Miss Wisconsin Scholarship Pageant

1 Month Down!!

2011-08-07T17:50:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Can you believe it is August already? Time has surely flown by! Here's a peek into some of my adventures during my first month as Miss Wis!

The morning after Miss Wisconsin, I had an interview with The Northwestern and met with Jeanne, Michael and Kim learning more about my new role, the rules and what to expect in the very near future. Kim was such an amazing Miss Wisconsin, I surely have HUGE shoes to fill!! Love you Kim!

After spending a few days "recovering" at home, I was off to Portage to participate in their 4th of July Parade and Festival. Here, I had the honor to meet The Badger Band! They were a talented, fun and engaging group of musicians. Having been in numerous choral ensembles at Carthage, it was fun to exchange stories of traveling on tours, learn that the makeup of actual music majors in their ensemble is only 2% and even get surrounded/serenaded by the brass section as they played their famous song, "Hey baby, I want to know if you will you be my girl!?" :) This group of talented musicians spend a lot of the time on the road as they are asked to play for festivals, graduation parties and even weddings during the summer and their off season.

This was the first man I met as Miss Wisconsin. He was so cute, complimentary and loved to talk! After meeting him, I was sure this was bound to be an amazing year!

Next, I was off to Crazy J's Campground in Marion where I spent time with these little princesses at a Princess Party! These girls were a delight to spend the day with. They were fun, smart and are guaranteed to have bright futures. We enjoyed the afternoon by participating in arts and crafts, socializing and I even got to sing for the girls.

This picture is with my favorite little princess, Zoey. She was the absolute sweetest little 5 year old, who truly touched a place in my heart. I was amazed at how smart she was, the amount of curious questions she had for me, and the love you could see in her eyes.

Then it was off to Columbus for what was undoubtedly the largest 4th of July Parade in Wisconsin! The parade lineup and actual parade totaled 3.5 hours! I had the exciting pleasure to share the day with Annie, Miss Wisconsin's Outsanding Teen. Since we had not seen eachother since the pageant, we had a great time catching up and talk exciting details of MAOT national competition!!

Off to Fond du Lac for a Car/Bike Show Fundraiser at the Open Road Harley-Davidson. This event was a dual event in that it showcased Harley-Davidson motorcylces and Mustang cars. It was so fun to see old, new and rebuilt Mustang models and there were even Mustang airplanes that were flown in from EAA to specifically attend this event. I was able to sign autographs, meet and greet an incredible amount of people, and speak about my platform.

Co-owner Lori was extremely welcoming, I truly felt a part of their tight-knit family. It was heart warming to see Lori call customers by name and ask how their families were doing. I could tell this was a community of truly caring individuals. However, I was curious to ask Lori if her customers mind Lori's golden retriever roaming around the store. Lori laughted and said "no, customers love it!" Her dog hates being home alone, so she brings him to work with her! So cute!

Off to...Kenosha! for my next appearance. That's right, my first appearance in my home town! I participated in The 31st World Congress of Poets. This was a gathering celebrating poetry and welcoming prominent women in Kenosha to speak on topics regarding "The Freedom to Pursue Work, Education, Family and Happiness. I spoke on "The Freedom to Pursue Happiness" and at a very joyous time in my life, this was very fitting. However, I mentioned that our happiness does not come from earthly pleasures or deeds, rather, our happiness should and does come from the Lord. Our happiness can be celebrated in trusting that God has lead us to do His will on earth, and while that causes happiness in our life, it also pleases Him.

It was then off to West Salem for a Youth Princess Program. I got to spend the evening with junior princesses, but also Miss Seven Rivers Raeanna Johnson and Miss Seven Rivers Outstanding Teen, Jenna Flick! The three of us had an awesome time together, and truly enjoyed making a positive impact on these adorable little ladies! We started the evening with games and arts and crafts, then had a fashion show, and ended the night with Raeanna, Jenna and myself speaking to the girls. Raeanna talked about empowerment, Jenna discussed bullying and I talked about positive self-esteem and confidence. This group of little princesses were absolutely adorable and are sure to have bright futures!!

Then, for a weekend my job shifted from Miss Wisconsin to Maid of Honor! M lifelong best friend, Michele got married July 22. It was beautiful, magical and full of unforgettable, unconditional love. Michele was an absolutely stunning bride - Here's a picture from the big day!

After a fun wedding weekend, it was off to Mishicot for their annual Riverfest Festival/Parade. This event was especially touching because of the incredible amount of love and support I was shown. Mishicot may be a small town, but it is populated by some of the most sincere and caring individuals I have ever met.

I had to take a picture with these mascots because one of them was named Smokey. For those of you who don't already know, I am the proud mom to a 1 year old Shih Tsu/Maltese named Smokey. This is his first appearance in this blog, but I'm sure he will appear many more times before the years end! He is the love of my life! :)

I was happy to be in my hometown of Kenosha for the next appearance! I spent the morning and afternoon at the Kenosha HarborMarket. Here I was able to meet and greet, sign autographs and sing for the wonderful people of Kenosha! I was humbly welcomed by many, and was beyond proud to represent my great city!

Up next, I had the privilege to share the stage with my dear friend, Miss Kenosha Ashley Dennis at The Kenosha Relay for Life! Ashley was honored as being an ambassador to the city, sang the National Anthem and a few inspirational songs during the survivor lap. As a lifelong resident of Kenosha, and yearly attendee of the Relay, I sang one of my absolute favorite songs, "Blessings" by Laura Story during the survivor lap for many of my family members who suffer from cancer and especially my Grandpa, who passed away from prostate cancer. It was an inspirational night for all who attended, full of celebration for those who have overcome this disease and immense hope for a cure for those who are living with cancer.

This has been the most incredible month of my life! I have seen God work in my life in ways I've never imagined possible, and I truly believe I have been led to this job to make a difference and make a mark in this world, especially through helping COIP. (children of incarcerated parents) I have been humbled by the overwhelming amount of love, support, prayers and guidance I have received and can only thank you for future support. In the month of August, I look forward to traveling to Orlando to cheer for Annie at MAOT as well as meet The Miss America Class of 2012!

