Hey, girl. You're heading into pageant season, probably feeling a huge mix of emotions -- stress, excitement, anxiety, gratitude, confidence, comparison... If you've had any range of these feelings, CONGRATULATIONS!!! You're human. The pageant life is unlike any other. It's both an incredible opportunity for personal and professional growth, but it's also a very public [...]
Miss America 2020 aired one week ago, and while social media was buzzing over the few days following, I think the dust has settled. Kind of. I'm kicking it back up again because I still have feelings. The purpose of this is simply to share my thoughts on the telecast and current state of the [...]
Very recently, I had one of the best experiences of my life. Like, ever. You know that feeling you get when you see someone you really missed? Or when you hug your mom after being away? Or being re-united with your best friends after years apart? Combine all of those feelings and call it the National Sweetheart Pageant.
That sentence gives me butterflies. I've written and re-written this post countless times, trying to come up with the right words to express how I feel about Miss Wisconsin week 2018, one of the most mentally and emotionally challenging experiences I've had in quite some time. Don't get me wrong, I'm forever grateful for this [...]
If you follow my social media or have watched my journey through the Miss America Organization, you've probably heard me mention something called GEMS a few times. You may already know about it, or you could be wondering, "What is GEMS?" Well, today is your lucky day, because I want to share one of my favorite [...]
Going into this journey, I knew that I wanted to remain 100% authentic and unapologetically myself. I promised myself that I would share this opportunity with my community and with the world, never hiding what it really means or what it takes to be a local titleholder. Here you go, the truth behind the crown. Now, I've [...]
It's time to get fabulous! I've gotten plenty of requests to write a blog article or even post a video about how I curl my hair for pageants and appearances. I finally found a little down time to go full glam, which is definitely not an everyday process. In fact, the most exhausting part of Miss [...]
Time to get back into blogging mode (as I sip tea from my new "blogging day" mug from my wonderful pageant director). Speaking of, there are TONS of pageant organizations out there, from Miss USA, to Miss America, to National American Miss and beyond. Each program is a little different, but they all offer so [...]
Waking up in my own bed was a strange feeling on Monday. For most people, it's comforting to get home from a week spent in a hotel and finally sleep in your own bed. Although I am thankful I didn't have to wake up at 6:30 a.m to head to rehearsals again, I would be back in [...]
I'm having a hard time getting these goosebumps away, but I guess that's a good problem to have. It has been a very eventful week and I can't even begin to explain the emotions that have been running through me within the past six days. A mix between shock, gratitude, joy, and overwhelming excitement would sum [...]
As a young girl, I had always idolized the women on the TV parading on stage in sashes and swimsuits once a year. I had no idea that a few short years later, I would come to know the incredible organization behind the Miss America pageant. During my senior year of high school, I was [...]
Just Jessica by Jessica Hammer 