think of others and explore oneself at an early age helps make it second nature in adulthood. That's what we do at Project Empower, and that's what is happening at Sackets Harbor. Thank you to Fred and Jennifer for everything you bring to the lives of your students.

This week the students are celebrating some of their character achievements,

so I left behind a message to congratulate them.

Check out my video message to the students!

La Fargeville and Lyme Middle Schools

Great conversation today with LaFargeville and Lyme Middle Schools about bullying and leadership! After waiting in the wings during a quick viewing of my Miss America talent performance - which I was too excited to actually watch - I was escorted to the stage by a beautiful young woman and good friend Joelle, Miss Thousand Island's Star Princess, who, you will see below, sports the same glamorous crown case as I. Joelle showed off her public speaking skills and introduced me for what proved to be an incredibly interactive conversation.

One student asked what to do if someone blocks them into a corner in the bathroom or stands in your way and refuses to move. We talked about how when someone is using their physical power to control or hurt you, you cannot fight back. No matter how tempted you are to hit or push, doing so will only make matters worse; teachers will have trouble determining who was the instigator, and both parties will likely end up punished. When someone bullies they are trying to get a reaction, so remember to stay calm. Also, don't go anywhere alone. Not only is it safer to have a friend with you, but it's also much more fun. It is always OK to ask a teacher or adult to accompany you in the halls if it makes you more comfortable.

After my conversation I got to visit classrooms and meet with students, including one young woman who asked me questions about pursuing acting in New York City. Rachel had recently starred in the school production of Music Man and we got all sorts of caught up in our conversation about acting.

I had the pleasure of speaking with a number of girls at today's school about the opportunity to be involved with the Miss America program. Met with the usual hesitations related to lack of interest in being categorized as a 'pageant girl', I offered a simple explanation: Every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square. Having a title does not require compliance with any preexisting stereotypes. The opportunity is your own to develop and the success and style of your year is your own to shape. This goes for everything in life.

Thanks to LaFargeville and Lyme students for a great talk today, and to the staff and Joelle for making me feel so welcome! A special thank you to Julie Bocciolatt, a teacher at LeFargeville and the mother of Miss Thousand Islands 2011, for inviting me to visit. It means so much to have the support of those within our Miss New York family.

Honorary Citizenship from Watertown's Mayor Jeff Graham

This morning I stopped by to meet Watertown Mayor Jeff Graham. Mayor Graham is an avid blogger and longstanding leader of the Watertown area. I also had the honor of meeting one of our Congregational candidates, Matt Doheny. Both gentlemen and their teams gave me a warm welcome to the North Country.

Having gone to school at Clarkson University here in the snowy north of New York, I have a special fondness of this region of the state. The Miss New York Pageant was hosted in Watertown for years and the community has a strong affection for the title. In fact, my host for the week is a former Miss New York, Jessica Renzi, who met her current husband during her time as Miss New York here in Watertown. NYC is what comes to mind for most Americans who think of our state, and it has been my goal to expand people's awareness of what New York has to offer. There's no denying the beauty and culture that the North Country brings to our state.

Then I got a surprise...Mayor Graham granted me Honorary First Citizenship of Watertown! Yes, this means I am a certified Watertownian. This adds to an already long list of reasons why I'll be back up here (that is includes fishing, because if you haven't fished in Northern New York you haven't truly fished.)

Thank you to Mayor Graham, Matt, and all their staff for a wonderful morning!!

Watertown's News 7 to Talk Miss America

This morning I woke up in Watertown! I'm in town to speak at several schools but started the trip with an early morning visit to News 7. They got the scoop on Miss America and we touched quickly on some bullying advice for adults, since the issue is a hot one in the area. Thanks to Jeff and Beth for having me on the show!