must...
edit........
Later.........
MAY 26TH: OAK PARK/RIVER FOREST MEMORIAL DAY PARADE-- CRUISIN IN RED CONVERTIBLE . SWEEEET....
JUNE 1ST: A DAY IN OUR VILLAGE-- OAK PARK FAMILY FESTIVAL
JUNE 7TH: GIRLS ON THE RUN CHICAGO 5K RACE
JUNE 13TH: CLYDON SALON MAKEOVER! -- HAIRCUT, MAKEOVER, NAILS
Also, officially signed up for Chicago Marathon running for Team Tiara!!!! And my personal trainer, Robyn, is AMAZING.
my platform website...... www.WaytobeHAPPY.org
CRAZY EXCITED ABOUT EVERYTHING!
Miss Illinois, then ITALY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<3
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Today's date is freakin me out
JUNE 14th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Miss IL - JUNE 17tH!!!!!!!!!!!
CANNOT believe how FAST summer has gone by so far!!!
I have learned so much about myself and those I care about since my last post...
When my dad was giving me mock interview questions the other day, he asked me: "Marisa-- How do you define a true friend?"
It took me some time to think about how to answer the question. "Someone I have fun with and enjoy being around" is what first came to mind. While this is a very important and I think necessary aspect of friendship, it is certainly not everything. After taking more time to evaluate how I truly wanted to answer this question, my dad and I came up with something along the lines of this: "A true friend is someone who will always be honest with you. Someone who will ALWAYS be supportive of you, even if you are doing something he or she may not approve of 100%. In the situation that a close friend believes you are doing harm to yourself or others, he/she still stands behind you giving you constructive criticism and trying to help you get through difficult situations the best they can."
Yes, this is what I believe defines a good friend. More than that, it is how to define any person who truly cares about you. Family, friends, teachers... someone who loves you and accepts the person you are despite any flaws you may have. A reciprocal relationship of support.
I have evaluated and identified the individuals in my life that truly care about me. I am so very blessed to have each and every one of these individuals--valuable mentors, friends, and family members. I am a very lucky girl... I have incredible best friends who have the power to put me in a state of ridiculous laughter when I am down. I have parents who are so supportive and helpful to me that I sometimes feel it is far more than I deserve. I have individuals helping me in a variety of ways to become a more powerful and strong young woman, and that means the world to me.
I have met with Irene several times in the past few weeks since I've been home. The woman is incredible... 85 years old and she still has it. The voice and the soprano attitude. She cares so much, and I am beyond grateful for this and for everything she has taught me in the many years I have known her. I don't know what I'll ever do without her.
sidetrack really quick...... i NEED Sleep! I'll have to cut this a little short. I want to get to the appearances and all! Point is...
I truly love my friends. They are the greatest.
Miss IL - JUNE 17tH!!!!!!!!!!!
CANNOT believe how FAST summer has gone by so far!!!
I have learned so much about myself and those I care about since my last post...
When my dad was giving me mock interview questions the other day, he asked me: "Marisa-- How do you define a true friend?"
It took me some time to think about how to answer the question. "Someone I have fun with and enjoy being around" is what first came to mind. While this is a very important and I think necessary aspect of friendship, it is certainly not everything. After taking more time to evaluate how I truly wanted to answer this question, my dad and I came up with something along the lines of this: "A true friend is someone who will always be honest with you. Someone who will ALWAYS be supportive of you, even if you are doing something he or she may not approve of 100%. In the situation that a close friend believes you are doing harm to yourself or others, he/she still stands behind you giving you constructive criticism and trying to help you get through difficult situations the best they can."
Yes, this is what I believe defines a good friend. More than that, it is how to define any person who truly cares about you. Family, friends, teachers... someone who loves you and accepts the person you are despite any flaws you may have. A reciprocal relationship of support.
I have evaluated and identified the individuals in my life that truly care about me. I am so very blessed to have each and every one of these individuals--valuable mentors, friends, and family members. I am a very lucky girl... I have incredible best friends who have the power to put me in a state of ridiculous laughter when I am down. I have parents who are so supportive and helpful to me that I sometimes feel it is far more than I deserve. I have individuals helping me in a variety of ways to become a more powerful and strong young woman, and that means the world to me.
I have met with Irene several times in the past few weeks since I've been home. The woman is incredible... 85 years old and she still has it. The voice and the soprano attitude. She cares so much, and I am beyond grateful for this and for everything she has taught me in the many years I have known her. I don't know what I'll ever do without her.
sidetrack really quick...... i NEED Sleep! I'll have to cut this a little short. I want to get to the appearances and all! Point is...