Until next time, I will leave you with Psalm 37: 4-6 - Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

With love and blessings,
Laura

A Princess Story

2011-07-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

Dr. Carol and Madison Uebelacker’s Story

I was 53, a solo Family Practice physician with 2 grown sons and grandchildren. Thanks to the University of Wisconsin Medical School, I had started med school at age 35 and never looked back --- except when it came time to choose a name for a 20 pound, very ill, 3 year old little girl who would become the light of my life...Madison! That's right; she was named for the capitol of Wisconsin and the University that helped me long ago. This tiny little girl was born in China with a serious heart defect that was threatening her life. So in 2003, I needed a little girl and she needed a mom...and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin must have needed another miracle.

She was to spend 2 weeks in the hospital on a "rocky" course…not Madison! On day 2 she pulled out ALL the tubes…we went home on day 3...and the rest is history!

Nothing stops this little steamroller, as those who may have met her at the Miss Wisconsin’s Outstanding Teen and Miss Wisconsin Pageants know. She is a hard-worker in all she tries. Her teachers consistently use the same words to describe her: "A joy to have in the classroom". Her best effort is the only effort she knows how to exert. She smiles and skips wherever she goes…and now that she has discovered the stage...well...her smile is as big as the sun and stars!

I am forever grateful to my home Wisconsin for giving me the opportunity to give HER the opportunities she so much deserves. Forward, Madison!

Miss Wisconsin 2011!!!

2011-06-20T10:21:00.001-07:00

So now that my year as Miss Wisconsin 2010 is over and I join the sisterhood of the Fabulous Formers, I am truly excited for the new journey that I will embark on in my life. As they say, one door closes another opens! I am looking forward to heading back to work at Breakthrough®Fuel with an immense amount of personal and professional experiences and plan on using all of my Miss Wis skills to benefit myself and the success of the company. I am also extremely proud of our new Miss Wisconsin 2011, Laura Kaeppeler!!!

Laura is an outstanding young woman with a voice that will absolutely blow you away and a genuine kindness that will touch your heart. She performed the classical aria "Il bacio" for her talent, winning the Thursday preliminary talent award, then winning the Miss Wisconsin 2011 title on Saturday night.

Here is an article by the Oshkosh Northwestern which will give you a little insight into how fantastic Laura truly is, and the kind of wonderful work she will be doing in Wisconsin this year...

http://www.thenorthwestern.com/article/20110620/OSH0101/110619046/Kaeppeler-aims-help-children-incacerated-parents-Miss-Wisconsin?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

Click here to see her crowning moment on our Miss Wisconsin Facebook page...

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2123748134404&oid=207889564456&comments

Thank you to the board of directors, production staff, sponsors, choreographers, singers, dancers and all the volunteers who made Miss Wisconsin Week 2011 a success! You are all amazing people!

A big congrats to all of the contestants who truly left everything on that stage and shined so brightly the entire week! I am so proud of each and every one of you!

Welcome to the sisterhood Laura!!! We know you will make us proud!

Love, Kim

Busier than ever! In the final weeks...

2011-05-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

So we are literally less than 2 weeks away from the day that all of the contestants arrive in Oshkosh for Miss Wisconsin week 2011!!! This also means that we are less than 3 weeks away from crowning a new Miss Wisconsin 2011 and Miss Wisconsin's Outstanding Teen! Wow. How time has flown by to say the least. I am beyond excited for the amazing class of misses and teens that we have this year, and I know that we will have two fantastic representatives for Wisconsin without a doubt.

With my time as Miss Wis "winding down" (I say this in quotes because May has been one of my busiest months of the year!), I thought I'd share with you what I've been up to, along with all of the feelings and emotions that come along with knowing this year is coming to an end.

Here is a picture of myself and a volunteer at the Veterans Home at King Volunteer Appreciation Banquet. It is always an honor to say thank you to the many selfless volunteers all across our state, especially those that give their time to our veterans.

I soon found myself at another volunteer banquet, the Golden Heart Volunteer Awards given by the Volunteer Center of Door County. I was the keynote speaker of the evening and was honored to be in the presence of so many inspiring volunteers. Congratulations to all of the nominees and award recipients! Below is a picture of my Dad and I before the dinner:)

My travels then took me to McAuliffe Elementary in Green Bay where I spoke to the second graders about making good decisions in order to achieve their goals and dreams. We had so much fun together and I was so impressed with all that the students had retained from my presentation. I think they also enjoyed getting to see all of the pictures I brought with me to put on their smart board. Oh how technology has changed since I was their age!

Here I am during my PageantCast interview with Tim Kretschmann. It should air online around the same time as the Miss Wisconsin pageant!

After the interview, Teaka, her mom Lisa, and I stayed overnight in Milwaukee so we could be ready the next morning for Miss Wisconsin PAGEANT SCHOOL! I have to say, I was so happy and impressed with how this day went. It was an AMAZING experience, and I wish all of our Miss Wisconsin family could have listened to these three speakers. We learned all about what it takes to not only obtain the title you are striving for, but also how to be a successful titleholder/businesswoman, how to be an effective communicator, what the judges are looking for, and how to have a continually successful local or state program. It was a day filled with an abundance of information, so I'm glad I took notes, because it was almost information overload, but in a good way:) I truly took so much away from that day and I hope everyone else did as well. Thank you to Kirsten Haglund, Rick Brinkley, and Don Baker for sharing their words of wisdom!

Next, my mom and I headed to Madison to spend two days at the American Institute of Architects conference at the Monona Terrace. We had a lot of fun spending time with our OTIS hosts and meeting new friends during the conference. Thank you to the OTIS crew for the wonderful hospitality!

After Madison, we headed to Eau Claire to meet with this student group who organized the First Book speed read contest for local children. I had to read as much of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish as fast as I could in 15 seconds. I did not win, but thought I did pretty well without any practice:) First Book is a wonderful organization dedicated to providing access to books for children in need.

