Miss Kanawha Valley Preliminary

The Miss America Organization provides personal and professional opportunities for young women and opportunities to promote their voices in culture, politics, and their communities. The program provides a forum for today's young women to express their viewpoints, talents, and accomplishments to audiences.

The Miss Kanawha Valley Scholarship Organization follows the same values as it gives West Virginia residents the opportunity to compete for Miss West Virginia under the Miss America Scholarship program. This pageant is near and dear to my heart because I held both the Miss Kanawha Valley title and the Miss Capital City title. I had two wonderful years to work with head pageant director, Misty McMinn, after competing with her my first year in the system. She is a wonderful woman and director along with the other directors that put on this regional preliminary. 

There were 16 contestants that competed for 8 titles – six were given by KVSO and two were given by the Miss Southern West Virginia preliminary. The winners are as follows:

Miss Kanawha Valley, Megan Otte

Miss Capital City, Rebecca King

Miss Appalachia, Emily Shaffer

Miss Metro Valley, Jessica Schueler

Miss Whitewater, Macy Miller

Miss Coal Valley, Jessica Keefer

Miss Kanawha Valley's Outstanding Teen, Auvielle Anderson

Miss Capital City's Outstanding Teen, Payton Whitt

Fun one with the KVSO winners and the awesome director, Misty McMinn.

My Payton...

Mary Engles Elementary School

Mary Engles Elementary was one of my favorites! Up until my visit, I had only had one other school be prepared and ready for me to come in with my powerpoint/video presentation. The school staff were wonderful and I can see why the kids were as well. They were so well behaved and mannerly!

The whole school was in the presentation and we all convened in the gym. After the presentation I did a 20 minute question and answer session. Those are always a blast!

Women's and Children's Day at the Capitol

Women’s Day at the Capital is an annual event hosted by Senator Donna Boley. This day offers a chance for all republican women to get together, catch up, and offer their support to the upcoming candidates in the various political races. We had visits from various candidates and Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito even dropped by for lunch!

(I am the one in the green suit...didn't get the dress code memo.)


February 17^th is dedicated solely to children at the WV State Legislature. This year there were various speakers including myself and First Lady, Gail Manchin, who provided a insight from the field of child advocacy to the legislative members and those in attendance. A YouTube forum was added to this special day. Throughout the state children were filmed posing questions to the legislative members who were on the YouTube panel. This was a really cool, interactive, and audiovisual perspective to how kids think and how they perceive the legislative body and their role in society.

Flinn Elementary

Jodie, a friend from high school who is now a teacher at Flinn.   Man how life changes when we have to grow up:(

I visited Flinn Elementary on February 12, just a few days before Valentine’s Day, so the kids were in full swing and awaiting the Valentine’s Day parties that were soon to be had.

I presented two times to this school; first, with the younger grades and then second with the older grades. I talked on the topic of overcoming adversity and making good choices and pursuing your dreams. Immediately after my older presentation I was asked to be various different little boys Valentine:)

Lobbying the Legislature

(Stopping for a picture with a female legislature and her mother)

Monday of last week, I got a call at 2:00 pm to speak to the House Health & Human Resources Committee on my legislative agenda, platform, and things that as Miss West Virginia I felt could be amended or added in order to make WV a safe place for children to grow up.  The only catch was they wanted me in Charleston, 45 minutes away from home, by 4:00 pm.   Even though it was 2:00 pm in the afternoon I was still on the Miss America schedule and had not yet taken a shower! YIKES!

After showering in .2 seconds, blowing dry my hair, putting the curlers in, throwing on a "stylish suit’"and running out the door with makeup in hand, I jumped in the car on my way to Charleston to present. While doing my makeup in the car and driving at the same time (hope the cops aren't reading this) I tried to wrap my mind around a way to EFFECTIVELY convey my legislative agenda.  Arriving to the Capitol 10 minutes early, I ran to the nearest bathroom in my flats, teased my hair (like every pageant girl), put on my heels and walked out like I had been ready all day….just waiting on a call:)

Before presenting, I was able to see many of my old legislative friends.  In college and upon graduation, I was able to serve at the WV State Legislature for two consecutive sessions as an legislative analyst and intern.  Tiffany Lawrence, former Miss West Virginia, now serves her county as an elected official to the House of Delegates.  She and her fiancé were both in attendance, as well as many of the other legislators and lobbyists I had had the privilege of knowing.

For the rush of getting there and getting ready, the presentation went surprisingly well and I was asked to present to the Senate Health & Human Resources Committee members last week as well. Currently, with the help of Delegate Mitch Carmichael, a bill is being drafted proposing that social workers in the State of West Virginia be given a $5,000 raise. With there being 400 workers in total, that equals out to about $2,000,000, but hey, when a turnpike toll worker taking $2.00 makes more than someone protecting our children, what is $2,000,000 when our future is at stake?

This coming week, I will be spending each and every day getting other lawmakers to sign onto the bill and working it so that it pass through both the House and Senate committees and the floor.

Senate Health & Human Resources Interns

Queen for a Day!

After returning home from Las Vegas I was graced with the opportunity to spend the afternoon with a four-year-old little girl at CAMC. She had just finished up with a procedure and we were able to get together and have a few hours of “girl time.” We painted nails, did makeovers on each other, and ate our favorite candy...Chewy Sprees:)

We all know the feeling from dressing up, putting on a little lipstick or wearing our favorite outfit.  As a college student, I would dress up for exams because I carried myself differently "fixed up."   It was easier to focus and I felt more energetic.    That's the concept of QFAD - giving a little pick-me-up to kids in treatment for cancer. QFAD isn't about looking good.  It's about feeling good.

Queen for a day is done all over the United States through personal visits and group parties where makeovers, crafts, manicures, games, temporary tattoos and entertainers are all a part. Girls receive boas and tiaras donated by beauty queens; boys receive fireman hats and a badge.  The little girl that I spent the day with reminded me of HOPE.  No matter the situation she was in, she laughed and smiled and was so excited to go to the Mexican restaurant for chips and cheese that afternoon.  I could tell that her parents loved her like no one else and soaked up each minute they were able to spend with their precious, happy-go-lucky daughter.

Misty McMinn: Local Director, Hair & Makeup Artist for Miss America, and Best Friend.

Misty Quick McMinn is known to many as Mrs. WV International, Local Director, Pageant Guru, former contestant, best Mrs. WV EVER, confidant and pageant acquaintance, but to me….she is Best Friend! She was gracious enough to do my hair and makeup for Miss America, but that is not where our journey together started.

(First year at Miss West Virginia)

My first year at Miss WV she was a fellow contestant. After devoting many years of her life to the Miss WV Scholarship Organization she decided to forgo being a contestant and become a local director. I competed in her first local and then was her queen her third and fourth year as the Miss Kanawha Valley Scholarship Organization Director. In her short time of serving as a local director, she has had two miss West Virginias and other top placements.

(At my send off party for Miss America where she kept the program running)

Throughout the years of helping me with pageantry, being my local director, and hair and makeup artist….she has also served as a confidant, homemaker (I stay with her a good bit), someone to laugh with, but someone who I can trust with anything and has helped mold me into who I am today. She, along with the Miss WV Board and my family, was the one who pushed me in my preparation for Miss America and Miss West Virginia.

(Yes, that is edible gold printed Bally's. Better be for the price of the buffet, but it was SO WORTH IT!)

(Morning after Miss America at THE BEST BUFFET IN LAS VEGAS. We had everything from chocolate, breakfast foods, seafood, any fruit imaginable, etc.)

She always gives good advice, provides a laugh...and the truth, and is someone I will forever be amazed by! So lucky to have her in my life….