Orlando!

Hi Vermont!


So much to catch you up on! On Tuesday, August 11th, I headed out to sunny Orlando to cheer on Sarah Cramton at Miss America's Outstanding Teen! That Tuesday, Sarah performed her talent and I'm sad to say that I missed her beautiful rendition of "America The Beautiful!" I was sitting in the audience in awe of all of these outstanding young women gracing the stage, when right before Sarah was to perform, all of the Miss Contestants were escorted out of the audience to head backstage to be introduced on stage. It was such a bummer to miss her song, but I know she was awesome! I am proud to say that I got to see her compete in all of the other areas of on-stage competition, and Sarah truly shined! What a wonderful teen representative we have! And now, Sarah has the luxury of enjoying her year and attending appearances around the state without worrying about any competition! I cannot wait to continue hanging out with Sarah--she's our outstanding teen!




While in Orlando, I had the opportunity to meet all 52 women that I will be in Vegas with for Miss America! We were being filmed by TLC throughout the week, and had a great time making appearances and getting to know each other. On Wednesday, August 12th--we had a VIP tour of Universal Studios, where we never had to wait in line for a ride! What a treat! It has been years since I rode a rollercoaster and I'm proud to say that I went on every ride offered to us to go on--even The Hulk (and that was right after lunch too!) Speaking of lunch, we were fed an all-you-could-eat meal--and boy, did I eat! I use the excuse that I was "on vacation" to indulge in some delicious fried chicken, rice, a large coke, and chocolate cake! mmm....I also ate a fruit cup which balanced the meal haha. Another exciting appearance we made was at the Siegel Mansion where a fundraiser for the Miss America Organization was being held. It was nice to mingle and meet Florida residents, but what was really exciting and out-of-the-blue was the fact that Miss Vermont 1969 was the host of the event! Barbara West is an anchor in Orlando, Florida, and it was wonderful to meet a former Miss Vermont. Barbara is such a beautiful woman, it was great to have another Vermonter in the area! I also spotted 1 Vermont license plate while in the Sunshine State!



Wisconsin's Outstanding Teen is the new Miss America's Outstanding Teen--she was awesome on stage and I was blown away by her speaking abilities. Vermont should be very proud of our Sarah, she made some great friends and did a wonderful job representing us throughout the entire week! I'm proud of you Sarah!!



While in Florida, I made some great friends and connections that I am so thankful for. I am going to be working with Gregory Ellenburg for my Miss America Wardrobe, and I couldn't be happier! He has been such a wonderful resource, and the gowns I tried on were simply stunning. His guidance means the world to me, thank you Gregory!

I'm sorry this blog is so late! I had the entire entry written and somehow it wouldn't save and I lost the draft. I'm sorry that some of the details are skipped on this post, but feel free to e-mail me if you ever have any questions for me! My e-mail is missvermont09@yahoo.com

I'm currently at Assumption College where I just finished two weeks of Leadership Training. I have gained some great skills and tips that I can hopefully share with Vermont students when I begin my school tour to promote my platform of "Youth Empowerment--Leaders of Today!"

On September 12th, I fly out to NYC to learn my talent routine! September 14th is the Miss Vermont Scholarship Organization Golf Tournament, then I have a voice lesson with Shyla so that I can be ready to sing at the MAO New England Conference in Framingham, MA on the 19th/20th!


Classes started today for me, and I'm about to hit the gym for the second time today. Things are coming together nicely, and I cannot wait to get back to Vermont soon!

~Laura

p.s.-I am hoping to begin posting more frequently! Stay tuned--many exciting things coming up!