Fall 2011

Greetings!

I apologize for being so long between posts. A lot has happened since the last time I wrote, so get ready for a very long post!

First of all, only three weeks are left to the academic semester. My classes are continuing to go well and I have made great strides in my research positions. On Tuesday, I actually submitted the first draft of my literary analysis for my honors thesis. For the literary analysis, I read and summarized all of the research that has been conducted over repatriate issues from the past thirty years (about 25 articles). Over the next couple of weeks I will begin to form testable hypotheses that will serve as the foundation of my research on how international experiences effect career satisfaction and advancement upon repatriation.

I have also been awarded two very exciting job positions. One I began last week as a member of a student assessment team to review and evaluate the Honors Program at the University of Iowa with the ultimate goal to create a list of empirically backed suggestions to improve the Honors Program. Additionally, I have served as a research assistant this past semester for a political science professor to aid in her research of women’s issues in state politics. This semester, I have been awarded course credit for my work, but I have been asked to continue work on the project next semester. I am very excited about these rewarding positions.

On October 23rd, the Miss Muscatine/Miss Pearl City Scholarship Program held it’s first “Road to the Crown” seminar in Muscatine. This was a fantastic event! Miss America 2009 Katie Stam and Miss Iowa 1999 Dr. Jennifer Caudle were the keynote speakers. I have to admit, Katie Stam is my favorite Miss America. She was actually the first Miss America I saw crowned and she will always be “my” Miss America. She was as intelligent, graceful, funny, and beautiful as I expected her to be. Jennifer Caudle provided an interesting perspective as a current judge on what judges are looking for in contestants. Additionally, Jennifer Lintz (my roommate the first year I competed at Miss Iowa and Miss Pearl City 2010) presented on how to get swimsuit ready and Ashlie Burroughs presented on pageant makeup and hair techniques. Miss Iowa 2010 Pauli Mayfield and Miss Iowa 2011 Jessica Pray joined Katie Stam and Jennifer Caudle in an interactive contestant forum. The event was fantastic and I already can’t wait for the seminar next year (I heard a rumor that our current Miss America may come!).


With Katie Stam, Miss America 2009.


With Dr. Jennifer Caudle, Miss Iowa 1999.


With Jessica Erbst, Miss Pearl City's Outstanding Teen 2011.

On November 1st, I actually gave up my title as Miss Pearl City 2011 so that I can compete for Miss Muscatine 2012. It would be such an honor to represent the Muscatine area for a third year. Please come out and support me on January 7th at the Performing Arts Center Muscatine.

Those of you who know me know that I have had long hair since I was four years old. On October 3rd, that changed when I went to Ashlie Burroughs of ANewU Salon and Spa in Muscatine and cut off eight inches. I did another first and added some subtle highlights. It was a shock at first, but I absolutely love it! Check out the pictures through the rest of this post to see the change!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am the President of Associated Iowa Honors Students this year. On November 5th, we had our third annual Masquerade Ball. While we had to compete with an Iowa football game, Diwali (a popular Indian cultural festival), and another Masquerade Ball that week (bad luck!), we still were able to raise an impressive $765 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I have included a couple of pictures from that event below.


With three other executive board members, including my best friend Peige.


With my boyfriend Stephen at check-in.


An action shot of people enjoying the Ball.

This weekend (November 18th and 19th) was the fifth Iowa Mission of Mercy. While the numbers haven’t officially been announced, it appears that more than 1,300 patients were seen and over $1 million of dentistry was provided for free. What an amazing accomplishment provided by the dental community of Iowa! My family generally makes this a family event. My dad, brother, mom, and I all volunteered to provide patients with the care they deserve. I volunteered at the event on Friday from 5:30 am to 5:30 pm in three different capacities. I started the day at patient check-in by helping patients fill out medical history forms. By 9:30 am, I had already seen over 700 patients when the event met capacity for the day. For the next several hours, I served as a “runner”, meaning I escorted patients from triage (when dentists, including my dad, diagnosed patients) to other areas of the clinic, including x-ray, hygiene, pediatric, oral surgery (where my brother served), restorative, and endodontic. My last job of the day was conducting exit interviews, where I asked patients about their dental care history, demographic information, reasons for seeking dental care, and experience at the clinic. Here, I spoke with people from all walks of life, from the homeless to those who currently had dental insurance. I spoke to one man, a Vietnam War veteran, who hadn’t seen a dentist in over 38 years. Another woman brought in her four children who hadn’t seen a dentist in over two years. She was shocked when I informed her that Iowa actually has a program that offers dental insurance for children (i-Hawk). Being at this event always reinforces the need for my platform, “Making Smiles Happen: Children’s Dental Health Advocacy”. This event is a blessing to so many people and I feel honored to have been a part.


With Glacenda, a volunteer with me at patient check-in. We worked hard!


Conducting an exit interview with a patient.


Overlooking the clinic. The lighting wasn't great for a photograph, but you can see the level of activity!


On the clinic floor in the pediatric unit.


Handing out medical history forms.


With two of my new pediatric friends.

Tomorrow I have a contestant rehearsal for Miss Muscatine 2012 and on December 2nd I will be hosting a food drive with Jessica Erbst at the Muscatine Hy-Vee to help provide food for families in need in the Muscatine area. I will provide more details as this date quickly approaches. If you got through this whole post, thank you! I’ll attempt to have shorter, timelier posts in the future.

Best,
Elizabeth Davidson