All Aboard!!

Good morning from beautiful, foggy San Diego! I am so blessed to wake up in this incredible city for another day of networking, learning, and teaching! I’m not sure how today can top yesterday, but I thought Wednesday was the best day ever, too!

To pick up where I left off, I shut my computer on the train ride from L.A. to San Diego when we were about 30 minutes out of San Diego! I pulled out my suitcases and chose my clothing for the reception I was headed to as soon as I stepped off the train! The President of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), Paul Rao, invited Cathy Ross and me to his private welcoming reception on a yacht in the San Diego Bay! What an incredible honor! Paul was so thrilled to have a speech-language pathologist representing our field in the Miss America Organization and I couldn’t wait to meet the other speech therapist involved in hosting the conference!

So, I rushed to the bathroom on the train, held my clothes and makeup bag between my knees and I changed into business casual wear! It was quite the experience trying not to fall over in the bathroom while putting a finishing touch on my eyeliner! As soon as I stepped off the train, I hopped in a taxi which took me to the Marriot Marina for the reception. I didn’t have time to stop at my hotel to drop off my bags before heading in, so my dear friend Lynda and some of her acquaintances met me at the Marriot entrance and swiped my bags so that I could head to the reception unburdened! It was an amazing exchange and couldn’t have happened without careful planning, communication, and the grace of God!

Cathy and I boarded the yacht and were immediately accepted by excited speech-language pathologists and their children, all surprised and wondering why Miss Wyoming was in their midst! Paul Rao, President of ASHA introduced me as both Miss Wyoming and a speech-language pathologist attending the conference! This opened so many doors for incredible conversation about my platform of traumatic brain injury prevention as well as my journey as a speech language pathologist in a school setting. I was completely blown away by the Board and Foundation members I met, as well as previous ASHA Presidents and their spouses. These people have built a lasting foundation and legacy for the field of speech-language pathology and audiology and I am so proud to be a part of it!

I was able to talk with the people involved in planning the articles for the ASHA Leader (a publication sent out by ASHA to its members) and we are excited to move forward with an article about my journey as a Miss Wyoming and a speech therapist! My platform of traumatic brain injury is very near and dear to my heart and sharing my brother’s story of tragedy and miraculous recovery has been so amazing! To have this opportunity to spread the word about traumatic brain injury prevention and awareness!

It was amazing to spend time with Paul Rao, his wife Martina, their daughter and her two little girls. A whole family of speech-language pathologists, truly! That was very inspiring to see!

On the way back to the hotel after the reception, Cathy and I ran into another speech therapist, Lindsay Curran, who graduated the year before me! It was so exciting to see another UW alum and although we were exhausted from the evening’s festivities, we stayed up a little while longer to catch up.

After a fabulous sleep (nothing could have kept me awake), I woke up to hit the gym and get ready for the day! After showering and changing, Cathy and I headed down to the Opening Ceremony of the convention. The room for the ceremony was HUGE! There are approximately 15,000 people who attend the conference out of the 100,000 some members in our association! What an amazing gathering of speech therapists!

The theme for the 2011 ASHA Convention is Beacons of Inspiration: Innovations of Action. Paul Rao spoke to us about his term as ASHA President and gave us specific examples of people in our field that have led as inspirational examples. I had the amazing, INCREDIBLE honor to be included in this list! One of the pictures that I posted on facebook included a slide of two pictures of me with a picture of Paul Rao on the side. As he introduced me, he explained how I am a speech therapist in a school district in Wyoming while also standing as a beacon of inspiration as Miss Wyoming, sharing knowledge of TBI and how we can prevent it! I almost cried with how thankful and blessed I truly felt at that moment. I am so beyond thankful that God has opened the doors for this moment to have happened!

