11/4/06: Miss Blue Ridge Mountains 2007 pageant Photos from the night I was crowned courtesy of Julius Tolentino.

11/10-12/11: Over the course of about a month, I conducted several self-esteem and stereotype breaking workshops with an inner city girls group called Gwen's Girls. Part of our workshops included planning their own community service project. I helped the girls orchestrate a bake sale to raise money to buy toys for a children's hospital. I then took the toys we bought to the UVA Children's Hospital ward. Photos

12/2: Before the Miss Blue Ridge Mountains pageant, all of the contestants put on a show at the Summitt Square Retirement Center. After being crowned that night, going back to visit the residents at Summitt Square was high on my list of things to do. I was invited to sing a concert at the Waynesboro retirement home. I opened with a Dixieland medley and nearly everyone in the audience stood in respect for the south. I was so moved! I was also invited to ride in the Waynesboro Christmas Parade with the lovely Tiny Miss Virgina. Retirement Community Photos Parade Photos

12/10: I was invited to be the guest speaker at a youth hockey banquet. Since I've played hockey for years, this was definitely my cup of tea! It was wonderful to see so many young female hockey players! My mic broke so I had to yell my speech to 300+ people but, hey, it's all about adapting! Photos

12/11: I was able to take the toys from the Gwen's Girls fundraiser to the UVA Children's Hospital Ward. I received the grand tour of the facilities and handed out gifts to the patients. It was a heartwarming experience. View "Thank You" Letter

12/12: After a business lunch at Ruby Tuesdays, I was able to form an official partnership with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. I also took time to visit 10 of my 50+ fabulous sponsors! The following gallery includes photos from the BRAFB meeting as well as promotional photos and pictures from Pos-Pow recruiting events. Photos

1/6: As a visiting titleholder at the Miss Arlington pageant, I was able to just relax and enjoy the fantastic show. Congratulations to Leigh-Taylor Smith, the new Miss Arlington! Photos

1/8: It was a treat to visit Gar-Field High School in Woodbridge Virginia to conduct Pos-Pow self esteem workshops with high school seniors and D.R.E.A.M.S (Dedicated, Responsible, Energetic, and Motivated Students). Photos

1/11: My first session at Curves, my official fitness sponsor!

1/13: I had a wonderful time visiting and supporting the contestants at the Miss Apple Blossom Pageant. Congratulations to Lauren Collier, the new Miss Apple Blossom! Photos

1/14: Performing at the Miss Virginia Dogwood pageant was an honor. Congratulations to Sonya Milstead, the new Miss Virginia Dogwood! Photos

1/30: Talking with Gar-Field HS seniors about transitioning from high school to college life. Photos

1/31:Talking with Gar-Field HS seniors about transitioning from high school to college life. Photos

February 2007

2/1: DREAMS (Dedicated, Responsible, Energetic, and Motivated Students) invited me to lead them in a workshop on self esteem and stereotyping. I definitely made a lot of new friends and I know I'll be seeing many of the young ladies on a Miss Virginia local pageant stage! Photos

2/3: Congratulations to Jordan Forbes, the new Miss Capitol Region. All of the contestans did a fabulous job. What a fantastic show! Photos

2/5: It was a pleasure to be a part of the volunteer efforts at a soup kitchen in Charlottesville thanks to my partnership with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank (BRAFB). Photos

2/6: As a volunteer for the Reach Out and Read program at Blue Ridge Pediatrics, I was able to keep patients and their families entertained while they waited to see a doctor. Photos

2/8: In the morning, I was invited to help serve at another soup kitchen, this time in Staunton. I arrived a little early so Mark Hackley, my travel partner from BRAFB, and I paid a special visit to warm up a local construction crew. Photos, View "News Leader" artical, View Shenandoah.com Coverage, View "News Leader" web picture

Later on, as a part of my partnership with BRAFB, I was able to work with children at various Kids Cafe nutrition programs in Lynchburg, Miller Park and Fairview Heights. Photos

2/10: "Bowl For Kids Sake". I joined Miss Hill City, Allison Saul, and Miss Hampton Holly Days, Emily Shwab, as part of the "Queens" bowling team to raise money for the "Big Brothers, Big Sisters of South Hampton Roads" Photos

2/25: It was a packed house at the Miss Virginia Beach pageant. It's wonderful to see such community support! Congratulations to Courtney Rodgers, the new Miss Virginia Beach!. Photos

2/27: This day was spent conducting three interactive discussions on "Recognizing and Combating Stereotyping" with high school seniors. After the presentations I took "crowning" pictures with many of the students and I know they are looking forward to seeing all of their pictures online, so here they are! Photos

2/28: Day two of conducting Pos-Pow "Recognizing and Combating Stereotypes" workshops with high school seniors. Photos

March 2007

3/3: "Go RED For Women" Heart Disease Awareness Fundraiser with my sponsors at Curves gym. Another excuse for me to wear my favorite red dress for a cause! Photos

3/14: My director, David Desper, and I raised over $400 as part of the Muscular Dystrophy Association "Lock Up for Good" fund raiser. The money we raised will go to sending children to MDA Summer Camp, research, and other patient needs. Photos

3/20: Rehearsing with the participants in the Landstown Middle School fashion show. I will be emceeing the show in April to raise money for the "Operation Smile" charity.

