Once a Mercy girl, always a Mercy girl

It was Fall 2000 all over again, in traffic for my 30+ minute commute to Mercy high school this morning en route to my meeting with SMAS aka Sr. Mary Anne Smith who in a prior life was my Spanish teacher turned Alumnae Director. Never mind the new score boards on the soccer fields, fresher than I remember coat of paint in the hallways and just ripped from their boxes, top of the line MAC/PCs in the west wing... it was the same Mercy I remember. Mr. Stoddard was copying away in the business office, Ms. Cumming was looking better than ever and all of my teachers had remembered my name as if I had sat in their lectures earlier that morning.

The Miss Maryland US sash has a funny way of drawing excitement from passerbys-- so imagine the students reactions as I sat down with them in the cafeteria, in my old lunch seat 2nd row from the back by the windows. My favorite moment was walking down the alumnae row with SMAS and passing the class of '01. I was witness to one of the worse photos taken of me in history, forever memorialized in this hallway. Haha.

"You named three people we should contact if we ever lost contact in your senior evaluation-- do you remember?"

Jen C, Megan R and Erin D.

Bingo. Such great friendships, turned college roomate and now conquering the east coast one state at a time. I wish I had made a greater effort to keep in touch since college! But Facebook is great for things like this, touching base with old friends and wishing them the best in their careers.

Ms. Simmons allowed me a brief interruption of her Geometry class in session. "Comment about your experience at Mercy and how it's helped you in your endeavors." The only piece of advice I had for this group of sophomores was to

believe in the system and the tools the institution is providing. You will soon realize the value of the Mercy tradition and the name that has been made in the community by alums.

In Baltimore, more than any other place I've heard, you will inevitably be asked where you went to school. Not elementary or college, high school. Your legacy and those of the women before you will be with you always.

It's great to be home-- looking forward to my many appearances at the school this year! For a list of events and more information about MHS visit their website: http://mercyhighschool.com/alumnae/newsevents.asp Last time I was on campus was last year's Career Day representing KPMG and the Accounting/Finance fields-- what a difference a year makes!

Dress for Success

As a woman, young professional and Miss Maryland US, I realize the power a great suit can have on my confidence at an event, interview or appearance. And that is the sentiment behind an organization like Dress for Success.

I first met Cleona on my first day at my internship and our Women Spanning the Globe Event. There, Dress for Success accepted donations of gently used or new professional attire and accessories for women transitioning into the work force. It was a collaboration that just made sense-- the region's leading female business leaders empowering Dress's clients, most of whom are single heads of households and in need of job training and assistance.

I extended my hand to her and she responded in an invitation as a guest to their "Stepping Out in Style" Fashion Show. I urge you to not only attend but forward the information along to colleagues, friends, family, sister queens, etc.

The organization's supporters include such institutions as Bank of America, my former firm KPMG, and T. Rowe Price, just to name a few. For more information about how you can donate or volunteer, please check out their website: http://www.dressforsuccess.org/

Miss Maryland US Homepage

This photo and more can be viewed at the Miss Maryland US Homepage (http://missmarylandus.com/) -- Photo by Michael Vonal.

Interview with Loyola Magazine

In my second interview with Loyola magazine, I chatted with Rita (editor) about life after the big competition in Las Vegas. In what will have likely been my last pageant (unfortunately, I am aging out of most systems this year), it felt great to look back to the national competition and how it's really enriched my life. I made new friends in the other queens, particularly those within a 3 state radius; became closer to my family that jumps at most opportunities to make appearances with me; realized the patience Dan has exercised as a 'pageant boyfriend' and came to appreciation my education and the value it will bring to my life after the crown.

The strongest relationships I have formed in the past 4 months (wow, I can't believe it's already been 4 months!) have been among my sister queens. You will hear this term often so to save you the confusion, it refers to the other Maryland US titleholders-- Tiara, Miss Jr Teen, Emily, Miss Teen and Radiah, Ms. From volunteering at various organizations around the state to striking a pose at our photo shoots, they have made serving our community that much more enjoyable.

My dad, I mentioned is a huge fan of the title. I think it has something to do with the fact that he's very competitive and well, I wasn't a huge sports player growing up. Reading, making and selling crafts around the neighborhood (true story), cooking, piano and later running took up most of my days. And to have experienced this huge win with me, well... it's been something unique to brag about.

... back to Loyola. While pageantry and business school have seemingly nothing in common, each has allowed me to stand out. I am going out on a limb and saying there are few titleholders with MBAs. Similarly, I believe I am the first queen to walk the halls of the Sellinger School of Business! Further, they have both been opportunities to focus on myself and my future.

The coming year will be one of great change-- graduation, passing on my title and re entering the work force. All I can do in the meantime is enjoy it and welcome any surprises that come with-- because for years I had been waiting for someone to rescue me from a career I didn't particularly love, when all I needed to do was take charge of my own life.

Ok ok, it's likely I'm still riding the Julie & Julia wave from this morning. Maybe it's because I'm a huge foodie and my dream job would be to appear on the Food Network as a guest chef or work for a related magazine in their Marketing department but it was the ultimate tale of realizing your passion and spending a lifetime doing it... so simple! I could go on and on so I'll leave it at that. On deck-- french onion steak and sauteed green beans for dinner tonight.

For more information on the publication or to request a copy, visit the Loyola Magazine website: http://magazine.loyola.edu/issue/fall09/ and watch for me as MBA/Miss Maryland US in the December 2009 issue!

G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S

My sister queens and I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with our pageant photographer, Michael Vonal-- for new and improved headshots and an Annie Leibovitz-inspired shoot in our beautiful gowns. And while waiting for the entire team to make it to the studio, Radiah and I played with my new "Bump Its" (thanks again!)-- I think it's going to take some practice to successfully execute the pageant bump!

Watch the Miss Maryland US homepage for new photos coming soon! For more on Michael's work, please visit his website: http://www.michaelvonal.com/

Enjoy our after shot below! xoxo,

Cal Ripken World Series

Not my best first pitch to date but a beautiful day in Aberdeen and a fun-filled appearance nonetheless! Thank you to the Ripken Organization for the great accomodations at the stadium-- my mom, in her first time coming to one of my appearances, Dan and I were treated to front row seats and a delicious VIP reception. And congratualtions to the final teams-- Southeast (US Champions) and Mexico (International Champions) for their hardwork and an afternoon of nail biting little league excitement.

The rain storms held out juuuust in time for the Southeast to win it all, 6-7 despite a 3-run come back from Mexico in the bottom of the 6th and 7th innings.

The past two weeks of competition and comraderie are a huge testament to the collaboration between the stadium and the community-- while it has certainly boosted the local economy, housing all the players was truly a labor of love from the host families. It is not every day you have the opportunity to share your home and embrace another child's culture.

Hello to new friends Jared Cotter, from Season 6's American Idol and the Fuze Network who sang the national anthem, and Eric "We Must Protect This House" Ogbogu, official spokesperson for Under Armour and Colin Clark, Brand Manager at Under Armour.

Photos below are of me and Eric, Jared and the winning team!