After Paul was finished speaking, we had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist who experienced a severe hemorrhage in the left side of her brain. She wrote a book called “A Stroke of Insight,” and she was our keynote speaker for the event! She had amazing insight as a patient going through speech therapy and it was mind-blowing to listen to her speak! She left us with a quote, “Please be response-able for the energy that you bring into this space.” I LOVE this because of her reference to how our amygdalas in our brains have to be comfortable and non-threatened in order to learn. I am more aware now than ever at how people respond to the “energy” I bring into a space! I pray that my energy is comforting, healing, and peaceful for people I meet!

After the opening ceremony, Lindsay Curran and I headed to the poster sessions in order to learn about topics specific to our needs as school-based SLPs. On our way to our first session, we ran into Dr. Doug Petersen and Dr. Melissa Allen! While we were excitedly greeting each other, Doug asked me whether I was headed to “my” poster with Dr. Mary Hardin-Jones and Dr. David Jones on the horn-blowing hierarchy of Non-Speech Oral Motor Techniques (NSOMTs). I was confused by his question because while I knew that Mary and David were presenting a poster including research data that I had collected for my undergraduate senior honors thesis project, I had no idea that I was being included in the presentation! I hustled over to the poster and saw my name, shining brightly on the top of the poster! Talk about being FLOORED! Thank the Lord Doug had told me to head that way or else I would have missed the opportunity to present at my own poster session!

Mary and David were confused as to why I hadn’t received an email from ASHA explaining that I would be presenting! I told them I had a received an emailing explaining that their research would be displayed as a poster at ASHA but I had thought they were sending me an email to share with me that they had culminated the study they had helped me start 3 years prior! They started CRACKING up because I had sent them an email after receiving the notification saying, “congratulations, I’m so excited that this is finally happening!” and none of us picked up on the fact that I didn’t realize I was included in the presentation! SO FUNNY!

So I strapped on my “presentation boots” and greeted people for an hour and a half, explaining the purpose, method, results, and implications of our study! It was absolutely incredible! I get so fired up being able to share the results of a controversial study with speech therapists, in hopes that they will take the information back and implement it accordingly! This was practice-altering material! J

After the poster session was completed, Lindsay and I headed to lunch at Dick’s Last Resort (which was quite an experience) and finished the day with an incredible session regarding Concussion Education and the Role of SLPs. I was inspired by the presenter’s message and her work that she had done in TBI prevention. I have new guidance and ideas for the spreading of information regarding concussions and TBI. Get ready, world!

After an amazing session, Lindsay and I got together with the rest of the Wyoming crew at an incredible Italian restaurant! We spend about 3 hours at dinner and walked back down the beautiful GasLamp District of San Diego!

After a fabulous night’s sleep, I am ready for another incredible day! Can’t wait to see what God brings today! I will continue to share! Thank you so much for following me in this journey. I cannot even explain what it means to me to receive your encouragement and hear your excitement for the amazing things that God is working in my life. THANK YOU! I will “see you” again soon!

Love,

Catherine

California, Here I Come!

Hello from beautiful California! I know it’s been FOREVER since I’ve updated my blog but I decided to just jump right back in! I will update you on all the recent happenings as soon as I can! This morning I boarded a plane in Gillette to head to Denver, where I jumped on a connecting flight to Los Angeles, California! Today was my first day to fly out of Gillette and it was quite an experience! It’s a beautiful little airport but the poor gal attending the check-desk wore about 50 different hats! She checked us in, accepted our baggage, made announcements, took our tickets, de-iced the plane’s wings, and then sent us on our way! The only things she didn’t do were the security checks and she left the flying up to the pilots! J She was wonderful and an inspiration in her ability to handle the entire experience without appearing flustered in the least!

Some of you probably know this about me: I am a hopeless plane (and car) sleeper. I think from years of road trips between Texas and Wyoming, I trained myself to fall asleep to the vibrations of a moving vehicle! I’m writing this from a train (L.A. to San Diego) and I’m shocked that I’m still awake and functioning! So I slept from Gillette to Denver and had an even better nap from Denver to L.A.