3/24: Miss Virginia Contestant Workshop in Staunton Photos Courtesy of Julius Tolentino

3/31: The Miss Philadelphia pageant was incredibly impressive! I am so proud of my good friend, Mary Kaye Jacono, who has been an ASTONISHING Miss Philly 2006. Congratulations to another friend of mine, Kimberly Rogers, the new Miss Philadelphia!

April 2007

4/2-4/5: The last week of rehearsals for the Landstown MS fashion show were hectic but fun! I definitely learned some modeling tips from the wonderful students in the show. Miss Appomattox, Tamika Mills, also came to help me out and tell the kids about Operation Smile-- since it's her platform! Pictures

4/5: Emceeing the Landstown Middle School fashion show to raise money for the "Operation Smile" charity was such a fantastic experience. Thank you to all of the local titleholders who came to support me and the show. We raised over $1,000 for the cause! Pictures

4/7: It was a pleasure to join other local titleholders at the US Cyclists Championship in Richmond. We were VIPs for the day and even got to help with the nationally televised award ceremony. Pictures

4/14: After donating some of my old high school homecoming and prom gowns to the "Cinderella Project", I was able to volunteer at the Salvation Army in Staunton with Mrs. United States, Rhonda Howdyshell to help young ladies choose attire to wear to their school dances... and hopefully to an upcoming Miss Virginia local pageant as contestants too! The Cinderella Project provides free prom attire and accessories to needy highschoolers. One young lady came in hoping for her "dream dress" - a light blue ball gown and we just happened to have one that was perfect for her. She truly looked like a Cinderella! Thanks to Rhonda for all of the hard work she put into organizing this event! Pictures

Later in the day: It was definitely a different experience sitting on the other side of the table as a judge for the Young Miss Queen of Hearts pageant in Covington. The pageant raised over $3,000 for the American Heart Association. Congratulations to Paige Bazzrea, the new Young Miss Queen of Hearts on a well deserved win! It was a tough decision as all of the girls were wonderful! Pictures

4/25: Last fall's trip to the United Nations inspired the Pos-Pow Penn State chapter to sponsor the launch of the PSU Redlight Children campaign against child sexploitation. Pos-Pow PSU President, Nikki Solivan worked hard to coordinate this very successful event. I was able to help her with radio interviews and public service announcements during the week to promote the launch. Guy Jacobson, president of Priority Films even turned down Al Gore and an invitation to the Tribeca Film Festival to be there. We were honored! Pictures

5/5: Since my dad is such a huge Potomac Nationals baseball fan, I was invited to throw the first pitch and sing "God Bless America" to honor my dad before he leaves to serve our country in Iraq. It was a rainy day, but that didn't keep the die-hard fans away! The game was even topped off by a fireworks display! Pictures

5/10: Miss Virginia scholarship fundriaser at Al Fresco's in Newport News. Pictures

5/17: The Big Brothers/ Big Sisters "Bad Pants Open" charity golf tournament in Chesapeake was a blast! Miss Hill City, Allison Saul and I spent the day driving the golf carts to bring refreshments to the golfers who had donated so much to the BB/BS organization. Pictures

5/18: Chaperoning the Landstown Middle School dance and math "boot camp" pizza party!

June 2007

6/2: Dinner with my Miss Virginia princess and her family. Pictures

6/3: I am honored to have been asked to judge the Beauties of America pageant in Charlottesville. I was able to meet outstanding contestants ranging in age from their teens to their 50's. One of my fellow judges is also a pageant contestant breaking stereotypes: she is a former professional FOOTBALL player! Pictures

6/4: It's a community effort! To show their support and help me prepare for the interview portion of the Miss Virginia Pageant, teachers from my high school offered to put me through some mock interviews ... and they didn't go easy on me!

Later in the day, I went to work out at Curves and was so excited to see that the women there had made a suprise bulletin board to put up in the gym to cheer me on! Thanks, ladies! You all have been so wonderful! Pictures

6/8-9: The "Queen's Against Cancer" team raised over $3,000 for the Chesapeake Relay for Life! Click here to donate! Even though the event was rained-out early, the team had a blast beforehand singing karaoke and collecting more donations. Pictures

6/9: The Miss Virginia local titleholders got the star treatment at the Texas Roadhouse. We were even presented with a beautiful cake courtesy of Sam's Club. Pictures

6/10: Raising scholarship funds is one of the most important duties of a local titleholder. Myself and many other local titleholders entertained at the Second Annual Miss Virginia Recital, an event to raise money for the Miss Virginia Community Service Award scholarship and the Children's Miracle Network, the Miss America Organization's official platform!Pictures