I truly love my friends. They are the greatest.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
SPRING FORUM!
Saturday (May 24th) was the official Miss Illinois Spring Forum 2008. Basically, orientation for State.
It was a looong day, beginning at 430AM for me! But I learned so much. I took about 10 pages of notes from the different presentations and speakers, including Ashley, MerrieBeth, Amalia, Jason, and this amaazzzing woman Stacey. They were basically informing us of what to expect at Miss IL, and what the judges are looking for! I was reminded of how the JOB of Miss Illinois is absolutely crazy and very challenging, but also incredibly exciting and rewarding...
There's 25 amazing girls in the Miss Pageant, and a lot of really cute, talented girls in the Outstanding Teen Pageant! Can't wait!
Here's some pics from Spring Forum:
announcing my name, title, platform, etc.
Stacey, a very powerful and inspirational woman who came to speak to us
Ashley cutting her birthday cake, with MerrieBeth. Happy 25th (again)!
eating lunch with some of the gals
getting ready to go up on stage to pick our contestant numbers/roommates
Playing the 'next top model' game to pick our contestant #s. haha glen!!
blondies! lol
MerrieBeth and the teen contestants!
The ALPHA group of Miss Contestants! representtt ;)
<3 Marisa
It was a looong day, beginning at 430AM for me! But I learned so much. I took about 10 pages of notes from the different presentations and speakers, including Ashley, MerrieBeth, Amalia, Jason, and this amaazzzing woman Stacey. They were basically informing us of what to expect at Miss IL, and what the judges are looking for! I was reminded of how the JOB of Miss Illinois is absolutely crazy and very challenging, but also incredibly exciting and rewarding...
There's 25 amazing girls in the Miss Pageant, and a lot of really cute, talented girls in the Outstanding Teen Pageant! Can't wait!
Here's some pics from Spring Forum:
announcing my name, title, platform, etc.
Stacey, a very powerful and inspirational woman who came to speak to us
Ashley cutting her birthday cake, with MerrieBeth. Happy 25th (again)!
eating lunch with some of the gals
getting ready to go up on stage to pick our contestant numbers/roommates
Playing the 'next top model' game to pick our contestant #s. haha glen!!
blondies! lol 
MerrieBeth and the teen contestants!
The ALPHA group of Miss Contestants! representtt ;)<3 Marisa
Friday, May 23, 2008
Women in Management, Inc. National Conference
My second official appearance was at the Women in Management, Inc. National Conference, held at the Carleton of Oak Park this past Tuesday, May 20th. KL is currently the National President of WIM, so she was in charge of many aspects of the conference. Ashley Hatfield, the reigning Miss Illinois, was the keynote speaker at the event. There were many influential and inspiring women that are members of WIM, most of which are business leaders or important figures in the corporate world. It was very cool to be in a room full of such high profile individuals, and as always, I had a great time with my exec directors Patti and KL!
As the recipient of this year's Nancy Ecker Maczka-Burke Scholarship Award, I received a certificate and was honored at the event. Ashley and I also helped hand out awards to the amazing women who won the Woman of Achievement Awards within WIM. And we picked raffle tickets! haha
Ashley and I
With one of the WIM chapters
With my exec directors and Amalia (director of Miss Illinois) !!
Miss Illinois 2007... keynote speaker! Her speech seriously almost made me cry... ya it was that good.
Ashley's speech was very fluid and impactful... she got her message across strongly and in a friendly way. She began talking about how her becoming Miss Illinois came about. At 24, she decided to compete again in order to get some scholarship money for school. If she at least made the top 10 at Miss Illinois, she would be able to cover the majority of her expenses! She hadn't competed since 19, and many people doubted her ability to come out successul because of her age. She went on to talk about her year as Miss Illinois, and the ways in which she has promoted her platforms. Yes, she has been working to promote more than one platform. Breast cancer is her main platform issue, but she also talked to schools about the CHARACTER COUNTS! program, and she has been a strong advocate for the Miss America Organization. She became emotional when talking about what the Miss America Organization does for young women... This is the part that really hit home with me. What the MAO does is build confidence in women, empower them, provide them with important interview practice and experience, help them develop their talents, provoke their interest in community service and giving back through volunteer work, promote strong moral standards within them, and keep them striving for a healthy lifestyle. I feel that competing in the locals has done all of these things for me in one way or another. I am so excited to see what competing at the state level will be like and how it will help me reach my goals. I am very proud to be a representative of the organization, and I encourage all young women to get involved in some way! Miss America truly does great work. Possibly the most important thing that Ashley mentioned, WE ARE NOT OWNED BY DONALD TRUMP!!!