Once I got to L.A., the REAL adventure began! I had my first sighting of ‘smog’ and it was different than I had envisioned… It reminded me of how it looked outside this morning in Gillette when I looked out my window and the snow was obscuring my normally clear view into the north of town. The smog was shocking but it was an interesting change from the snow! My jacket was no longer necessary in the beautiful weather. Awesome!

After grabbing my bag, I met my wonderful friend from the University of Wyoming, Douglas Owens. We haven’t seen each other in YEARS and it was a fabulous reunion! Straight away, we headed to the Santa Monica pier and walked around smelling the deliciously greasy aromas and watching the performers at their best! We snapped a couple fun pictures and I absolutely reveled in the fact that I was in California for the first time EVER! To have this experience on such a beautiful day with an incredible friend was such a huge blessing! I could hardly contain the joy in my heart. J

After exploring the pier, we headed to In-N-Out Burger for a delicious lunch! I was able to get two hamburger patties on the “secret menu” that I learned about today! Did you know there are items you can order that are not posted on the menu? You have to be a “regular” to know the lingo and fortunately my tour guide had the inside scoop!

Right after filling our bellies, we headed to the ranch where Douglas works in his spare time. The ranch is located right above the neighborhood of “Hollywoodland” and right below the famous “Hollywood” sign! Did you know that the Hollywood sign was originally supposed to say “Hollywoodland” and it was intended to be an advertisement for the Hollywoodland neighborhood lying underneath it. The idea of Hollywoodland was originated in 1923 before the Great Depression and while it was never realized, the dream still lives on!

Douglas and I saddled up on our horses and took off for the Hollywood hills! My horse was so sweet and gentle and we ambled around, checking out the gorgeous scenery. Of course, I wore my helmet and was so pleased to learn that each rider at the ranch is required to wear a helmet or else they are not allowed to mount a horse! What an excellent rule in place to help prevent traumatic brain injury. Douglas and I finished the breathtaking tour and headed to the Los Angeles Union Train Station. I am on the train as I type heading to San Diego for the national American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) conference. The first event I will attend happens AS SOON AS I step off the train! I will be attending the welcoming reception held by the president of ASHA on a yacht in the San Diego bay. I am praying that the train gets there on time and everything goes according to plan!

I am so excited to be introduced at the opening ceremony to the ASHA conference tomorrow morning! My platform of traumatic brain injury prevention and awareness is near and dear to not only my heart, but to many other speech-language pathologists that work with hundreds of thousands of people living with traumatic brain injuries. I am thrilled to have the opportunity not only to talk about what we can do as speech-language pathologists to prevent traumatic brain injury, but also to learn about the most current research and happenings regarding the topic! This is going to be an AMAZING week! I will post more pictures soon! Thank you for all your prayers and believing that are helping to make this such a magnificent journey!

Much love,

Catherine

A Texas "Vacation"

Thank you for all the amazing feedback on my journey so far! I can’t even explain how thankful I am to have all of you in my life. So to pick up where I left off, I was in Dallas for a few days to spend time with my family. One of my Board members called the Miss Texas Scholarship Organization and found out that the pageant was the weekend I was going to be home. I couldn’t believe it, but I was invited to attend the finals night of the Miss Texas pageant! Mom and I got all dolled up and headed to the University of Texas at Arlington for the big show.

The whole event was incredible! I mean, talk about a SHOW! It was eye opening, inspiring, and completely invigorating to see how the contestants prepared, performed, and were totally ready and excited to be crowned the next Miss Texas. I was able to meet Miss Oklahoma and Miss New Mexico before the competition started, which just blew me away! I could tell right away that they were strong, beautiful women; women I am so proud to be associated with! This pageant gave me my first bit of insight into what my experience at Miss America could possibly be like. I’ll tell you what, I cannot wait. J

The rest of the weekend was full of fun events and appearances as we neared the 4^th of July. I visited my Grandma Kate’s retirement home (El Dorado) for an ice cream social. I also visited my Grandma Ginny’s retirement home, talked with them about fall safety, and sang hymns with them. They were so very thankful to have me there and I never wanted to leave!

