It's Simple. Be Kind

Since being crowned Mrs. Illinois International 5 months ago, I have attended over 42 appearances - not only in Illinois, but also in different states as well.  Every single time I leave an event, no matter what the cause, I leave with a sense of wanting to be EVEN MORE involved than just "making an appearance." I am SO inspired and most of the time I spend the drive home in silence brainstorming what MORE can I do for the cause, for the organization and the people they serve. I truly believe I was blessed with this opportunity not to parade around the state with a beautiful crown, but because I am meant for something so much bigger. It is my absolute pleasure to bring attention to the MANY amazing non-profits changing the lives of thousands every single day with their selfless service. This week I was invited to visit the Bridge Teen Center . They are a non-profit community center for students 7th - 12th grade. When I say this is one of the most beautiful facilities I ...

Wow... Where do I even begin?  I still can't believe the week has come and gone!! A week I worked so hard to be ready for- my first national / international pageant, is in the books! I'm still trying to catch up with sleep, but for the most part I'm back into the swing of things here at home!  First and foremost, I would like to congratulate all 61 women that were in attendance. Every single one of you was amazing. I was in awe of all you do for your families, your causes, your states and/ or countries, and your faith. A lot of time, dedication, money and heart went into this week. Congrats to the top 15, top 10, top 5 and our new queen Priscilla. Keep doing big things- because you do make a difference. You have put your self out there, and that alone is an accomplishment in itself.  The week started off with a 4:30 am wake up call to head to the airport. Later that day I would be meeting 61 women from all over the world- ready to share thei...

I have always been a tough minded person; tall athletic and a former collegiate wrestler.  I am self sufficient and have used my past life experiences to form the person that I am today.  These characteristics can carry me through many difficulties but when you put those up against other people and the choices they make it can become beyond frustrating.  My occupation is a tug boat operator, a very rough blue color job in many ways.  I was fortunate to have a close friend get me this job years ago when I was in need and I worked very hard to move up in the company, get the promotions and better my own situation.  After 3 years of labor intensive work and 6 months of dedicated studying I finally obtained a license that allowed me to operate a vessel up to 1600 tons.  Boat navigation is quite difficult, there are many factors to consider and developing the skill takes persistence and dedication.  As I was learning to drive I was put with a Captain who w...

"What does Mrs. Illinois do exactly?" I get that question a lot!!  I will do my very best to answer that... Illinois has a very strong history of remarkable women who have been blessed with the title of Mrs. Illinois International.  We are wives. We are doctors. We are teachers. We are women of God. We are mothers. We are philanthropists. We are nurses. We are community leaders. We are advocates. We are ambassadors. We are multi-taskers who love a challenge.  We are women who are not afraid of hard work. We are role models and we are a voice. We are women with a vision. We are women who want to change the world and pageantry is our chosen way to do this. Over the years we have represented organizations like CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Feed My Starving Children, Autism Speaks, Boys and Girls Club, Make a Wish, PACER's and Go Red for Women to name a few. We have represented survivors of cancer, mental illness, suicide, depression,...

My experience with bullying happened at an age that I thought bullying did not happen anymore. I thought it was something that happened on the playground or your freshman year of high school. It was something that if you were lucky enough to evade it in your early years of life, you were in the clear once you hit adulthood. I was working a job that I loved, but it was not meeting my long-term needs or goals financially. One of my clients, whom I had worked with for years, knowing my work ethic and skill set, offered me a position with the firm for which she was the office manager. After weeks of thinking on it, I decided to take her up on her offer on a part time basis. I still wanted to keep the job that I enjoyed so much, but how could I pass up the opportunity to work with one of my favorite clients? It started great. I had the best of both worlds and had some extra money in my pocket. She was wonderful to me, almost like a work mother. After some time, the owner of the company o...

Often times when I say "I was bullied" most, if not all assume it happened while I was at school, on the bus or on the playground. Bullying of our youth is a very serious, life threatening issue; this is also the case for adults.  When you are bullied as an adult a few things happen. Much like our young targets, you feel extremely embarrassed this is happening to you, to the point of not saying anything out of fear that people will not believe you, or worse yet think you are not the confident, strong person everyone sees you as. For myself, I felt I had brought this upon myself in some way or caused this negative attention. The more I seemed to mind my own business the more I was sought out. The effects of bullying are both physical and mental and they are also residual. Maybe we can not change the person who enjoys being the bully, but we sure can do something to inspire and empower victims and bystanders. I have decided to create a campaign to do just that. Thi...