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Miss New Jersey Outstanding Teen's Blog

Blog 2
March

             February was a busy month and I got to experience so many exciting things and meet so many new people.  I'm finally realizing that my dream has become a reality. 

            One of my favorite parts of the job is getting to attend all the local pageant's and watch other wonderful girl's see their dreams come true.  So many hardworking, dedicated  girls have been newly crowned and I'm so lucky to have shared in their moment.  The first pageant I  attended as MNJOT 2013 was the Miss Cumberland County pageant.  A huge congratulations to Ayla Gentiletti on her first try at a Miss NJ local title.  The next local was the Miss Star's and Stripes pageant.   Congratulations to Venessa Baez Miss Stars and Stripes and to one of my favorite shore sisters, Madison Welsh Miss Stars and Stripes Outstanding Teen. Thank you to the Cape May County and Cape Resort Pageant for allowing me to share in pageant day with the girls and also for allowing me to sing the national anthem.  Best wishes to Cassidy Diamond our new Cape Resort Outstanding Teen.   The next local was the Miss Liberty pageant.  It was such a wonderful night and so many girls lit up that stage.  Congratulations to Myra McCann, Miss Liberty and Samantha Rizzuto, Miss Liberty's Outstanding Teen.   Farewell to all the outgoing queens. 

            In addition to going to lots of local pageants I have been able to make several appearances and participate in community service projects.  New Jersey has truly welcomed me with open arms.  I was able to really focus on my platform work while I spoke at the Hope Spring Banquet at the Flanders hotel in Ocean City.   While speaking at the banquet I even had the good fortune of meeting Abbie Rabine, first runner up to Miss America 2002.  I was so glad to be able to be surrounded by so many wonderful people who are affiliated with my message.  One of my favorite things I've done so far was being a keynote speaker at the Adolescent Health Conference in New Brunswick for NJ physicians Advisory Group.  There was a wide variety of people in attendance  and this was a great opportunity.  There were doctors,  health/physical education teachers and nurses  who really embraced my platform and that was wonderful.  Another fun event was reading at my previous elementary school for Read Across America week.  I love to read so it was so nice to share that passion with  younger children and give back to my old school.  The kids have such a yearning for knowledge and I'm  glad I could be part of their special event.  On another note, it was a very cold past few months.  I rode in the Saint Patty's Day parade in Wildwood and I must say I've never been so cold in all my life. Spring please hurry.  But, it was great to meet so many people right here in my shore community and would like to thank the city of  North Wildwood for including me.    I also got to take part in the Environmental Protection Agencies "Dash for Trash" on the Camden waterfront.  It really hit me how careless people can be with our earth.  It was a huge eye opener to me and I am glad that I had that experience to wake me up.   I try as hard as possible to go green and encourage my friends to do the same. 

            I am looking forward to judging the senior talent show at Auletto's in Deptford this Saturday.  It will be nice to see what it is like to sit on the other side of the judges table and see how the performers feel.  I'm so excited for the upcoming Miss New Jersey orientation.  Everyone is so talented this year!!!!   I can't wait to see who my new big sister will be.   However, those shoes will be pretty hard to fill because that Lindsey Petrosh is pretty amazing. 

            I would like to give a warm welcome to our new Miss New Jersey Outstanding Teen Field Director, Susan Nicolle.  Susan is the beautiful mother of  New Jersey's own Kathryn Nicolle, former Miss NJ and former Miss NJ Outstanding Teen.  She is no stranger to the organization and I can't wait to share my year with her.  I look forward to continuing to serve as your MNJOT 2013.  Thank you again for all of the unending support.  I am so excited to continue working on my platform and influencing not just people in the organization, but as many people as I can.  Continued thanks to Joan and Lou for accepting me into the family with open arms and leading me down this great path.   This organization is too amazing for words.  Until next time…..

Fondly,
Miss New Jersey Outstanding Teen 2013
Alyssa Sullivan

 

February 4th,2013
Blog 1

            Well I guess dreams really do come true.  It's been a little over a week since I was given the opportunity of a lifetime.  Being crowned Miss New Jersey's Outstanding Teen 2013 is the best moment I have yet to experience in my lifetime.  I'm just so excited to be embarking on this wonderful journey with wonderful people.  This first week has been amazing in itself.  Everyone has taken me under their wing and  I feel so welcome.  Thank you to everyone for their unending support.  It has been a long road to becoming NJOT, but I wouldn't do it any other way.  Each morning I wake up, look in the mirror and remind myself that it really happened.  My whole life my family always told me that I was destined to do great things.  Now I finally know what they were thinking.  This organization is so beautiful and so inspirational.  It has made me a better Alyssa and for that I could never say thank you enough.  But, I'm not the only one.  Last Saturday I competed against 14 of the best young women in New Jersey and any of them could have easily been NJOT 2013.  They are all so beautiful, intelligent and hardworking.  These girls have become my sisters and have helped shape the woman I always strived to be.  Just spending two days with them was life changing.  The NJOT class of 2013 truly is outstanding and so unbelievably talented.  Thus, being the reason I must remind myself everyday that this happened to me.  I thank God everyday for choosing me for the experience of a lifetime.  I think of my pageant sisters everyday and wish them well in all their endeavors. 

            I am now approaching my second week as MNJOT and I'm aching to start.  I will continue my school tour which I have begun with a group called Peer Challenge Commit 2 Character to promote my platform. In mid March I will be speaking and performing at the Flanders Hotel in Ocean City at a banquet on their behalf.  Thank goodness pageantry has given me all the tools I needed.  This organization works closely with my platform and has given me many opportunities to affect so many lives with my life story.  The look on the kids faces when I come into their classroom is so priceless.  I will never forget it.  I can't wait to go back to previous schools I have visited and show them my shiny new piece of jewelry.  They were all so excited for me.  That is what this organization is about.  We are affecting lives, making a difference and being role models.  All of those women last Saturday are making a difference in some way. I am just so excited to make a difference.  Even if you just help one child, then in my eyes you have helped a million.  I'm even more excited that tomorrow, February 5th, I will be traveling to the Brick Township IHOP for national pancake day.  This is an event sponsored by Children's Miracle Network. All IHOP's are raising money and awareness for children who are sick.   I'm  even more excited to be serving with my new sister Lindsey Petrosh.  It's going to be an amazing day.  The CMN is an amazing organization that works so hard for the children and their families.  Sometimes we forget how lucky we are.

            I truly can't thank everyone enough for all they have done.  I'm  one lucky teenager.  But, I have a yearning to make a difference and the courage and confidence to do so.  I can't stress enough how wonderful all the other contestants were and how hard we all worked. Thank you to Joan Cooper and Lou Barthold for putting on a wonderful pageant and making my moment so special.  Thank you to my family for being as supportive as families come and always driving me wherever God calls me to be. Thank you to previous NJOT's who have given me so much advice in one week my head could burst. Thank you to the shore directors; Carol, Tony, Michael, Anne and Grammy for always seeing something in me that was big enough to never let me stop.  And thank you to Kay, one of my favorite shore directors, for being the best, and my first local director.  You gave me the confidence and encouragement I needed to take it to the next level.  Thanks for never giving up on me.  Thank you to New Jersey.  I don't plan to let you down.  I'm striving everyday in all my actions to make you proud.  Keep your fingers crossed that MAOT this year is a Jersey girl.  God Bless! Until next time…………….

So much love,
Alyssa Sullivan
Miss New Jersey's Outstanding Teen 2013

 

 


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