Monday, 4^th of July, rolled around and I prepared to ride in our neighborhood’s home owner’s association parade. My sisters and I made a sign to put on the side of the convertible and drove to my high school, J.J. Pearce, to meet my driver! Six years later, it was amazing to be back at my high school! I saw my 5^th grade teacher, a giant surprise for both of us! The parade was wonderful. I had family and friends lining the streets and all the neighborhood members were as excited as I was to be there! One of the craziest parts of the parade experience, as I have come to realize, is having people cheer for you by name! My automatic response was to think that I knew all of the people cheering for me (since they knew my name), but I kept forgetting my name was plastered on the side of the car! Haha! Regardless of whether they know me or not, I am so thankful for their support.

After the parade and the picnic in the park that followed, my family and I headed home, showered (the Texas heat is no laughing matter), and I realized I was having some trouble swallowing because of a slight pain in my throat. I decided to take a small nap and when I woke up…YIKES! I couldn’t even manage a swallow! Dr. Mom looked in my throat and we saw that somehow, a terrifying case of strep throat had managed to infiltrate my body’s immune system. I was never sick even once in Hawaii and after weeks of high stress and hectic schedules, I suppose it finally caught up with me! I went to the doctor since I was supposed to fly home the following day and he told me that it had been years since he had seen a case of strep so severe! Along with antibiotics, I got a shot…in my BEHIND! Haha, a first for me! I praised God for the quick healing it offered me!

I healed up fairly quickly and got back to Denver within a couple days. I hopped in my car and drove north to Sheridan! It was time for me to see my Board once again! After the Miss Texas pageant, I couldn’t wait to get started on my preparations! More to come soon! Love!

...And the Journey Begins!

Hello again! To pick up where I left off, I was crowned Miss Wyoming 2011 on the evening of June 25, 2011. My mom and I were on cloud nine! Mom called a few key people and from there, all our wonderful friends and family helped to spread the news! I heard from so many amazing people, even people that I hadn’t had contact with for years! The support and excitement was overwhelming. Mom and I headed to the hotel around midnight. I told her that all I wanted was pizza or a burger… as it turned out, there was nothing open to feed us junk food at that time of night! I ended up with a protein drink-hahah! Too funny!

After I showered, Mom and I started to wind down and decided to try and sleep. I woke up early the next morning to hop in the hot tub with my wonderful friend Angela Cotherman. Mom woke up with me and before saying anything to me, she threw off the covers of her bed, walked over to my crown box (a wooden box lined in soft material to protect the crown) and opened it, taking out the crown! We started to giggle, giddy with excitement as it hit us all over again that I had been blessed with the title of Miss Wyoming 2011!

After the hot tub, I got ready for the day (Mom and I were driving back to Laramie) and headed down for my first breakfast as Miss Wyoming! The Board of Directors for the Miss Wyoming Scholarship Organization, hereafter referred to as ‘the Board’ was meeting my mom and me for breakfast in the lobby of the Holiday Inn. I finally was able to indulge with waffles, eggs, etc! After we ate, we got down to business. Being a title holder in the Miss America Organization is an incredible honor and with it comes mighty responsibility. It is an “all or nothing” endeavor and I was ready to jump in head first! The very first question one of the Board members asked me was, “Do you want to become Miss America?” Without hesitation, I quickly replied, “Absolutely! I want to be the next Miss America!” J

One of the items on the agenda that morning was filling out the necessary paperwork. One of the sections to fill out was my address. At that moment, it hit me that I didn’t have an address. I had just moved back from three months in Hawaii, all of my belongings (sans 2 suitcases and 4 boxes) were in storage, and I had been planning to head to Nebraska to confirm a job offer in Scottsbluff after the competition. As I found out that morning, the Miss America contract states that a state titleholder must live in the state she is representing. I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to take this job in Scottsbluff as one of the Board members asked me what she should type into the computer as my current address. I choked back tears and replied, “I…I don’t have one.” Instantly, my Board banded around me and assured me that everything would fall into place. Since I would be staying at my aunt’s house in Laramie quite a bit, we put down her address and moved forward.