It was then off to Door County to spend some time with a little girl who won one of the princess party raffle baskets during my send-off fundraiser in December. She and her sister decided to have a joint princess birthday party together, and boy did we have a lot of fun! I think I might have to have my next birthday party like this:)

My next trip took me to Park Falls, WI which is up in the northwoods! I spoke at two of their 5th grade D.A.R.E. graduations and also got the chance to tour their paper mill and the St. Croix Fishing Rod factory. Thank you to the Mayor, the Chief of Police, and everyone else who made this such a fun and educational trip! I once again feel so blessed to discover so many wonderful people and places in Wisconsin!

Back home in Door County I got to emcee a fashion show for the Egg Harbor Women's Weekend at the Landmark Resort, just a mile from my home! It was quite a lively group of ladies, so we definitely had a good time!:) I also was able to see, for the first time, my cover and article in Door County Magazine! Check out this link to see the cover: http://www.godoorcounty.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=current

After this whirlwind of a year, I couldn't believe it was actually time to go to Prep Day in Oshkosh for Miss Wisconsin 2011! It was so fun to see all of the lovely ladies that will be competing for the title in June. As I write this, we are so close to crowning a new lucky lady, and I couldn't be more excited for whomever she may be. We have such a stellar group, I know it will be a great show, great competition, and that the judges will select someone that will do a phenomenal job as Miss Wis. Go to www.misswisconsin.com to reserve your seats!

After my speech to the ladies on Prep Day, I was not able to hang around to watch their talent rehearsals because it was off to two other appearances! I first went to Crossroads in Sturgeon Bay to speak to a group of Thrivent Financial volunteers during their volunteer retreat, which was absolutely wonderful. I then drove back to Green Bay to sing the national anthem at a Green Bay Gamblers championship series hockey game. I made sure to wear tennis shoes this time because I almost fell on the ice during my last visit:) haha! A busy day, but sooo much fun!

The next day, it was off to Stoughton, WI for their Syttende Mai parade. When I got there, the sign on both sides of the convertible I was to ride in said "Miss Wisconsin, Ann Stawski"!! hahaha! I laughed so hard and just had to go with the flow and pretend to be "Ann" for the day during the parade. Ann's name is at the top of all of my appearance contracts so someone must have gotten confused:) Definitely a good laugh had by all and had a blast at the parade! Thank you to the lovely Lily Larsen for being my travel companion that day!

During that same week I drove out to Neillsville, WI in the middle of the state for a personal chat with their Girl Scout troop. We talked honestly about all sorts of things, especially how it can be growing up as a young lady in today's world. I was so inspired with the amount of service work these girls do, even though they come from a poor rural area and don't have much themselves. I am hoping we can do something special for them during Miss Wis pageant week to inspire them to continue doing great things!

Off to Milwaukee I went to spend some time at Lounge Boutique on Water Street in Milwaukee for the Mike Lanes Jeans trunk show! I had a lot of fun showing off our sponsor jeans with the other models, and want to thank the staff at the Lounge and Mike Lanes for all their hard work and Karen Herrman for being my chaperone that day.

I stayed overnight in Milwaukee because the next day it was off to THE Pageant Event! Teaka and I were the titleholder's of honor and got to sit at the head table during lunch. We then joined all of the other beautiful ladies in attendance to model all the vendors items during the fashion show. If you are a fan of glitz and glamour, this is the event for you! So many pretty gowns, cocktail dresses, swimsuits, and pageant wear of all kinds!

Back in Green Bay, I picked up Brianne Lund, Miss Green Bay Area 2011, and we headed to the Green Bay & De Pere Antiquarian Society's Vintage Fashion Show called "Step Back!" Brianne and I got to model vintage 1950's ball gowns escorted by Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt and President Kunkel of St. Norbert College. We also got to meet Vicki Parementier (a former Miss Green Bay) and Phyllis Kessler (Miss GBA and Miss Wisconsin 1949)! It was such a fun evening, with the show being filled with amazing pictures, music, and garments of years past. I really learned a lot about the history of Green Bay. Once I get some pictures of this event, I will be sure to share them! SO fun, and I truly did not want to take off my ball gown:)

Back to Door County I went, to Gibraltar High School (where I graduated) to speak to the high school athletes during their Varisty Letter Club Banquet and Awards Ceremony. It was so fun to talk with the athletes and their parents about why athletics was so important in shaping me as a person and how it has helped me in all facets of my life. What I have learned from sports has been so helpful to me in my job as Miss Wisconsin, my workplace, and in all things that I do. I can't wait to be a coach someday so that I too can teach some of the same great life lessons and values to young people in my community!

Finally, I was so blessed to be able to spend some time at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in support of the Dave and Carol Miracle Marathon! The radiothon raised over 1.3 million dollars for Children's Hospital in two days! What an amazing accomplishment! I am so happy that this will all be used to provide the best care possible for our local kids:)

Wow! So busy, but having so much fun! (This is why my blog posts are soooo long!) The next time I write, it will be Miss Wisconsin week and we will be finding out who the next Miss Wisconsin and Miss Wisconsin's Outstanding Teen are for 2011!!! It is absolutely a time filled with mixed emotions for me, sad to see this amazing job go, but sooo excited for what is yet to come. I can't wait to welcome two fantastic ladies into the Miss Wisconsin sisterhood! Hope to see you at the show!

Love Kim

Still lovin' it!

2011-04-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

Before I head off on a whirlwind road trip this week, I thought I would catch you up on where I have been recently! I have been busy making lots of fun appearances, some of my favorites involving saying thank you to some AMAZING volunteers who have definitely found their own "Service for the Soul"...:)

I was so happy that I was able to attend one of our last pageants for the Class of 2011, Miss Fox River Valley. It was such a fun show, with Amanda Garrity giving up her title (and being a fabulous emcee), an excellent group of contestants, and lots of visiting reps! It was great to see and catch up with everyone. A big congratulations to Desiree Geffers, your new Miss Fox River Valley 2011!