hahahha that was the greatest thing she could've possibly said about the Miss America Organization. I didn't know that Trump actually tried to BUY the Miss America Org, but they turned him down and he retaliated by creating the Miss USA Pageant. good stuff... OH and it was Ashley's birthday! Happy b-day Ashley :)
Ashley & KL, two amazing women
presenting awards to some of the WIM members
SPRING FORUM TOMORROW!!!!!! Ahhhh!
i've been spending almost every waking moment preparing for this thing. I went around the past few days trying to find sponsors. I went downtown, around the Lincoln Park area, and in the neighborhood asking people and businesses to sponsor me. It's intriguing to see how people react to a girl in a crown and sash..... Ashley mentioned it at one point on Tuesday. When asking people if Miss Illinois can come in and speak to people at an event or school, the directors often encounter silence. Oh well, I strongly believe in the message and goals of the Miss America Organization. It really isn't your typical beauty pageant.
OK i gotta finish my resume and get some stufff notarized. Later!
<3 Marisa
As the recipient of this year's Nancy Ecker Maczka-Burke Scholarship Award, I received a certificate and was honored at the event. Ashley and I also helped hand out awards to the amazing women who won the Woman of Achievement Awards within WIM. And we picked raffle tickets! haha
Ashley and I
With one of the WIM chapters
With my exec directors and Amalia (director of Miss Illinois) !!
Miss Illinois 2007... keynote speaker! Her speech seriously almost made me cry... ya it was that good.
Ashley's speech was very fluid and impactful... she got her message across strongly and in a friendly way. She began talking about how her becoming Miss Illinois came about. At 24, she decided to compete again in order to get some scholarship money for school. If she at least made the top 10 at Miss Illinois, she would be able to cover the majority of her expenses! She hadn't competed since 19, and many people doubted her ability to come out successul because of her age. She went on to talk about her year as Miss Illinois, and the ways in which she has promoted her platforms. Yes, she has been working to promote more than one platform. Breast cancer is her main platform issue, but she also talked to schools about the CHARACTER COUNTS! program, and she has been a strong advocate for the Miss America Organization. She became emotional when talking about what the Miss America Organization does for young women... This is the part that really hit home with me. What the MAO does is build confidence in women, empower them, provide them with important interview practice and experience, help them develop their talents, provoke their interest in community service and giving back through volunteer work, promote strong moral standards within them, and keep them striving for a healthy lifestyle. I feel that competing in the locals has done all of these things for me in one way or another. I am so excited to see what competing at the state level will be like and how it will help me reach my goals. I am very proud to be a representative of the organization, and I encourage all young women to get involved in some way! Miss America truly does great work. Possibly the most important thing that Ashley mentioned, WE ARE NOT OWNED BY DONALD TRUMP!!!
hahahha that was the greatest thing she could've possibly said about the Miss America Organization. I didn't know that Trump actually tried to BUY the Miss America Org, but they turned him down and he retaliated by creating the Miss USA Pageant. good stuff... OH and it was Ashley's birthday! Happy b-day Ashley :)
Ashley & KL, two amazing women
presenting awards to some of the WIM members
SPRING FORUM TOMORROW!!!!!! Ahhhh!
i've been spending almost every waking moment preparing for this thing. I went around the past few days trying to find sponsors. I went downtown, around the Lincoln Park area, and in the neighborhood asking people and businesses to sponsor me. It's intriguing to see how people react to a girl in a crown and sash..... Ashley mentioned it at one point on Tuesday. When asking people if Miss Illinois can come in and speak to people at an event or school, the directors often encounter silence. Oh well, I strongly believe in the message and goals of the Miss America Organization. It really isn't your typical beauty pageant.
OK i gotta finish my resume and get some stufff notarized. Later!
<3 Marisa
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
so close to SPRING FORUM!!!!!
I am going CRAZY with the amount of stuff I have to do before Spring Forum this Saturday!!
So many packets and forms to fill out. I have to finish my photo CD, resume, platform explanation, event ticket order forms, contestant contract/application, Children's Miracle Network fundraising, Publicity info, cut the track for my talent song, get a picture with Susan (my Princess), secure the ads for the program book with my potential sponsors, figure out where I'm having my fundraiser, etc.! The list is literally endless. There's more things that I am forgetting
I'm a little bit....... overwhelmed to say the least.