As my mom and I headed out of town on the drive to Laramie, the whirlwind that is now my life began! We stopped in Casper to visit my grandfather at his retirement home, my first appearance as Miss Wyoming! I was able to talk with many of the residents about my platform of traumatic brain injury prevention. After the age of 65, the rate of falls for people while standing, walking, or even sitting goes through the roof. It was wonderful to talk with them about what they can do to protect themselves and prevent these falls. While visiting with my grandfather, the look of pride and joy that shone on his face gave me the most amazing feeling!

Mom and I made it to Laramie where we got a great night of sleep at my Aunt Susie’s house. The next day was a HUGE one for me! I went to visit so many of the wonderful people in Laramie who helped make my dreams come true from the first day of college in 2005 to cheering me on from the audience at the Miss Wyoming competition. I visited my hair dresser, Trina Wood, who told me she never thought she would be so excited to watch the Miss America pageant. Next, I went to the Division of Communication Disorders in the University of Wyoming College of Health Sciences. This program had nurtured my love and passion for the field of speech-language pathology and they helped to make my professional dreams come true! They helped to send Amber and me to Hawaii and they had just finished putting together my “final clock hours” sheet! One of the last pieces of paperwork needed for graduation! Check out my flickr (pictures) account to see the picture of me with a few of my supervisors and our division secretary! We are proudly displaying my final clock hours form!

After catching up with my department, I headed over to Old Main to visit my friends and coworkers in the President’s Office and other departments. It was incredible to see them again! The President’s Office and the wonderful people that work there were and continue to be an integral part of my college experience and my journey as a professional. I tell you what, it was different being in my old office with crown on my head! Walking through campus with the crown and sash was a whole new experience! Talk about being conspicuous! It was absolutely wild!

I met with my mom, my friend Angela VerPloeg, and her mother Mary Alice at a coffee shop after visiting campus. Angela and Mary Alice rooted for me in every way and their support was one of the only reasons I was ready to compete for the title of Miss Wyoming! I am so thankful for them and their continued support!

Mom and I headed to Denver the next day to leave for Dallas. I let exhaustion take over and fell asleep on the ride to the airport. We turned the car in and got checked into our flight! As we waited for the flight, we were told that our flight had been cancelled! We tried desperately to get on another flight that evening but in the end, my sweet cousin Maureen and her husband Erich picked us up at the airport and we stayed over at their house. We got up at 3:30 the next morning to head out on the first flight to Dallas. Dad was there to pick us up at the airport and boy howdy was there ever a celebration! As we arrived at my childhood home, I caught sight of a beautiful sign on the front door with balloons and bright colors saying, “Welcome home, Miss Wyoming!” What a fabulous sight. My little sister Michelle greeted me at the door and we giggled and screamed in joy and excitement. After taking my bags back, I slept for 5 hours, got up for dinner, then went back to sleep! Finally, a little rest!

It was amazing to see my family in Dallas and truly, every interaction was a celebration! I am so excited to finally get these memories down on paper. They are forever ingrained in my heart and in my memory and I’ve been so excited to share them with the world! I have more stories to come! Much love!

The Crowning Moment!

Hello from Gillette, Wyoming! I am so excited to finally be writing about this amazing experience. I am almost three months into my reign and much has happened in this wild journey! I want to share with you some of the stories from the week of the Miss Wyoming pageant.