My next stop was back home in Door County, Sister Bay specifically, to read to a group of children at the Nor Door Childcare Center. It was their pirate day (too cute!) so when I arrived they were all dressed up in their pirate gear (hats and eyepatches!). I read them a funny pirate book and sang them a song while sitting in a large rocking chair. The kids were such good listeners and really loved the book! I hope my pirate voice was good enough for them:)

Staying in Door County, I traveled to the Southern Door Auditorium, the same place where I was first crowned Miss Door County in 2008, to perform for a church fundraiser/show. The show was put on by Daddy D Productions to help raise money for the Holy Name of Mary Church in Maplewood so they are able purchase a new organ. I was honored to open the show by singing "God Bless America" with their live band. It was unbelievable! Thank you to the whole Daddy D cast and crew for allowing me to be a part of their show and to the wonderful people of Holy Name of Mary who invited me to their fundraiser!

A fantastic organization in Berlin, the Community Health Network, asked me to speak and sing at their annual volunteer recognition dinner. Nothing makes me happier than to be able to not only encourage volunteerism, but to really say a big thank you to all of the people who already give so much of their time to their communities. These people truly embody what it means to find a "Service for the Soul" and become life-long volunteers for that organization.

On to another volunteer appreciation banquet, I headed to Waupaca to say thank you to those who volunteer their time at the Veterans Home at King. I was invited by Tom Dowman, who hosts our Shriner's luncheon during Miss Wisconsin week. I had a lovely time visiting with Tom and his wife Dottie, who so graciously took me around the banquet, introducing me to the hundreds of volunteers who give their time to our veterans. I even met a couple who have given over 12,000 hours of service to the King residents. I was able to give a small speech after the keynote speaker, explaining the MAO, my platform, saying thank you to the volunteers, and also sang a song. It was such an honor to be in the presence of those who give so much to our veterans who have given more than we could ever imagine.

Another VERY exciting thing I have done recently is my photo shoot with the fabulous husband and wife photog duo, the McCartney's! They were so much fun to work with, and did a fantastic job capturing some great photos for our upcoming Miss Wisconsin pageant program book! Here is a sneak preview, I will be sharing more of the images any day now!! Thank you to Kelsy and Butch for such a fun afternoon, you are truly the most kind, fun, and talented couple! Thank you also to my wonderful mother for being my travel buddy that day and helping me get through all of my wardrobe changes:) I love you Mom!

'Til next time!!:)

Counting My Blessings:)

2011-04-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

Truly a night of giving back. Thank you Door County!

Like most things that begin in our family, this send-off celebration and fundraiser started off as a little idea from my father. True to his business-minded nature, his brain is always churning out new ideas. I remember when he came to me a few months after I was crowned Miss Wisconsin and said, "We should really do a show, something in Door County where you could invite a bunch of other people to perform with you. We could call it Miss Wisconsin & Friends, or something like that."

And so it began...we started brainstorming what this event would be like, and decided that we should make it a part of the traditional Miss Wisconsin send-off party to Miss America that occurs every year. We wanted to not only show everyone my Miss America wardrobe and vocal selection, but we wanted to showcase all of the wonderful artists that we have in Door County, while being able to say thank you and give back to all of the people who have supported me during my journey, not just this year, but during my whole life!

My Mom, sister, and I put together a little committee of close friends (thank you Jane Hillstrom, Sally Pfeifer, and Kaaren Northrup) to help us get the ball rolling. We first secured the Door Community Auditorium (which is attached to my old K-12 school, Gibraltar) as our venue which is where I grew up doing community theatre, school plays, concerts, you name it! Thank you so much to the auditorium board of directors for allowing us to hold the event there, and to Kurt Thomas for lending his time and talents as our staging/lighting/sound director.

We then began to ask various performers if they would share their talents with us, and we were so happy that they all said yes! It was so exciting to have such a wonderful variety of talented acts!

Advertisers and sponsors began to donate, for which we were, and are, SO grateful! We wouldn't have been able to raise the kind of funds that we did without your help! The amount of people that wanted to help in any way possible seemed so surreal, but then I remembered what an amazing community I come from, and how giving Door County truly is. I felt so blessed in that moment.

The Miss Door County Committee offered to make all of the princess cookies that would be given out for free with punch during intermission. Thank you ladies for all of your hard work! Aren't the cookies cute??!

A big thanks to Zach Kunstman Photography for taking all of the photos of the evening. You are so talented Zach, thanks for all your help!

I also can't say thank you enough to the amazing and talented Stephanie Klett who agreed to emcee the show for us!! She has always been one of my role models, as she was Miss Wisconsin 1992, former emmy-winning Discover Wisconsin host, and current Secretary of Tourism for the state of Wisconsin. All in all, one of the coolest and funniest women I have ever met in my life!

As always, Stephanie did a fantastic job of entertaining the crowd. I received so many great compliments about her after the show. Here she is when she brought out my brother Tom who was helping backstage, so funny!

We could not have put on this fabulous show without our talented cast of performers!! We had Lily Larsen (Door County Idol 2009) and Ben Larsen singing "Many the Miles", Teaka danced for us, Matthew Burress (DC Idol 2007) and Devin Thomas (DC Idol 2008) each sang a song, the Gibraltar High School Choir sang, Tanner Lundquist played piano for us, Charlie Eckhardt and Peter Burress played a trumpet trio with Stephanie, Katie sang, Katie and I sang "For Good" together, we had the YMCA dancers, and the Gibraltar theater dept performed a number from "Seussical". Needless to say, it was an AMAZING night of entertainment!

Throughout the night, I showed the audience my Miss America wardrobe, sang my talent selection, and shared stories about my travels as Miss Wisconsin and about my platform "Service for the Soul". That night, I truly saw how all eight of these organizations had touched my soul, and how those that work for them feel exactly the same, and because of that, they give so much of their time to aid in their growth and success.

We also raffled off two Princess Party baskets that evening, which would give the winners the opportunity to have me (as Miss Wisconsin) as a guest at a party of their choice! Here is one of our winners, I can't wait to celebrate your birthday!

Thank you also to Meghan Coffey, our Miss Wisconsin 2006, for sharing her own stories about her time as Miss Wisconsin and her experience at Miss America. I know the audience really enjoyed hearing about her travels!

Thank you to all of the visiting titleholders who came all the way to Door County to show their support! You girls are the best, gotta love the MAO sisterhood! Love you all!

