My Year in Review by Madison Laprade To write my year in review I need to start at the beginning. If you have seen any photos taken when I was named Miss Jr. Teen America, then you will certainly know how truly surprised I actually was! It’s funny and very surreal to look back at that moment. I was so shocked and overwhelmed that I didnt even wait to have the crown put on my head before I started to walk across that beautiful stage and wave to my family and friends in the audience. What a whirlwind this year has been. When people say your year will fly by, they really do mean it. It feels like just yesterday that I was signing that contract, looking at all the gifts I had won, and being whisked off to my first official photo shoot in Orlando, Florida. I arrived back to my very small home town as somewhat of a celebrity. I was front page in the local newspaper, interviewed by the high school principal, and woke up to more followers on my Instagram and Facebook accounts than I could count and all of that was just in the first few days! As I revisit the year from beginning to end, Im bound to miss some things, but Ill do my best to let you know how very busy and exciting this year has been. The first outstanding event was my trip to Atlantic City to watch the Miss America pageant live and in person! Yep! We did that! I took my grandmother with me on that trip as I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to make some unbelievable memories with her. I was right, we had an awesome time! The delayed flight home and the hours we spent in that crazy little airport that day is something that neither of us will ever forget. Nanny, remember, what happens in Atlantic City stays in Atlantic City! The Miss America shoe parade was great, and the show itself was fantastic. This is a good time to mention that one of our former Miss Teen Americas, Kaitlyn Tarpey (MTA 2008), made it all the way to the top ten as Miss Connecticut, and stole the show with her Irish Dance. For future reference if you are planning to attend the actual event, make sure you dont bring an oversized purse to the show. The thing that stands out to me the most from that trip is the time spent with Lindsay, our reigning Miss Teen America, and her mom, as well as the IJM girls and their families. The shopping, the food, the crowds, and just all being there together pulled it all together as an incredible experience. I would be remiss if I didn’t say that the photo shoot on the beach was super-cool and I do love the pictures from that shoot. Thank you to Heather of Photographic Vision (also a former Miss Teen America 1999), for capturing those wonderful memories on film. The boardwalk was beautiful, the weather was great, and we could not have asked for a better weekend. It was a once in a lifetime trip for sure. Thank you to Ms. Nikki and Ms. Maria for all that you did to make it a trip to remember. Charities and volunteering has been a huge part of my year, and wow have I been busy! I have actually adopted a new slogan for my charity work: Beauty in Action. Putting my crown to work has been very important to me. Bert’s Big Adventure is a charity that is very dear to me and one that I will continue to support long after my reign has ended. The love and devotion of the people responsible for putting this charity into action is nothing short of incredible. Bert’s Big Adventure takes terminally ill children and their families to Disney World on an all-expense paid trip once a year. Who wouldnt want to be part of that? Another charity I fell in love with is Operation Christmas Child. I worked many, many hours putting together shoe boxes full of gifts for children. The Salvation Army has always been important to me. My great-grandmother was actually involved with them back in the 1920s and 1930s, so it has been very cool to be working with them this past year. The Marines charity, “Toys for Tots” was super-fun as well. I loved collecting the toys and seeing the kids’ faces as we passed them out. The Ronald McDonald House, is an organization that I visited numerous times throughout my reign. We served dinner to the families of patients staying at the house. We also held a Santa’s workshop, where the parents came in and shopped for their children, and we then wrapped each and every gift for them. Despite the fact that they were in the hospital, we did our best to help them celebrate Christmas. Getting up at 4:00 am to be in Turner Field for the Hot Chocolate Run and summer picnics in the yard with the kids and their families were just some of the things in which I was able to participate. Georgia’s Special Olympics is an organization that I was involved with as well this year. I was lucky enough to be at not one, but both the Winter and the Summer Game opening ceremonies where I walked in the Parade of Athletes, and then later signed autographs and danced the night away with these incredible people. Volunteering is as beneficial for the volunteers as it is for the recipients, and it has become a very important aspect of my life. I will never forget the people of these wonderful organizations that I have had the pleasure of connecting with throughout this year. As my year ends my passion for volunteering will not. I plan to continue my support of these charities always. Although my mom, who I jokingly call my Momager had me doing a lot of work during my year, I have to admit there was equal amounts of time just for fun. Like the “Chick-fil-A” Bowl Parade; although it was freezing, that morning it was a blast! Modeling at the Atlanta Mart for the Prom Show and Spring fashion show was a lot of fun as well, not to mention a wonderful contact for future jobs. I even got to model the most incredible Vera Wang bridal gowns at the North Georgia Bridal show. Emceeing, judging, and hosting other pageants has been something I have really enjoyed this year. Our trip to Kentucky for their