As some of you might know, I was in Honolulu, Hawaii with my precious classmate and friend, Amber Abel finishing my last internship to receive my master's degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Wyoming. I moved to Hawaii on April 1, 2011 until June 17, 2011. I was blessed to have completed my internship at the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific with an amazing supervisor! The staff there introduced me to a whole new level of professional practice and friendship! I made so many friends and had so many incredible experiences in Honolulu that I cherish each and every day.



On my last day of work, Thursday, June 17, my supervisor came to pick me up from my house to head to work. I was waiting on the curb with all my luggage as I said goodbye to my little paradise. I worked a full day then my sweet supervisor took me to the airport! Amber and our friend Hannah brought me dinner at the airport then I took flight at 9:30 that night! I arrived in Denver around noon on Friday and my long-time friend Jake picked me up to head back to Laramie! I had a hair appointment at 2:30 and somehow had to fit in a dress fitting before the hair appointment. After 3 months on Oahu, I was praying that my dress still fit as well as it did in March! One of my greatest supporters, Angela VerPloeg had my dress unzipped and ready for me as I rolled into Laramie at 2:15! I jumped into the dress, we zipped it up (hallelujah), I threw on my street clothes and literally jogged to my hair appointment down the street at Flux Studios! Angela packed the dress in my car and drove it to my appointment, only one of the examples of her amazing support! I made it to the appointment with Trina Wood, where she spent 3 hours with me transforming my hair and prepping me for the pageant! I went to bed that night, got up at 5 a.m. and drove the 5 hours to Sheridan to start the competition week!



Upon arriving at the doorstep of the WYO Theater in Sheridan, WY, I wasn’t sure I knew what I hadn’t gotten into. I have never in my life been a part of a pageant, but supported my long-time friend Alicia Grove, Miss Wyoming 2010 in June 2010 as she was crowned. I was able to see the amazing feats she accomplished during her year of service and witnessed the maturity and change in her as a result of the Miss Wyoming experience. She sparked the fire in me to consider competing. Alicia made huge strides in the field of Women’s Heart Health and I realized that I could do the same in the area of Traumatic Brain Injury. My brother, Jeremy, is a survivor of a Traumatic Brain Injury and his story is what carried me into the competition.



So, back to the front doors of the WYO. When I arrived, there were already 3 other beautiful women waiting on the steps. I was a little jet-lagged, tired from the 5 hour drive, but man was I ever excited to finally meet the women I would get to spend the week with! We all chatted nervously until we were let into the theater that would house the next Miss Wyoming. We headed upstairs to an old rehearsal studio to learn our opening numbers for the show. We changed into workout gear and got down to business! As some of you may know, I am a huge fan of choreographed dancing vs. freestyle. I was so excited to learn our dances and was able to pick up on the fun moves choreographed by Anna Nelson, Miss Wyoming 2009.



After finishing around 5 hours of dance rehearsal and informational meetings, it was time for us to meet our host families. The Miss Wyoming Scholarship Organization sets up host homes for contestants during the week of the competition, eliminating hotel costs and helping the contestants to feel as comfortable of possible during the wild week ahead. I was able to stay with a wonderful family in a gorgeous home in the hills of Sheridan with another contestant. The family has three precious girls and a whole menagerie of pets! Before we drove our cars to our host home (the last time we would drive ourselves anywhere all week), we were informed that we were not allowed to go anywhere without a chaperone. Since I am a runner, I asked if that meant I needed a chaperone to run in the mornings before we convened for practice and events. One of the executive directors of the Miss Wyoming Scholarship Organization explained that we were not allowed to go ANYWHERE without a chaperone. Fortunately, he agreed to meet me in the morning at 6 a.m. to run in the hills around my host home.



