Janet's Journey: Strong convictions precede great actions

October 11th was the Miss Thurston County Pageant in Olympia, our second local of the year! It was so nice to spend the evening with my pageant sister and roommate from Miss Washington week, Kara-Ann Pedrini, and to meet up with other Miss Washington contestants from the Class of 2008. Congratulations to our most recent addition to the Miss Washington Class of 2009, Sharise Williams – Miss Thurston County!

I was honored to be asked to host the annual Lights on Afterschool event in our state’s capital, Olympia on Thursday, October 16th. This national event was launched in October 2000 and was celebrated in more than 7500 communities this year by over 1 million Americans. It is a project of the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that all children have access to quality, affordable afterschool programs. Studies show that 3pm-6pm are the peak hours for juvenile experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and sexual activity, and more than 14 million school aged children are on their own afterschool. As a future educator and regular volunteer in public school classrooms, this cause is near and dear to my heart and I am honored to be working with the Afterschool Alliance. Click in to read one news release in preparation for the event and please visit www.afterschoolalliance.org to learn more about this organization. www.publicnewsservice.org/print.php?key=6745-2

The Washington State Prevention Summit was held over four days in Yakima, Washington, and I had the pleasure of being the emcee for the event, and working alongside Lt. Governor Brad Owen and Attorney General Rob McKenna, two individuals who have prioritized mentoring and educating youth throughout their careers. The goal of the Prevention Summit is to provide an enriching educational and networking opportunity for youth, volunteers and professionals working toward prevention of substance abuse and violence. I had the honor to work alongside many incredible individuals who truly care about giving young people and educators alike the resources they need to make a positive impact in their communities. It was a special privilege to be surrounded by hundreds of youth who have made a commitment to being positive role models in their schools and communities. Thank you to Ivon Urquilla for your enthusiasm in partnering with the Miss Washington Organization on this project!

It was so nice to reunite with local directors, state volunteers, and the board at Fall Forum weekend. We gathered in Bellingham, my home away from home, to spend a fun-filled weekend together. It was incredible to see so many people giving up their time (like they do all year long) to work on bettering their relationships with each other and improving our state organization in every way possible. We are blessed to have an organization filled with selfless individuals who are willing to go above and beyond to ensure that young women in Washington State have the opportunity to learn, grow, and benefit in every way through our program. Thank you Peggy, Mike, and Patti for all of your efforts in organizing fall forum weekend, and thanks to everyone who attended! I am so fortunate to have a countless number of positive role models in such a fine group of volunteers, as are the other young men and women who benefit year round from your positive influence.

There has been a new and very meaningful development in my life, and to understand how important it is to me I need to share a story with you. In 2006 I earned the title Miss Whatcom County, and prepared for my first experience as a Miss Washington contestant. The Miss Washington competition is held over a week in Tacoma, Washington. Three days into the week long competition, I woke up suddenly ill, and before I knew it I was in the emergency room. Long story short, I was hospitalized for several weeks and was diagnosed with meningitis. Obviously, I did not make it to the Miss Washington stage that year which was unfortunate, but a real blessing in disguise. It’s really interesting that it takes a life-changing experience for some of us to truly appreciate each and every day we have, but I am thankful that I was blessed in this very unique way with an opportunity to evaluate the way I was spending my days and the way I want to spend the rest of them. I was recently contacted by the National Meningitis Association, and am now serving as a national spokesperson and goodwill ambassador for the organization. The NMA is specifically focused on raising awareness and protection among adolescents and young adults, many of whom can be protected from this very serious illness through education and vaccination efforts. I am so overwhelmed and completely honored to be working with this cause. Please click in to view a quick but valuable fact sheet with information about the disease and immunization. http://www.nmaus.org/press-room/materials/Facts_About_Meningitis.pdf and visit the NMA website at http://www.nmaus.org/.

Reflecting on the appearances and events I have attended as Miss Washington and the number of valuable organizations we have been able to partner with, I am proud that there are a variety of causes and people represented. However, I also see the common trend of children and youth present within each appearance. My priority has been to utilize my title as Miss Washington to reach as many children as possible as a positive role model and representative for Big Brothers Big Sisters, and I am thrilled that I have been able to do that while partnering with a number of equally valuable organizations. I am so excited that we have been able to develop so many valuable relationships within just three short months, and I cannot wait to see what else the year has in store for the Miss Washington Organization!