State pageant was also an adventure. Lindsay saw snow for the first time! We ate junk food all weekend, (yes pageant girls sometimes eat junk food, but don’t let it get out!) More memories from that weekend… Lindsay’s big fall in the hallway, my running all over the entire venue in heels trying to get her medical help, and oh, did I mentioned that I snapped of photo of her while she was on the floor? Photo evidence, I think they call that. Seriously it was all in good fun. Oh, and we really shouldn’t forget that extremely articulate speech I gave to the Kentucky gals about the fun you will have at Nationals, wink, wink. It was a memorable weekend, for sure. Although the Georgia State pageant was not as eventful as the Kentucky pageant, it was just as much fun. Hanging out with my pageant sisters; helping the girls to relax while waiting for interviews; teaching the opening number dance, and a last minute wardrobe malfunction. They really do happen. Who knew? SO glad I had a back-up cocktail dress behind the stage. Overall, a great pageant and a wonderful weekend full of treasured memories. I have saved the absolute best for last. Our cruise to Progeso and Cozumel Mexico. I was so happy to find out that Ms. Lisa was joining us on the cruise. Shes such a hoot! The trip started out in New Orleans. My first time there, wow what a city! There was a festival going on that had the streets packed with hundreds of party-goers, who were enjoying music and dancing all day long. Eating and shopping was our first order of the day, of course. The next morning we set sail on the beautiful Carnival Cruise ship The Elation. I loved the day at sea before we docked in Progreso. It was my first cruise so we literally did everything they offered. Our first excursion was mountain biking in the Yucatan forest, followed by snorkeling in the fresh water cenotes. (Taking a break for a little geology lesson – “A cenote is a natural pit, or sinkhole resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath”. Thank you, Wikipedia, for that succinct explanation.) The water was crystal clear and wonderfully warm, and the scenery was incredible. The next day was our big day in Cozumel! Swimming with the dolphins was our excursion that day. All I can say is I am so glad my mom talked me into it! That is a day I will never forget. Ms. Nikki, Lindsay, my mom and I all took the plunge while Ms. Lisa and Mr. Matt looked on. Our dolphin’s name was, Noelle. She was the sweetest thing ever. The pictures we got from this excursion truly show how much our entire group loved the experience and will serve as a lasting memory of an unforgettable event. We continued our day in Cozumel with a LOT of shopping before we re-boarded our ship. Time on board was never dull. Shows, shows and more shows... we went to them all, in between hanging out in the hot tub with Ms. Lisa; trying to walk across the top deck in 50 mph winds; getting a tan while the skies were overcast; formal dinners with Ms. Nikki and her husband; learning the single ladies dance, eating those huge chocolate covered strawberries…. the list goes on and on. Cruising is great but one warning girls, be prepared to gain a little weight on your cruise because it is true.... the food is incredible and it is available 24/7. Did I mention the 24 hour pizza bar and unlimited ice cream cones? I have to say the cruise was definitely a highlight of my year. On a more serious note, I would like to give a huge THANK YOU to my mom, Joy Laprade. Without you I would have never made it this far, or anywhere close to it. Thank you for all the photo shoots, the new dresses and matching shoes, all the jewelry for appearances, and new outfits. Thank you for staying by my side when I went through all the bad hair days and bad spray tans. Thank you for your help in squeezing me into all those dresses, and everything else that you did for me during this past year. You have been one heck of a manager too…planning my events and always organizing my schedules. Without you, this year would not have been as excellent as it was. I will cherish this time with you forever. I would thank you from the bottom of my heart, but for you my heart has no bottom. I want to thank Ms. Nikki, Ms. Maria, Ms. Denise, Ms. Lisa, and the entire staff of the Miss Teen America organization for the opportunity they gave to me through this title, and for everything that went into making this one of the most special times of my life. Now onto my message to my successor.... Believe me when I say your year will fly by. My best advice to you is to live in the moment and to absorb it all. It only happens once and it goes by way too quickly. The memories I have made with my pageant sister, Lindsay Rae Dobbs, is something I will carry with me forever and hold in a very special place within my heart. My wish for you is that you too will have an incredible year, and you will become as close to your pageant sister as I have come to mine. I dont know if my year would have been as much fun without her. You’re about to embark on a journey; make it an excursion worthy of your title. Enjoy the fun times, but work hard. Make your year mean something to not only you, but the people you will meet throughout your reign. Walking into a school, a hospital, or a charity event wearing your crown and banner comes with a responsibility. Show everyone you’re not just a beauty queen, you are a young woman with a platform, a voice, and a brain. Dedicate yourself and your year to something you can be proud of, and make a difference. Remember, you are Beauty in Action. I will end retrospective with a quote I have said all throughout my reign... GO CONFIDENTLY IN THE DIRECTION OF YOUR DREAMS. I wish you all the very best that life has to offer. Madison Laprade, Miss Jr. Teen America
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 02:03:12 +0000
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