Miss Iowa Week - Day 3

This week is flying by!

We began our morning with interviews at two local radio stations, the B100 and Star 93.5, which is always a blast.





Later, we headed to Neil Armstrong Elementary to assist our current Miss Iowa, Anne Michael, with an all-school assembly. She does such a fantastic job with the students and incorportated a few of the contestants into her presentation to demonstrate the importance of getting involved in activities from athletics to music and other extra-curriculars to learn valuable life skills.

Then, I visited with a third and fifth grade classroom to share the book "Oh the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss and to deliver my Snacking Smart message with the students as well. I take full advantage of any opportunity to spread the word about my platform and the importance of healthy habits, and the students were very excited about the fresh fruit kabobs, banana freeze pops, and zucchini sticks, which are all included in the cookbook I wrote.


For lunch, we dined with the Bettendorf Rotary Club and had a chance to learn about what the organization does as well as hear more of the Miss Iowa contestants' talents and a presentation from Miss Iowa 2009.

This afternoon we transported all of our competition gear to the Adler Theater, where the Miss Iowa pageant will take place on Thursday and Saturday night. It felt so good to get settled in and see the stage; it looks beautiful!

We finished our day with dinner at Lancer's Grille in Eldridge and a dress rehearsal. Time for bed, though!

The part of competition I am most excited about - interview - is tomorrow. I absolutely cannot wait.

Hope to see you at the show tomorrow!
Jennifer

Miss Iowa Week - Day 2

Today was yet another great day of Miss Iowa week, and my birthday, to boot :) I am officially 23 years old, and have never felt better.

My facebook account was inundated with Happy Birthday messages, my cell phone exploded with text messages and phone calls, and my fellow contestants serenaded me this afternoon at the Golden Corral. I could not have asked for a better way to spend my special day.

This morning, we traveled to Iowa City for one of my favorite events of the week, visiting the University of Iowa Children's Hospital. I met a family from very near my hometown of Epworth who traveled from Manchester for their daughter Gabrielle's check up. Gabrielle was born with biliary atresia, something I learned about in my undergraduate career at Iowa State University, but have never witnessed in real life. Thankfully, the doctors at the University of Iowa detected it early enough that Gabrielle was able to avoid a liver transplant and has had normal labs for over a year now.


There were kids coming in and out of the pediatric unit all morning for check ups - from six months to 17 years. I even met a soon-to-be Iowa Stater, which is rare in Hawkeye country :)

This visit was so uplifting. It is not every day that you meet two year olds who have survived liver cancer, or 17-year-olds who are preparing for transplant surgery. The most amazing part of it all is that they literally radiate joy. If the kids I met today didn't walk in for check-ups and doctor visists, I would never know they were facing any health issues because of their attitudes and the way they carry themselves. Some of their parents even said they loved being at the hospital, which to me, speaks to the value of the Children's Miracle Network and the way that it changes lives. It was such a blessing to have experienced everything I did with those children this morning!

We had some time to relax this afternoon, and then traveled to the Golden Corral for dinner. The evening ended with a quick rehearsal, and I must say, I am thrilled about the production this year. We are singing! You will enjoy it - there is no doubt in my mind.

With that, I am in need of some rest.
More tomorrow,
Jennifer

Miss Iowa Week - Day 1

What a WONDERFUL day!

We started off with Jazzercise at 7 a.m., and I must say, what a fun way to workout! Then, we got ready for the day and left for yoga and massages at the Institute of Therapeutic Massage in Davenport. Bonita Howes so kindly donates the time of her staff to us, and I speak for all of the ladies when I say how appreciative we are! The massages are one of the highlights of the week before competition, without question. Thank you to everyone at the institute for being so gracious!

Later, we visited Senior Star Assisted Living Center for a wonderful, nutritious lunch and many of us were able to perform our talents. Anne Michael, our current Miss Iowa was there as well, and WOW, was her talent phenomenal! She is such a gifted young lady, and I had such a blast listening to her perform and chat throughout the day. She really is an inspiration.


We then went to the Ridgecrest Senior Center and heard even more of the contestant's talents. Talk about entertaining! The young ladies did a great job, and I had a blast performing Chopsticks again. I can't wait to do it in full costume on Thursday night ;) It is such a fun piece and really allows me to connect with the audience.

For dinner, Hy-Vee very generously donated an all-access pass to their buffet lines. I know the girls would agree with me when I say it was de-lic-ious! Thanks to all of the Hy-Vee staff for being so welcoming to us. It is one of our favorite places to dine during the week!

We finished the evening with a quick rehearsal and some down time in our hotel rooms. What a full day! There we so many laughs and memories already shared today, I can hardly wait for what's to come.

More tomorrow,
Jennifer

Sign In at Miss Iowa :)

It is finally here, and I could not be more excited.

Yesterday, I started off my day at the crack of dawn with a 5-mile run around Gray's Lake in Des Moines, and finished all of my packing for the week.