After learning all this, I hopped in my car to head to the host home. All of the sudden, the pressures of the experience hit me like a ton of bricks. My exhaustion caused by the 4 hour time difference, crazy hours of travel, 5 hours of dancing, the change from providing therapy to rehabilitation patients in an amazing hospital to practicing how to walk in a swimsuit, and the fact that I was not allowed to be “alone” for the next 7 days came crashing down. I called my friend Angela and told her, “I am just so tired!!” She helped bring me back to reality explaining that I had prepared for this, God wouldn’t have opened the doors for me to be back in Sheridan from Honolulu if I wasn’t supposed to be there, and that I desperately needed some sleep! I squared my shoulders as I lost cell phone service on the way to my host home and started praying.



As I woke up the next morning, I realized I didn’t have any long-sleeved shirts to wear running! All I had with me were 2 suitcases and 4 flat-rate shipping boxes from Hawaii (along with 8 dresses I had left in Wyoming before my internship) and I certainly didn’t need any long-sleeved shirts in Hawaii! My host “mom” let me borrow a shirt and Matthew and I headed out for a run! The host family suggested we take their dog with us to protect us from rattle snakes, especially around the cattle guards! Ahh! Don’t worry, we didn’t see any but you better believe our eyes were peeled! We ran for about 45 minutes and we were beat once we finished! I asked Matthew if he would meet me there the next morning and he responded by raising his hand in a dismissive gesture saying, “As long as you stay clear of the rattle snakes, I think you’re safe running out here by yourself!” It was too funny!



Since I didn’t have cell phone service at my host home except for in two VERY specific locations, I had to survive the week with barely talking to my most precious support system: my family. I knew they were praying for me and rooting for me all the while!



Throughout the week, we were able to practice like crazy, meet new people, and share the goals and expectations of the Miss America Organization. One of the wonderful experiences of the week was spending time with our ‘Princesses.’ These young girls were able to work with us throughout the week, getting to know us and the organization. My princess’s name was Bailey and she was a sweet girl who soaked up every moment of the week! One of my favorite stories from the week included my little princess. For the talent portion of the Miss Wyoming competition, I sang and used sign language interpretation in the song ‘Come Away with Me’ originally performed by Norah Jones. I love sharing my passion for sign language with anyone who will listen (or look). Bailey and I, along with the other contestants and princesses, were heading over to the soup kitchen to help serve lunch. Bailey asked about my talent and I asked her if she wanted to learn a little sign language. She, being the whipper-snapper that she is, picked it up right away and was quickly signing her name. I taught her how to sign, “Hello, my name is B-A-I-L-E-Y. Nice to meet you!” We practiced it back and forth a few times before getting to the church hosting the soup kitchen. As we manned the rolls, butter, and pie section of the buffet, I looked down the line to the people streaming in and saw that there was a woman using sign language! I saw with growing excitement that she was a woman with hearing loss, and nudged Bailey, directing her attention to the woman getting closer to our end of the buffet. I whispered, “Put down your roll and get ready to show her what you learned!” As the woman reached our station, I signed to her, telling her I took American Sign Language in college and had just taught Bailey a little sign language. I asked if she wouldn’t mind “listening” to Bailey for a second. She promptly put down her tray and focused all her attention on Bailey. Bailey put her hand to her chest, starting to sign, “My name is Bailey.” As she finished finger spelling her name, the woman signed, “Nice to meet you.” Bailey’s head snapped up to look at me, as a smile grew on her face. Bailey looked astonished that she had recognized what the woman had signed to her. She looked back at the woman, and signed, “Nice to meet you!” Bailey was so excited and put so much emphasis on each word she signed. It was that moment that her eyes were opened to the importance of being able to communicate with people, no matter what barriers stand in the way.



After the princesses left and the line had died down, we contestants had the opportunity to sit down with the people who had come for lunch. I headed to sit with the woman with the hearing impairment and asked if she wouldn’t mind if I signed with her! She was patient, kind, and we were able to talk for almost an hour! She explained to me that she had not had a conversation with anyone in Sheridan for almost an entire year because she had not met anyone willing to sit down with her and talk to her since she had moved there. She had wonderful stories, a deaf dog that she loved dearly, and led as an amazing example of patience and forgiveness. It was an incredible experience that will forever leave a mark on my heart. I immediately called my sign language instructor, Lucy Carter, and thanked her for opening the door for me to learn how to communicate in such a beautiful language! It changed my life and I hope that it had a wonderful impact on the woman at the soup kitchen, too!