The night came to an exciting end as we presented the eight organizations with a check for $13,125!!!! What a successful evening! I am so thankful for all who made this possible. Now all eight of these organizations can continue to have a positive impact on our Door County youth and people of all ages across our state! The eight organizations included:

Children's Miracle Network Hospitals

Door County YMCA

Door Community Auditorium

Gibraltar High School Athletic Boosters

Gibraltar High School Music/Theatre Boosters

Miss Door County Scholarship Program

Miss Green Bay Area Scholarship Program

American Red Cross-Lakeland Chapter

Thank you for all you have done for me and what you continue to do for all the people you serve!

As a way to say farewell and thank you to all in attendance, I decided to sing "Count Your Blessings" by Bing Crosby from my favorite movie, White Christmas. The song goes..."When I'm worried, and I can't sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep...and I'll fall asleep counting my blessings! When my bankroll is getting small, I think of when I had none at all...and I'll fall asleep counting my blessings!"

A beautiful song with a beautiful message, one that truly described how I felt at that moment. So many blessings in my life!!!

Thank you again to everyone who made this possible, especially my family, for all of their unconditional love and support!!

LOTS of love, Kim

Spring is Here!

2011-04-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

The end of my reign used to be something that seemed so far away, but now...it's actually almost here, I just can't believe how fast the year has gone by! I will definitely say the bittersweet feeling is already setting in. I am without a doubt sad to see this job go, mostly because of how much it has changed me for the better. I have grown so much and continue to grow because of this organization, which makes me also VERY excited for whomever gets to take on this job next! It has been particularly exciting watching all of the new titleholders receive their crowns and begin their own journeys. I am also excited for the next phase in my own life, but I know that I will always look back on this year with fondness, and vivid memories of the inspiring and magical moments it carried.

But for now I am soaking up EVERY last bit of this great year. My schedule is still filling up with appearances and I am so blessed to be able to continue serving the people of this great state and this wonderful organization for two and half more months!

And please don't forget....this week, April 10-16 is NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK!!! So get out there and get involved, volunteer your time with an organization that you love, and thank the volunteers that have helped you in your life as well!

SO since my last post...what have I been up to you ask???

Well I answered phones for the CP Telethon in Green Bay along with our local Green Bay titleholders. We had lots of fun helping to raise funds for the CP Center that does such outstanding work for our local children.

The Miss Oshkosh 2011 pageant was such an AWESOME show! The contestants, the committee, the producers, everyone who was involved made it such a special evening. I am so proud of my friend, Shana, who gave up her crown that night, and truly was a fabulous Miss Oshkosh. Congratulations to VeiJzahn Knight, our new Miss Oshkosh 2011, and best wishes for a fantastic year!

I was so glad to make it to the Miss Fond du Lac & Wisconsin Central Pageant as well! It was so great to celebrate the wonderful years of Desiree and Cari and to see the beginning of the journey for Cecelia Abshire (Miss Fond du Lac 2011), Katie Williams (Miss Wisconsin Central 2011) and Elise O'Connell (Miss Wisc Central's Outstanding Teen). It was a show packed with great contestants, and I am so proud of what all of these girls have accomplished and will continue to accomplish in the future.

The next day I was off to FLORIDA for a little family vacation time:) I had such a blast watching my brother, Tom, play his first year for Ripon College baseball! It brought back such great memories of playing with the St. Norbert College softball team, spring training was always so much fun!

We relaxed in the sun, got a lot of reading done, watched a ton of baseball, filled out our NCAA basketball brackets and cheered on our teams, ate some great food, and Katie's personal favorite...went to Disney World!!! It was Stew's first time at Disney so he was pretty excited too:) Our favorite part was at the end of the night right before the fireworks, they put a slideshow ON the castle! It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen!

Katie even received an "I'm Celebrating" button since she plans on becoming a Disney intern/performer herself next year!

We also got the chance to watch Stew's college baseball teammate Jordan Zimmermann pitch for the Washington Nationals!!! It was such a fun week with my amazing family:)

When we got back, I headed to a fundraiser for St. Baldrick's with Shana P., former Miss Oshkosh 2010. We watched so many volunteers go up to the stage and get their heads shaved in order to raise money and awareness of childhood cancers. It was a very inspiring afternoon with many stories shared both of sadness and triumph. Like I said, it is National Volunteer Week this week, so if this is something that touches your heart, get involved by clicking on their link above!

I then traveled to Waukesha for the Waukesha Warriors Summit, a conference for veterans and their families. What a great event! There were people from a multitude of organizations with tons of resources to help veterans and their families adjust to life back at home. I was honored to sing the National Anthem and to sign autographs for so many heroes.

I then headed southward to emcee the Miss Beloit Pageant!! I really enjoyed my stay at the Beloit Inn, just a fabulous hotel, and really appreciate the kindness and support from the Miss Beloit Committee. What a great organization for young women to spread their wings. Teaka, her mom Lisa, and I had such a fun time together as well! We really enjoyed meeting with the judges during the warm-up interviews and the dinner before the pageant. They were such a fun and accomplished group, and were so excited to select the new Miss Beloit! I was so impressed with all of the ladies that competed, and want to send a big congrats to Caitlin Schober, Miss Beloit 2011! Also congrats to Jessica Gile, Miss Beloit 2010, who represented her city so well this year!

Of course, a trip to Beloit wouldn't be complete without getting to visit with one of my personal role models, miss Stephanie Klett (Miss Wisconsin 1992 and now our Secretary of Tourism for the state of Wisconsin!!) I had not seen her since she hosted my send-off to Miss America Show (blog about that next) in December, so it was so good to catch up with her and hear all about her new job! As you can see in this picture...Stephanie has the best sense of humor...:)

The next day, after a wonderful night stay at the Beloit Inn, I headed off to breakfast with Katie's local director for Miss South Central, Eddie Farr. We ate at the Atlanta Bread Company, which he manages, and had a wonderful time catching up. I then drove back north, and stopped in Oshkosh for my next appearance for the Altrusa Club of Oshkosh. Art in the Garden is one of their fundraisers that allows the public to vote on local and student artists' work. I mingled with the crowd and handed out prizes at the end of the afternoon. I am waiting on pictures of that event, so I will post them when they get to me.