I then traveled to Iowa City to meet my family for a quick birthday lunch with my family at the Brown Bottle. What a great way to kick off the week; my youngest sister, Nicki, presented me with a homemade book of pictures of me with quotes about the type of person she thinks I am. In the back, my family each wrote me a good luck message filled with some of my favorite quotes from The Office, which inevitably make me laugh. I could not possibly feel more loved and supported by my family than I do right now. Love you guys!

By mid-afternoon, I arrived at the Clarion Hotel in Davenport, who so kindly sponsors the Miss Iowa contestants each year. My board of directors - or my army as I called them yesterday - was there to help me move in. They also had a giant cooler of fruit, a pageant week survival kit (you can only imagine what might be in that bag!), and several other bags filled with useful items for the week. They have been absolutely incredible to work with this year, and I would not be where I am without them. Thank you, ladies!

We had our first dinner as a group around 5 p.m. where we were able to reunite with our hostesses and introduce ourselves once again. It was great to see everyone. We finished the evening with a meeting in our head hostess's room to discuss plans for the week.

To say that I am prepared for this week is an understatement. I really left no stones unturned this year preparing not only for the Miss Iowa competition, but for the job of Miss Iowa. What a blessing it is to be here in the midst of such wonderful young ladies while interviewing and competing for the opportunity of a lifetime. There is nowhere I would rather be.

All my best,
Jennifer

Coffee Club Talk Show and St. Jude's Elementary

Today I was the special guest on the Coffee Club Talk show in Muscatine, Iowa. Gary at KWPC Radio allowed me to join him for an interview to talk about my platform, my personal background, and the upcoming Miss Iowa competition. I particularly enjoyed chatting with them about my Snacking Smart from A to Z cookbooks.


Jane from the Muscatine Chamber of Commerce was in on our interview as well, and kindly agreed to help me distribute even more of my recipe booklets to the Muscatine community through the Chamber office. What a gem!

Later, I traveled to Cedar Rapids to visit all of the kindergarten through second graders at St. Jude's Elementary and distribute my snack books. They loved them! I even had a chance to eat lunch with my princess, or "little sister," as I like to call her. What a treat it was to see Carmella again.


More soon,
Jennifer

A Day in the Davenport Community School District

Wow! This Tuesday was another wonderful day in the eastern side of the state. I had a chance to promote my platform and reach students with my Snacking Smart message.


Just before 8 a.m., I was greeted with my first ever welcome sign and just couldn't resist snapping a photo. After the first bell rang, I was the kick-off speaker for the Adams Elementary Fit Kids Day. I shared my story (in a beautiful outdoor assembly) about learning to eat healthier foods, and discussed how important it is not only to be active, but to eat well. All the students received one of my Snacking Smart from A to Z cookbooks.


Afterwards, I observed my colleague, Dr. Ed Thomas from the Department of Education film fitness videos with third and fourth graders. Topics ranged from posture and medicine balls to agility ladders. He and I are spear-heading the Stories in Motion project I created, and immediately following Miss Iowa, we have plans to launch it into after-school programs throughout Iowa. In the fall, we will bring it to K-5 schools throughout the state to get students more active in the classroom.

After the morning session, I was kindly escorted by Mr. Brad Oates, director of Physical Education and Athletic Programs for the Davenport Community School District, to Hayes Elementary where I presented on Snacking Smart from A to Z with first and third graders.


My last stap was Truman Elementary, where I presented my message in an assembly format with five grades. I was able to have 20 minutes with each age group so that I could tailor my presentation to their knowledge level. The kids had great questions and comments that made me realize the impact my visit had on their lives.


Though, the best part of the day came from the surprise group hugs, cute questions ("Are you a real princess?"), soft-spoken comments ("I want to be like her"), and off-the wall inquisitions ("Are you a kid or an adult?")


One kindergartener even said "Hey, what's your phone number?" You just never know what kids will say :)

At the end of the day, I felt so rewarded knowing I reached over 1,000 students in that short visit. Beyond that, I felt an incredible sense of content when I exited the parking lot at Truman Elementary and saw tons of elementary boys and girls proudly carrying my little yellow book of healthy recipes.

This message from Brad was an added bonus:

Thank you for taking the time to come to Davenport and speak to some of our elementary students. I was very impressed with your presentation to the students as well as your poise in front of the students. Students, especially elementary, can be among the toughest crowds. The message was spot on and reinforces what we have been doing in our curriculum. I look forward to more opportunities to work with you and getting out the message of fitness and nutrition. I have enclosed a picture from yesterday. I hope we will have some pictures on our website soon. Good luck in the Miss Iowa competition. I know there will be a lot of elementary students rooting for you. Take care.

Brad W. Oates
Program Director of Athletics, Physical Education, & Health
Davenport Community School District

I could not be more honored to be Miss Pearl City.

Yours,
Jennifer