Over 200 Appearances, 100 Schools, & 30,000 Students!!! (4/30/09)

My appearance tally hit two exciting marks this week including over 200 appearances and 100 schools! Through those school appearances, I’ve been able to address over 30,000 students, one assembly at a time, on the importance of character and volunteering. I’m humbled by the numbers and hope that, somewhere in there, students’ life paths have been positively affected or changed as a result of my efforts. A huge thank you goes to Jason Pawlowski, Glen Schwerdtmann, Amalia Schwerdtmann, and Amber Hill who have all been instrumental in securing appearances the past few months – I couldn’t have done it without you!

I started the week after Easter at the Harlem Globetrotters Game/Show at the United Center in Chicago. They introduced me to the nearly packed crowd and I had courtside seats next to the performers. The show was SO much fun to watch and the players even interacted with me during the show! I took lots of pictures with the crowd and signed autographs on basketballs for the first time!

Thank you to Field School in Elmhurst, Kennedy Jr. High in Naperville, and Christ the King School in Springfield for three wonderful assemblies! Special thank you's to Jill Riecker, Don Perry, and Walter Loague for your support!

For the past five years, Miss Illinois has been a mainstay at Girls Spa Day in Lemont. When a four-year-old greeted me with “You look hot," I knew I was in for a fun afternoon. I greeted the 100 or so girls with an autograph signing and later spoke to them about reaching for their dreams, setting goals, and not getting discouraged by setbacks. We posed in a photo shoot together and walked the runway for their parents in the grand finale. The event created such a positive environment for girls to express themselves and I was so thankful to have played a small role – thank you to Jenni Keating and Calvary Church for supporting young girls and our organization!

Thursday the 23rd was “Take Your Child to Work Day” and Sears Holding in Hoffman Estates included me in a jam-packed day for their employees’ children. After they visited TV studios, gave their input on new products, and taste tested new cookies, I talked to the group of 250 kids about character and taking care of our environment! They had a ton of questions and, before they headed off to their next adventure, all 250 got a high-five or hug from yours truly. Special thank you to Becky Bonnis for letting me stay late to sign autographs!

Children’s Miracle Network will always have a special place in my heart after having seen the amazing works this organization does for kids and their families in need. I visited St. John’s Children’s Hospital in Springfield and toured their state-of-the-art facilities while chatting with patients and meeting CMN officials. To protect the privacy of the families, I won’t go into too much detail but I have story upon story about hope, perseverance, the power of laughter, and the simplicity of a smile. Suffice it to say, I was touched and extremely thankful to have the honor of meeting these incredible children and their families.

My day with CMN continued with the American Girl Fashion Show at the Springfield Hilton (thank you for my beautiful room!). The room was adorably decorated and moms, grandmas, and daughters filed in to watch their favorite American Girls model the latest fashions for young girls and their dolls! I emceed for part of the show and played Telephone, Simon Says, and “Let’s try on Miss Illinois’ shoes," for the remainder of the event. Claire Thorpe Klinsky, Miss Southern Illinois, was also in attendance and I loved catching up with her on her road to Miss Illinois! Thank you to Molly Sorrell and Denise Pope for a great day with CMN and to WTAX and WDBR for hosting me on air!

One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed about myself this year is my ability to speak extemporaneously. I was decently proficient before becoming Miss Illinois but this year has certainly tested my abilities time and again. Three such occasions happened this week…

I attended the Heartland International Tattoo (no, not that kind of tattoo – a military tattoo) in Hoffman Estates to sign autographs and pass out information about our program. I met dozens of members of our military with a special “shout out” to our Air Force Cadets and Marines! I learned about a great organization called “We Do Care” and I’d like to encourage you to check out their website at www.we-do-care.org for more information on how to support our troops!

Now, imagine this, two (handsome) Marines escort me to the center stage where I’m told I’ll be briefly introduced and should just wave from the sidelines. Thirty seconds before the second half starts, an organizer approaches me and says “Why don’t you talk for a few minutes about our troops? Ready? Go.” And I’m immediately standing in front of a thousand or so people ready to hear my address. Now there is certainly enough gratitude in my heart to recognize and thank our service men and women, but “be prepared for anything” was an understatement. One year ago, I surely would have faltered but my experiences with the Miss America Organization have definitely prepared me for anything.

Speaking of being prepared, the next two instances involved the Boy Scouts of America. In Springfield, I attended their 64th Annual Pilgrimage to the Capital to learn about the life and times of Abraham Lincoln and to take photos and sign autographs for the young attendees. On Saturday evening, I proved my rhinestoned relevancy to 150 scouts in New Salem’s outdoor amphitheater by relating my membership in the Girl Scouts and suggesting ways to make the most out of their time with their fathers, scout leaders, and new friends this weekend. Sunday brought me to the summit of Lincoln’s Tomb where I had the honor of addressing more than 4,000 attendees on Abraham Lincoln’s character and how we can model ourselves after this great man. Thank you to the Boy Scouts for taking a chance on a beauty queen!

Last, but not least, I want to thank Katie and John Frank, yet again, for hosting me in their home. I’m writing this blog from their kitchen table and reflecting on the immense amounts of ice cream we’ve eaten, how cute their grandchildren are (and creative – Al the Alligator lives in the park and his friends are Sal, Cal, and Pal), and how thankful I am to be able to stay with them. You guys rock!

Sorry this is so long!

KT :)

Miss Illinois 2008

Missillinois2008@gmail.com