Then to kick off the month of April, Teaka and I had a fun photo shoot together in Kaukauna at Portraits by Design for the Miss Wis 2011 program book!! Can't wait to share all the pictures with you!

So I think I'll end this blog before it gets any longer! I have been so busy visiting so many wonderful organizations, and can't wait to share even more very soon! I promise it will be soon so the next post isn't a novel:)

Happy Springtime!!:)

Back into the swing of things!!

2011-03-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

Since I returned from Miss America, I have to admit, my schedule has slowed down a tad. I haven't felt like I am running like crazy all over the place every single day in preparation, but I am definitely still busy with a lot of wonderful appearances. It is such a blessing to be able to have this job for four more months (still can't believe it's going that fast!). I am doing all that I can to make sure I make the most of the time I have left and leave a lasting impact on those I reach and also show them how amazing this organization really is.

One of the first things I did after I returned was travel to some local pageants to watch the beginning of many journeys of our 2011 Miss Wisconsin contestants. The first was Miss Seven Rivers, where we watched Raeanna Johnson become Miss Seven Rivers 2011 and Jenna Flick become Miss Seven Rivers Outstanding Teen. Both girls are very talented, Raeanna a dancer and Jenna, a singer. I had such a fun time watching all of the contestants and was so impressed with everyone, including outgoing titleholders, Katie and Chelsea. Congrats ladies!

My next appearance was at a Wellness Expo in Madison where I greeted attendees with gift bags and took tons of pictures! All of the volunteers were so welcoming, and I really had a great time meeting all of the vendors as well. I made some great networking connections there (including the staff of the Abbey Resort which you will see later on in this blog) and really learned a lot about the field of wellness and health. My mom, who is on vacation at the moment:), has all of those pictures from that day so I'll get those uploaded as soon as possible.

The next event was back in my amazing hometown of Door County. I know Door County is not a town (Egg Harbor is my hometown technically) but DC is more easily recognizable for non-natives:) I had the incredible honor of hosting the Miss Door County Pageant on February 5th. It was amazing to be able to emcee the pageant that gave me my start with the Miss America Organization back in 2005 when I was 2nd runner-up to my good friend, Samantha Baudhuin. I then came back in 2008 to win the title, and was so lucky to be able to work with the great volunteers of the Miss DC committee. They are truly family to me. I was so proud of all of the young ladies competing, including the Misses, Teens, and our Princesses, too adorable!! My sister, Katie, did a great job choreographing the opening numbers and helping with production details. She is such a great role model for those girls to look up to.

In the afternoon, we crowned Cora Baudhuin, Miss Door County's very first Outstanding Teen! Congrats to all the ladies and to the Miss DC committee for a very successful first teen pageant.

My good friends Samantha and Ashley, former Miss DC's, did a great job emceeing that afternoon, and thank you to Teaka, our Miss WI OTeen for being there to dance, speak, and crown Cora:)

We then moved on to the Misses, as we said goodbye to Crystal Burke, Miss DC 2010, and welcomed Emily Larsen, Miss Door County 2011 into the sisterhood. Both Emily and Cora are pianists, and I know they will do DC very proud at Miss Wis in June!

The next weekend, I had the opportunity to head out to Merrill, Wisconsin for the Merrill Ice Draggers event. They literally drag race all types of cars on the ICE!! It was a little chilly, but that didn't stop us from having a total blast. I sang the national anthem, visited with attendees, sold raffle tickets, watched a ton of races, and even got to ride in a car!! Okay so I didn't drive, but we went about 80mph on the ice, and won the race! I also enjoyed attending the awards ceremony at a local restaurant where I got to meet and talk with Merrill residents, what a great community. Check out the video of my race, and some pictures below!

A few days later, I had the honor of visiting the Veteran's Hospital in Tomah. It was such an incredible honor to say thank you to the many men and women who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms that we have today. They are truly some of the most amazing people I have met and were such an inspiration to me. I hope that I added a little bit of sunshine to their day, because they certainly did that to mine. I also had the chance to film a TV piece for a local Tomah station with Tommy Thompson's brother, a resident of Tomah. He was so sweet, and I thank him so much for including me in their broadcast!

It truly is pageant season! My next stop was to emcee the Miss Green Bay Area Pageant, which was the title I held before winning Miss Wisconsin. I had the opportunity to visit with the fabulous committee that helped me prepare for Miss Wis, and to meet the two teens that will be representing Green Bay at the Miss Wis Outstanding Teen Pageant in June. Nadia Dervish is Miss Titletown's Outstanding Teen and Lauren McLester-Davis is Miss De Pere's Outstanding Teen. At the end of the evening, we welcomed Brianne Lund, Miss GB 2011, into the sisterhood. She performed a very impressive martial arts routine and I know she has an exciting year ahead of her! Thank you to Teaka for being there, and to Michelle Keehan, Miss GB 2010, who took over my title after winning Miss Wisconsin. She was a great representative for the Green Bay area and had such a positive impact on our community!

With IHOP National Pancake Day approaching, I then headed to Appleton to record two radio interviews with WAPL and 95.9 to promote the big day in order to raise funds for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals! Thank you to both stations for having me on their shows, I had a lot of fun!

The next day, I went to the Radisson Hotel in Green Bay to volunteer for the Dancing with Our Stars fundraiser for the American Red Cross-Lakeland Chapter, which has been my "Service for the Soul" for four years now. Thank you to Jody Weyers for being such a great volunteer coordinator, making sure we were all organized and knew what our official duties were. After seating all of the guests, I put on the crown for the grand march. The show was absolutely fantastic!! All of the celebrities and dancers were outstanding, all couples dancing in both smooth and rhythm rounds. I give them so much credit for all of their hard work! I was a celebrity dancer three years ago for the inaugural event, so I definitely know what they went through! I got to speak on the dance floor with emcees Cami Rapson and Bill Jartz, and helped hand out awards at the end of the evening. The event ended up raising over $112,000 for the Red Cross, an amazing accomplishment! Below is a picture of my friend Melissa and I, an amazing dancer for the Red Cross the last two years!

