As 2016 comes to a close I can’t help but stop for a minute, breathe and reflect. No doubt I have been a very busy bee this year. 2016 has brought tremendous personal and spiritual growth. When I decided to compete for Mrs. Illinois International, I had no idea the way it would impact my and my family’s lives. I had no idea that a competition that I was using to “tell my story” would create a ripple effect that ignited a passion that has no signs of coming to an end. (Although come March, a break is very welcomed!) I told myself that if given this blessing of being named Mrs. Illinois- I would use this as a year of service. A year that was not all about me, but rather a year about all I can do for others. I really challenged myself to see how much a person can really do. I put my head down and began to work.
I wanted to share some stats with you:
71 appearances as
Mrs. Illinois International. All of which have allowed me to meet thousands of
people from all over the world. I am a
better person for meeting each and every one of you.
31 is the number of all the charitable organizations I have
had the honor of working with since being crowned. Each have engraved their mission and passion
for their cause in my heart. I sincerely thank you.
10 schools from rural to urban areas, I have visited with to
talk about bully prevention, kindness, acceptance and how we can make a difference
in each other’s lives. Thank you for allowing me to speak with your teachers
and students.
5 community outreach events I have personally hosted. WE need to be the change we want to see.
1 app I have developed that is downloaded daily by people of
all ages to continue to raise awareness and educate.
Although I am proud
of my personal statistics this year, these numbers don’t even come close to the
number of people that are effected by bullying in ONE day.
It is not about how
many appearances you can do in one year. Honestly, nobody cares.
What people do care
about is the heart you serve with. The love you put into everything you do. My
work does not stop when I pass my crown on to the next blessed woman. This was
a year to finally get started. I have such big plans for 2017 that don't necessarily involve a pageant but I still take with me that burning desire to make a difference. I will always be Mrs. Illinois International 2016 and I will always serve that title with pride and grace.
One thing I have also learned this year when it comes to a
cause or topic you are so passionate about is that not everyone will feel the
same way. And that is ok. If anything, I
hope my year will inspire people to do more. To be more. To find their passion-
no matter what it is, and just go after it. This year has taught me to see what
truly matters to me… and for everyone that can be something very different. Life
is too short to go on without purpose. Find it and serve it.
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