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6/12: Teachers at Marumsco Hills Elementary asked me to be a guest at their career day and speak to their second graders. I was partnered up with Mike, a commercial airline pilot! I also got to meet (and crown) Tony, a Vietnam vet who currently works in foreign affairs. All of the children were so well behaved and enthusiastic and I know all of the second graders are looking forward to seeing their pictures online so here they are! Pictures

6/13: The 4th grade girls at Marumsco Elementary School were such a joy to be around! We talked about respecting individuality, having the confidence to be yourself, and played role-playing games dealing with peer pressure and gossip. The presentation was a wonderful way to round out my message of embracing uniqueness and following your dreams. Pictures

6/15: I was invited to speak to the female prisoners at the Middle River Regional Jail about accountability, self-respect, and not letting your history define your destiny. While I was not able to take pictures during my presentation, after tears, hugs, and a standing ovation, I can honestly say that it was one of the most memorable, moving, and rewarding experiences of my year. I am so proud of all of the inmates that I worked with. I know they are all brave in making changes in their lives that will make them positive role models and successful, strong women! Pictures

6/20: Miss Hill City, Allison Saul, and I were guests at the Literacy Volunteers of America ice cream social in Dale City. We took Marcela, a student from Columbia living in America to study engineering. Pictures

6/22: Getting a relaxing massage from my sponsors at Body and Soul Day Spa. My last chance to unwind before heading to Miss Virginia!

6/23: Visitng Wal-Mart to pick up supplies for the Salvation Army. Wal-Mart donated a $50 gift certificate for this cause! Picture

6/23: For my final appearance before leaving for Miss Virginia, I performed again for the wonderful folks at Summit Square Retirement Center. They graciously welcomed all our contestants in to perform for them the weekend I was crowned, and I have been back another occasion as well. They have become some of my biggest fans! Pictures

The night before, I also had a send-off party thrown for me by my committee! Pictures

6/24-7/1: Competing for the title of Miss Virginia and the chance to represent our great state at Miss America was such an amazing opportunity. Since so many of us titleholders have done volunteer work together over the year and are all good friends, the week really seemed like a fun party with friends instead of a competition! At the end I was named a Top 10 finalist and Hannah Kiefer, an amazing young woman and friend, was crowned Miss Virginia 2007! Pictures

July 2007

7/19: Judging the Miss Fauquier County Fair Pageant. Rebecca Crosen, the pageant's director is an outstanding woman who I met while judging a Beauties of America pageant. Pictures

August 2007

8/30: Performing at the kick-off celebration for the Annual Memory Walk to End Alzheimer's Disease in Virginia Beach. Pictures

September 2007

9/5: Speaking at Hampshire High School as part of the "Making High School Count" program. Before each presentation, I am introduced in my bio as the current Miss Blue Ridge Mountains and the students always get excited! Pictures

9/7: Speaking at Liberty High School as part of the "Making High School Count" program. Pictures

9/12:Speaking at St. Mary's Ryken High School as part of the "Making High School Count" program. Pictures

9/15: Performing and Co-Hosting with Tiffany Painter at the first ever Miss Shenandoah Valley pageant was such an honor. I even got to catch up with my good friend, Hannah Keifer. You all might know her as Miss Virginia 2007! Congratulations to Sonya Milstead, the first ever Miss Shenandoah Valley and to all of the contestants and directors for a great show! Pictures

9/18: Speaking at Wilson Memorial High School as part of the "Making High School Count" program. Pictures

9/24: Speaking to the teen group at the Safe House in Fairfax.

9/27: Speaking at Riverbend High School as part of the "Making High School Count" program.

9/29: Modeling in the "Weekenders" fashion show with Ashley Smith at the Greenbrier Country Club in Chesapeake was so much fun! The clothes were amazing! Pictures

October 2007

10/1: Conducting self-esteem workshops with students at Beville Middle School, where I attended 8th grade.

10/2:Speaking at Greenbrier East High School as part of the "Making High School Count" program.

Doing a phone-in radio interview with Robert Smith, host of Disabilities Update.

10/6: Volunteering at the Youth For Tomorrow County Fair and Auctions to raise money for the the Youth For Tomorrow group home founded by NFL Hall of Fame and Redskins coach, Joe Gibbs.

10/11: Speaking at Staunton River High School as part of the "Making High School Count" program.

10/12: Speaking at Calvert High School as part of the "Making High School Count" program.

10/17: Speaking at Fallston High School as part of the "Making High School Count" program.

10/19: Heading back to the Middle River Regional Jail to run another self-esteem, leadership and stereotype-breaking workshop with the female inmates. I visited the jail in June and it was one of, if not the, most memorable and rewarding experiences of my year. I'm very excited to be invited back!

10/27: Judging and performing for a high school scholarship pageant in Covington.

November 2007

11/3: Cheering on the contestants and supporting my very good friend Allison Saul as she gives up her Miss Hill City title. This will most likely be my last appearance as Miss Blue Ridge Mountains.