Next was the Miss Madison-Capital City Pageant! This pageant had an awesome group of girls, which were so fun to watch. We saw Katie O'Reilly, a wonderful and inspiring young woman, give up her title and crown Miss Madison 2011, Brittnay Wittnebel! Brittnay is an excellent pianist, and was so impressive throughout the entire show. I am so excited for her as she begins her year! Thank you to Ron and Joe, Miss Madison's executive directors, for all they do for our organization and for providing such an amazing opportunity for our young ladies:)

That night I headed to the Abbey Resort and AVANI Spa in Lake Geneva. They gave me a free room for the evening and then a free massage in the morning! (this is why networking and business cards pay off!!) Thank you to the Abbey staff for being so generous and for the fabulous service! Below is a picture of me in their lobby while we took some promotional pictures in the morning. Visit their website at http://theabbeyresort.com/index.cfm to check our their beautiful resort!

That same day, I traveled to the beautiful community of Mequon to the Estetika Skin and Laser Specialists for their beach party! I visited with customers, promoted their raffle of a makeover with our very own Tom Preston, and two CoolSculpting treatments, a non-invasive procedure that reduces body fat. All proceeds from the raffle went to my personal charity, the American Red Cross, which was so very generous of Estetika to do! Thank you, Gail, for having me at your event! It was so interesting to see the many before and after pictures of skin and body procedures that have truly changed people's lives for the better. It is amazing what technology and a talented and caring physician can do today!

Finally, my three day road trip culminated with IHOP National Pancake Day!! I met with the special events coordinator for Children's Hospital of Wisconsin to visit two different IHOP locations in Milwaukee, go to a radio interview with 106.1FM, and interview with Tony from Real Milwaukee. I had so much fun all day, saying thank you to patrons for their donations to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, and eating some pancakes too:) One of the best moments was when Tony and I interviewed a family in the corner of the restaurant with the cutest kid in his sports pajamas, adorable! We soon found out that the reason why they were there was because that little guy has been to Children's Hospital many times and is still undergoing testing to make a diagnosis. They wanted to support the hospital and all other families going through similar experiences. My thoughts and prayers go out to this family and hope that he gets better soon! Click on the links to watch my TV interviews and see some pictures below! Hope you went to IHOP to get some free pancakes and make a donation to CMNH!

http://www.realmilwaukeenow.com/videobeta/13c86a92-116d-44b1-96f7-c9d8257d20e2/Community/Eat-pancakes-for-a-good-cause

http://www.realmilwaukeenow.com/videobeta/559d95c8-c1fc-417c-acf2-acdfddfcc964/Community/National-Pancake-Day-to-Benefit-Children-s-Miracle-Network

Thank you so much for reading my blog! I hope some of these stories were fun to read and have inspired you in your own life. I am truly blessed to have this amazing opportunity, and the people I meet on this journey solidify that message every day. It is my plan to continue to make the most of this job until I pass it on to the next lucky girl!!:) Hope to see you all at Miss Oshkosh 2011, Saturday March 5th! I will be emceeing with Shana, Miss Oshkosh 2010. We are going to have a great show, the contestants and the production is amazing! See you there!

Soo...how was it??? Miss America = amazing

2011-01-25T19:40:00.000-08:00

That's been the question of the day for the past 10 days since I have returned from Vegas. Let's just say, the word AMAZING doesn't even do it justice. Miss America was one of those experiences that doesn't even seem like it actually happened, that's how great it was.

I first arrived on a Thursday, flew in to Vegas on my own to be immediately met by our security guards at the baggage claim, definitely some of the nicest guys who really had all of our best interests at heart. While waiting for my bags, I saw my friend Cali, Miss West Virginia! I was so excited to see a friendly and familiar face, and thought...this is definitely a good sign. The security guards were pretty impressed with our packing skills, I know I only had 3 suitcases and a carry-on, and Cali did very well herself, so we could ride together in the Planet Hollywood limo. As the limo drove through Vegas, I tried to just take it all in, I was really there! We went into the unmarked celebrity entrance of the hotel and met our hostesses, checked in, met my roomie...Miss New Jersey (nicest girl in the world!), and then headed to fittings in the dressing tent outside the theater.

From there the week and a half was a complete whirlwind! To give you a highlight of some of the things we did...IHOP pancake breakfast, Barry Manilow show, dinners at PF Changs and Bucca di Beppo, the Joseph Ribkoff Fashion Show, DSW shoe parade, video/commerical shoots and TONS of rehearsals:)

Learning the opening number dance was so much fun, especially with our amazing group of super talented choreographers Barry, Brian, and Stacey. They were always so patient and kind, and funny too, always keeping us in a good mood, even when we were all so tired.

We had many 20 hour days, and found ourselves dressed to the nines at very early hours of the morning to shoot videos, go to appearances, and head to rehearsals. But no matter the level of exhaustion, we all kept on going because we realized how blessed we were to be there! To be one of 53 women in America to have the opportunity to compete for the title and job of Miss America was truly humbling and utterly incredible.

So yes...what about those 52 other women?? They were AMAZING too!!! All 52 ladies were some of the most beautiful, intelligent, classy and talented women I have ever met in my life. Above all, they are a part of this organization because they have the desire to make a positive impact in our world, in all sorts of incredible ways. To see the many different paths of success that these women have achieved and continue to drive themselves towards was so inspiring, and had me walking away with even more motivation for my own life goals. All of us really did get along, and supported each other in every facet of competition. I am so excited to say that I now have 52 sisters all over the country!

A big thank you to everyone who worked so hard to help me prepare for Miss America and all of my family, friends, and everyone from the Miss Wisconsin Organization that cheered me on and supported me both in Vegas and at home. I couldn't have done it without all of you!!! THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart:)

So was I disappointed that I didn't walk away as Miss America? Of course. But I can tell you that I did the absolute best I could do in every phase of competition, and truly left it all on that stage. I know that everything happens for a reason, and truly feel so honored and blessed to have had the opportunity. I am so excited to continue my reign as Miss Wis for the next 6 months and to do the absolute best job possible! A big congratulations to our new Miss America, Teresa, and best wishes to her on a fabulous and successful year representing this wonderful organization!!! I know she will do a fantastic job!!!:)

Miss America...only one month away!!!

