Appearance Photos and More

Hello, everyone!

I know that many of you have been patiently waiting to see photographs from my appearances. I would like to share the following links with you. Click on them, and you will be directed to a couple of photo albums I just completed. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2293073&l=5c083&id=14833133

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2293115&l=705e2&id=14833133

As you may remember, the Miss America lottery took place last Monday, and I am happy to say that I was able to choose a competition spot that I wanted! I am number 11 in the Alpha group, which means that my competition schedule will be as follows:

Monday, January 19 (PM): Interview

Tuesday, January 20: Talent

Wednesday, January 21: On Stage Question

Thursday, January 22: Swimsuit/Evening Wear

Saturday, January 24: Miss America LIVE!

After the lottery, I spent a lot of time traveling last week. On Tuesday I was in Des Moines for the CHARACTER COUNTS! Community Coalition Networking Workshop at the Iowa Hall of Pride. I met some wonderful people who share a passion for enhancing Iowa communities by developing the character of their citizens. I was able to share with these community leaders what I am doing throughout the state this year and to offer my service to their character-building initiatives.

The next morning, my mother met me in Davenport to accompany me to Chicago. While in the city, I met a personal trainer to help me prepare for Miss America. Mom and I also enjoyed shopping for makeup at Bloomingdale's and stopping at an outlet mall on the way home.

Thursday morning I was back in Des Moines for interview preparation and interpersonal skill development with the ladies at Tero. I cannot thank them enough for their continual support and encouragement. Their expertise has helped me to more effectively communicate my message as Miss Iowa and will most certainly serve me well during my Miss America interview.

Thursday evening I spent at Des Moines Area Community College as a guest at a Latinos Unidos meeting. Latinos Unidos is a not-for-profit organization committed to providing support to Hispanics and Latinos in central Iowa by focusing on education and employment in skilled occupations and professions. According to a 2007 report by the US Census Bureau, immigrants account for one in eight US residents. In Iowa, immigrants and their US-born children make up 5.9% of the population. These statistics provide one reason why character education programs must address issues surrounding diversity and the multicultural quality of our society. I wanted to learn from Latinos Unidos how I can best serve Iowa's Hispanic and Latino population as a teacher and as a Miss Iowa who seeks to promote a caring and inclusive society through character education.

On Friday I worked from my computer and spent some time organizing my wardrobe for LA. Then I drove to Sperry to spend some time with family and friends for the weekend. Tomorrow I'm off to Nevada, Iowa, to visit the children at an elementary school.

I'd like to leave you with a quote I just read on a PBS website called Character Above All: An Exploration of Presidential Leadership. This site actually offers many quotes that I'd like to share. Perhaps I'll choose one now and sprinkle others throughout my future entries. In the meantime, you may like to check out the website at www.pbs.org/newshour/character. The Character Above All project came out prior to the 1996 presidential election, and I think it raises a number of questions that are relevant to the days before us. Happy surfing! And now in the words of Abraham Lincoln: "Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing."

Wishing you a wonderful week-

Olivia

Miss America Lottery

Good morning!

I just want to let you all know that if you are interested in watching the Miss America lottery today, you can do so at http://onlineselection.missamerica.org. It will begin at 4:00. Hope that Iowa appears quickly on your screen so that I can choose the position I want!

Have a great day-

Olivia

Watch for me on TLC!

Dear friends,

I cannot believe that in exactly two weeks I will be departing for Los Angeles to film a reality TV show! In case you haven’t heard, TLC is producing a reality show, which will feature the 52 contestants for Miss America and air in January. I cannot wait for my television debut, and I must say that this show has been on my mind a lot lately! I never thought that I would have the opportunity to do something like this. I cannot wait to tell you all about my experience—after January, of course! Until then, I’ll keep you updated on my appearances.

On August 28, I was a special guest at the 2008 Old Threshers Reunion in Mt. Pleasant. I received a special tour of the grounds; rode the featured tractor, trolley, and carousel; met LOTS of kind people; and ate world-famous meatloaf. I was featured in the saloon show and even held hostage during a train robbery! Throughout the day, I also learned more about my Midwestern heritage and was reminded of why I’m proud to be an Iowan. Thank you to everyone who made my day so memorable!

I traveled to Iowa City on August 30, where I was honored to spend the afternoon at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital where Children’s Miracle Network hosted a movie party. The children and I dressed like princes and princesses and watched Disney’s Enchanted on the big screen. We also enjoyed some popcorn, of course!

The next morning I spoke to the Sunday School class at Solid Rock Baptist Church in Wapello. I had such a nice time talking with the students about character and sharing pieces of my life with them. They asked wonderful questions, and I appreciated their enthusiastic participation in our discussion. Following the church service, I was picked up and escorted to a nearby golf course by limousine—my first official limo ride as Miss Iowa! I spent the afternoon visiting with participants in the 1st Annual Johnnie B’s Classic, a golf tournament to benefit a local business that recently caught on fire. It was so encouraging to see how much the people in this small community care for each other, and I was honored to be a part of their special day. The next day was Labor Day, and I was fortunate to spend it in McCausland, the home of Miss Iowa’s Outstanding Teen, Jessica Jennings. First, I rode in the Labor Day parade with Jessica and Jr. Miss Iowa, Francesca Lubecki-Wilde. Then, we all enjoyed lunch at the Jennings home and prepared for an afternoon show. Jessica and I performed some dance routines, and we all shared our platforms and experiences with the Miss Iowa Scholarship Program. It was so much fun to put on a show with my wonderful “pageant sisters” and to have some time to just hang out together. Thank you to the Jennings family for serving as my host and for organizing such a nice day!

The Labor Day appearance kicked off my last week, and I spent the rest of it in mock interviews, dance rehearsals, and on the road to meet my dress designer for Miss America. Let me tell you, I am quite excited to be able to have a gown designed especially for me. I don’t know exactly what it will look like yet, but I am confident that it will be just right. I can’t wait to wear it on the Miss America stage!

Speaking of Miss America, tomorrow will determine my competition group and number for the pageant. At 5:00 EST, all of the contestants will log onto their computers for what seems to work a little bit like the NFL draft—the Miss America lottery. The name of each state will appear on our screens in random order, and when I see “Iowa,” I will have five minutes to call in and choose where I want to be placed in the competition lineup. Thinking about the lottery is helping the reality of Miss America to sink in a little bit more. Sometimes I still can’t believe that my dream of performing on that stage is coming true.

Yesterday I hosted a dance camp for youth at Cheryl's School of Dance. I had so much fun teaching dance again--it's been too long!--and want to thank all of the dancers who participated. I'm so glad you came.

Blessings to you this week and always—

Olivia