It's okay, I know I will get through this week somehow. And once I get to spring forum, it will feel great. I'm so excited to meet all of the contestants and pageant people! Miss IL is less than a month away. Dude.
Women in Management annual conference tomorrow! My second official appearance! Veerry excited about it, KL is the national president and she is amazing.
OH and I performed at Northside (my old h.s.) on Sunday for the school's new fundraising event, Megafest. I sang two songs in the auditorium in the "Mega Multi Talent Show" lol. My dad posted them both on Youtube.... he's kind of a dork. :) Anyways, here they are:
O Mio Babbino Caro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lu8iFVumf0
If I Loved You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsSllhKOWHs
<3 Marisa
So many packets and forms to fill out. I have to finish my photo CD, resume, platform explanation, event ticket order forms, contestant contract/application, Children's Miracle Network fundraising, Publicity info, cut the track for my talent song, get a picture with Susan (my Princess), secure the ads for the program book with my potential sponsors, figure out where I'm having my fundraiser, etc.! The list is literally endless. There's more things that I am forgetting
I'm a little bit....... overwhelmed to say the least.
It's okay, I know I will get through this week somehow. And once I get to spring forum, it will feel great. I'm so excited to meet all of the contestants and pageant people! Miss IL is less than a month away. Dude.
Women in Management annual conference tomorrow! My second official appearance! Veerry excited about it, KL is the national president and she is amazing.
OH and I performed at Northside (my old h.s.) on Sunday for the school's new fundraising event, Megafest. I sang two songs in the auditorium in the "Mega Multi Talent Show" lol. My dad posted them both on Youtube.... he's kind of a dork. :) Anyways, here they are:
O Mio Babbino Caro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lu8iFVumf0
If I Loved You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsSllhKOWHs
<3 Marisa
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Crowned in the ladies room... And first Public Appearance ever!!!
Saturday, May 10th, 2008 was quite a BIG day for me...
How to begin? I think I'll start with a quick explanation of my becoming Miss West Cook County. I competed in the Miss West Cook County/Miss North Shore Pageant this year while I was home for Spring Break. The event was held in the Oak Park Arms grand ballroom on March 15th. The whole day was a lot of fun and very stress-free. We spent time in the morning getting to know the other girls, learning a dance routine from Michelle (the daughter of Patti, who is the executive director of the pageant), and preparing ourselves for the big show that evening! The judges took a painstakingly long time to determine that night's winners; we must have waited for more than an hour. Ashley Hatfield, the reigning Miss Illinois, did a fabulous job of keeping the audience entertained as everybody awaited the big decisions. Finally, the judges handed over the envelope containing the results from the night's competition. Jennifer Rose was the new Miss North Shore and Jessica Vaughn was the new Miss West Cook County. Marciana Lee was first runner up for North Shore, and I was bewildered to find out that I was the first runner up for West Cook County! I was happy with my performance that day in the pageant, and was excited to be first runner up.
About a week later, I received a veeery interesting call from Patti, the executive director. After a couple minutes of small talk, she informed me that Jessica had just given up the title due to a conflict, and I had become the new Miss West Cook County! I was in shock. A phone call like that comes once in a lifetime, and I was definitely jumping up and down after the call.
I am SO excited, honored, blessed, fortunate, and happy to be competing in the Miss Illinois Pageant this summer!
Anyways, I must say, I may be the only titleholder in the history of pageantry to have been crowned in the bathroom!! I received my very first crown and sash today in the ladies room of a classy hotel, right before my first appearance. I was a guest at the SuperSibs event, "A Tribute to our Quiet Heroes." The event is meant to honor and pamper the mothers of children with cancer. It was very touching to hear what all of these incredibly strong women have had to go through, and it was sad and inspirational at the same time.
getting crowned in the bathroom!!!
As I already mentioned, Patti is the executive director of the pageant, and KL is kind of her counterpart or the other exec director. They are both AMAZING women, and I know I am going to learn so much from them! They've helped me book a number of appearances and performances already, and I'm so excited to see what I'll be able to do with their guidance. KL is the national president of the Woman in Management organization. I'm going to the big WIM conference on May 20th, where Ashley Hatfield will be the keynote speaker. I'm very excited about the event!
I have SO MUCH to do before the Miss Illinois Pageant. It is so exciting! I seriously can hardly contain myself... I am going to be beyond busy from now until June 17th, but I know that I am going to be pre-occupied in the best ways possible.