2010-12-03T20:29:00.000-08:00

Well...it's true, Miss America is only one month away! How incredible is that?! I still pinch myself a little bit every day thinking about the fact that I'll be on the Planet Hollywood stage in Las Vegas competing for the title of Miss America! I absolutely cannot wait to get there, to see all the girls again, and to represent the great state of Wisconsin.

I have been very busy with vocal training, going to the gym, mock interviews, and final wardrobe fittings, but I've still had the opportunity to go to many appearances. The past few weeks have been just flying by, mostly because I've been having so much fun visiting all of these different places and organizations. Here are some events that I've attended recently...

The Oshkosh Women's Division Fashion Show...

Davis Day Care Visit, Oshkosh...

Boys and Girls Club of Oshkosh...

Oshkosh Girl Scouts CANstruction Awards...

Picture of me in my Miss America Brands t-shirt, also made the front page of pageantees.com!

Wautoma Holiday Parade w/ meet and greet afterwards at Pioneer Pub...thank you to Furs of Distinction of Green Bay for allowing me to wear one of their beautiful coats during both parades this weekend!

Then went to the West Bend Holiday parade!

Spoke to a girls basketball team in Appleton...

Finally, just went to the Jim Larsen Boys and Girls Club Gala in Sturgeon Bay last night, my parents came too! It was so nice to be home and to support such a great organization...

Earlier in the day, Cami Rapson from WBAY in Green Bay came up to my parents' house in Door County to interview all of us. I will keep everyone updated on the air-date of that piece.
Looking forward to heading to Eau Claire with Katie tomorrow for a youth vocal competition where I will be emceeing and performing. I think it will be so much fun, good luck to all of the contestants!
I hope you're all getting in the Christmas spirit, I know I have my Christmas tunes 24-7 in the Miss Wis mobile!:) Talk to you soon!

I can't believe it's November!

2010-11-14T17:10:00.000-08:00

Well I have now officially said goodbye to my favorite time of year...fall:( But that just means that it's getting closer to Miss America! Wow! I can't believe it's less than two months away. Everything has been going just great, with lots of final fittings, interview prep, vocal lessons, and appearances of course!

I had the opportunity to do so many fun things these last few weeks, so here are some pictures to give you an idea of where I've been!

First I went to the Wisconsin Middle Level Educator's Conference in Wisconsin Dells, where I spoke at their closing luncheon. It was so nice to see some of my wonderful middle school teachers, who had invited me there. I am thankful that I was able to thank my teachers and all of the other teachers there for what they do on a daily basis to inspire and educate the youth of Wisconsin.

I was then able to attend a fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network at the Lambeau Field Atrium. I helped with the oral auction by modeling a beautiful necklace, and got to sit at the head table with Chris Roth from WBAY and his family, and our hosts Brian and Lecia Wardle and their daughter. Both Chris and Brian each have a daughter that benefited from the services of a CMN hospital during an illness or surgery. It was an inspiring night, my favorite part was listening to a young cancer survivor not only tell his story but sing to us as well. He was amazing! It is so wonderful to see so many people that have chosen to give to CMN.

To promote the United Way's campaign for healthy and active kids in Green Bay, I handed out pamphlets in the Lambeau Atrium before the Packer/Viking game. It was pretty crazy with all of those people, but I had a lot of fun, and even took some pictures with some Viking fans...haha. It was great to be able to talk with and educate people about the campaign and also talk with them about the Miss America Organization.

Then, my friend Laura and I made the drive out to Wisconsin Rapids for the Miss Wisconsin Rapids Area Pageant! It was a beautiful auditorium and an excellent show. I absolutely loved their opening number, it was very impressive. All of the contestants did a fabulous job, I thought it was a great variety of talent, so many gifted young ladies! Congratulations to Lindsay Lobner Reimer, who had an amazing year as MWR. She did such a great job in the show as well, I loved seeing her both dance and sing! At the end of the night, the new Miss Wisconsin Rapids Area, Megan Larsen, was crowned, and you can see the video on the Miss Wis Facebook page! Congratulations to Megan and all of the contestants, you are all unbelievable young ladies who should be so proud of yourselves. It was wonderful meeting all of you before the show!

My next appearance was at Wrightstown Middle School, where I spoke to the students about being prepared and excited about their WKCE standardized testing. The faculty and students made me feel so welcome and I really enjoyed meeting everyone and signing autographs after the presentation as well. Below is a picture of me with their student theatre group that performed a very funny piece on how to properly prepare for an exam. Good luck to all the students on their tests!

One of my favorite days of my year so far was at the Volunteer Managers Conference at my alma mater, St. Norbert College. The day started off with a message about servant leadership from Mark Skogen of Festival Foods. We then had three breakout sessions during the day in which I learned so much about all facets of volunteerism, which is my personal platform. I learned about recruiting a diverse group of volunteers, using technology to manage your time effectively as a volunteer coordinator, and had a final session with the Corporation for National and Community Service. I was the closing speaker for the day, and talked with the group, made of a variety of volunteer coordinators, about my passion and platform "Service for the Soul". I told them about my mission to encourage civic engagement and match potential volunteers with organizations in order to generate life-long volunteers in our communities. I sang my Miss America song and signed autographs, but most importantly informed them about the service aspect of the MAO, and made great connections with people that spend their time inspiring others to serve. Thank you to Jody Weyers from the American Red Cross for inviting me! What a great day!

Most recently, I was in Wautoma at the Waushara County Human Services Department for a presentation to young women that take part in their services. The theme for the evening was "Dream BIG!", which allowed me to speak to them about following their dreams and believing in themselves, no matter where they come from and no matter what anyone else tells them they can or cannot do. All of the girls and their counselors were so kind and made it such a wonderful evening. I also sang two songs for them, signed autographs and took lots of pictures! We had so much fun, and I hope I get to see them all again soon. Best wishes to all of the girls in their futures, they are a true inspiration to me.

Thanks for reading! More to come soon!