One of my favorite stories from the week happened on the night of the competition. All of the contestants are set up at separate mirrors in the dressing room of the WYO theater. I was stationed next to Kendra Henderson, Miss Cheyenne Capital City. She and I had a ball together, getting closer and closer throughout the week. That woman changed my life! Throughout the week, she offered tips and small changes to wardrobe, makeup, etc that truly helped to enhance my performance. All the women helped to make each woman her very best. For example, I learned how to do my hair with a curling iron thanks to Amanda Jones and her incredible patience! About an hour before the competition started, I put the finishing touches on my makeup. I was pleased with my appearance but nervous as all get-out! I turned to Kendra and asked, “So, am I ready?” Instead of the excited reaction I was hoping for, Kendra looked at me with appraising eyes. She said, “Well, you look like you could go out for a night with the girls…which means you are NOT ready to go out on stage.” My heart sank to my toes as I realized I had NO IDEA what she was talking about! She let out a big sigh and said, “Although it kind of kills me to do this, I cannot let you go out on stage like that!” Then she came at me with an eyebrow pencil and liquid blush. A few minutes later, I turned to look at myself in the mirror and a feeling of horror knotted in my stomach. At first, I thought maybe Kendra had tried to sabotage me! My eyebrows were so dark compared to my natural look and the blush seemed so bright, making me look like a clown (at least that’s what I thought). Kendra laughed and told me that it was just right, maybe even a little light for stage. Just as I was about to wash it off, one of the executive directors walked in, looked at me and said, “Your make up looks great!” Imagine how my head was spinning by this time! This was just the first of the new experiences I’ve encountered in the ‘pageant world’! Kendra was one of my saving graces that evening and we still laugh about the moment I looked in the mirror!



The final story that I’ll share with you is the pivotal moment of the crowning. After I completed my evening gown walk, I exited the stage and had to fight tears welling up in my eyes. I was so overcome with emotion because I had never felt as beautiful as I did walking across that stage. I am so thankful for all of God’s blessings in my life and in that moment, I praised God for opening the doors that allowed me to experience that moment. I knew then that no matter the outcome of the pageant, my life had been forever changed.



As we lined up on stage for the ultimate decision, I realized that the crowning of Miss Wyoming 2011 would change the path of my life. I had just finished my final internship to receive my master’s degree in speech-language pathology and was looking for a job. I had been in Wyoming for 6 years and wanted to stay in Wyoming but didn’t know where my job would take me if I wasn’t crowned Miss Wyoming. It is difficult to describe the experience as I stood on stage waiting in anticipation as the names were announced for the runners’ up to the title. I was hoping and praying that I wouldn’t hear my name. BUT as we got closer and closer to announcing the next Miss Wyoming, I realized that my name hadn’t been called and there was a chance that either I BOMBED the areas of competition or…I MIGHT BE THE NEXT MISS WYOMING! Can you even imagine that wild moment of suspense?? As the first sounds of my name were called, I felt like I was going to shake right through the stage! In my head and my heart, I instantly started praising God with my all my heart! He helped me get through the week and I was overwhelmed with love, thanksgiving, and amazement! From there, it was a blur! The Miss Wyoming Outstanding Teen, Montana, handed me my bouquet (still in the water-filled vase) and I took my first walk! You can check it out on youtube! From this moment on, I was and forever will be Miss Wyoming 2011! What an amazing blessing!



Thank you for listening to my stories. As you can tell, I have many! I am working on filling in the gaps of the months passed since June 25. Please keep checking back to stay up on my wild adventure! Love you all and thank you so much for all your prayers, believing, love, and support!