I just got home from school Thursday night, and being back has been simply amazing so far. I got to see my Lauren win the CPS City Champs in Women's Soccer Thursday night (Go WY Dolphins!!), I have been spending a lot of time with my family (including my grandma Popo and my bro Joe), and I've seen a few of my besssttt friends, and a lot of my old high school friends. OH and i saw Don Giovanni at the Chicago Opera Theatre last night with my mom. LIFE IS GOOD!!
and i can't forget to mention-- Happy Mother's Day to my amazing mother. Without her, well of course I wouldn't be here, but also... I wouldn't be in the position that I am in right now. With everything that I have accomplished thus far, I owe so much of it to her. If it wasn't for my mom, I wouldn't be at the Cleveland Institute of Music pursuing my dream. If it wasn't for my mom, I wouldn't be competing in Miss Illinois as Miss West Cook County. I wouldn't have any of the beautiful clothes and amazing new dresses that she has picked out for me (cause I can't dress myself nearly as well as she dresses me!). If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be going to LUCCA, ITALY this summer!! I'll explain more about that later..... =) I love you momma... I really appreciate everything you do for me, so much.
MISS WEST COOK COUNTY <3
How to begin? I think I'll start with a quick explanation of my becoming Miss West Cook County. I competed in the Miss West Cook County/Miss North Shore Pageant this year while I was home for Spring Break. The event was held in the Oak Park Arms grand ballroom on March 15th. The whole day was a lot of fun and very stress-free. We spent time in the morning getting to know the other girls, learning a dance routine from Michelle (the daughter of Patti, who is the executive director of the pageant), and preparing ourselves for the big show that evening! The judges took a painstakingly long time to determine that night's winners; we must have waited for more than an hour. Ashley Hatfield, the reigning Miss Illinois, did a fabulous job of keeping the audience entertained as everybody awaited the big decisions. Finally, the judges handed over the envelope containing the results from the night's competition. Jennifer Rose was the new Miss North Shore and Jessica Vaughn was the new Miss West Cook County. Marciana Lee was first runner up for North Shore, and I was bewildered to find out that I was the first runner up for West Cook County! I was happy with my performance that day in the pageant, and was excited to be first runner up.
About a week later, I received a veeery interesting call from Patti, the executive director. After a couple minutes of small talk, she informed me that Jessica had just given up the title due to a conflict, and I had become the new Miss West Cook County! I was in shock. A phone call like that comes once in a lifetime, and I was definitely jumping up and down after the call.
I am SO excited, honored, blessed, fortunate, and happy to be competing in the Miss Illinois Pageant this summer!
Anyways, I must say, I may be the only titleholder in the history of pageantry to have been crowned in the bathroom!! I received my very first crown and sash today in the ladies room of a classy hotel, right before my first appearance. I was a guest at the SuperSibs event, "A Tribute to our Quiet Heroes." The event is meant to honor and pamper the mothers of children with cancer. It was very touching to hear what all of these incredibly strong women have had to go through, and it was sad and inspirational at the same time.
getting crowned in the bathroom!!!
As I already mentioned, Patti is the executive director of the pageant, and KL is kind of her counterpart or the other exec director. They are both AMAZING women, and I know I am going to learn so much from them! They've helped me book a number of appearances and performances already, and I'm so excited to see what I'll be able to do with their guidance. KL is the national president of the Woman in Management organization. I'm going to the big WIM conference on May 20th, where Ashley Hatfield will be the keynote speaker. I'm very excited about the event!
I have SO MUCH to do before the Miss Illinois Pageant. It is so exciting! I seriously can hardly contain myself... I am going to be beyond busy from now until June 17th, but I know that I am going to be pre-occupied in the best ways possible.
I just got home from school Thursday night, and being back has been simply amazing so far. I got to see my Lauren win the CPS City Champs in Women's Soccer Thursday night (Go WY Dolphins!!), I have been spending a lot of time with my family (including my grandma Popo and my bro Joe), and I've seen a few of my besssttt friends
and i can't forget to mention-- Happy Mother's Day to my amazing mother. Without her, well of course I wouldn't be here, but also... I wouldn't be in the position that I am in right now. With everything that I have accomplished thus far, I owe so much of it to her. If it wasn't for my mom, I wouldn't be at the Cleveland Institute of Music pursuing my dream. If it wasn't for my mom, I wouldn't be competing in Miss Illinois as Miss West Cook County. I wouldn't have any of the beautiful clothes and amazing new dresses that she has picked out for me (cause I can't dress myself nearly as well as she dresses me!). If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be going to LUCCA, ITALY this summer!! I'll explain more about that later..... =) I love you momma... I really appreciate everything you do for me, so much.
MISS WEST COOK COUNTY <3
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