February Madness. Isn't that supposed to be March?!

Greetings,

 

What a whirlwind of a February it has been! I’ve temporarily escaped the Midwestern tundra and am back to pursuing my education. However, it hasn’t even peaked above 40 degrees today. And yes, the Texans are having a hard time bearing the nearly freezing temperatures. If you look out the window, you might arrange that it’s sub-zero or something! They’re all bundled up to brave the cold front. Ha! Okay, I’m done picking on the poor Texans.

I’ve been keeping pretty busy here at UMHB. In the last edition of The Bells campus newspaper, I had a book review and a news article published. Yesterday, my story about Holly Tucker, a Baylor student who competed and eventually earned 6th place on The Voice. That was pretty cool. I’ll add some links to my stories at the bottom to this blog if ya’ll are interested!

I’m continuing my PR/Communication internship in the President’s Office here at school. What a neat opportunity it has been! I’ve gotten better acquainted with the leaders of UMHB and have an insider view of the university. I am happy to say that I am even more proud to be a student here. Something cool that I got to work on was Dr. O’Rear’s (the president) speech for the dedication of a new street that runs through campus. That was exciting.

 

My boyfriend spoiled me for Valentine's Day and took me to San Antonio. I might just be the luckiest girl in the world, not sure. If not, at least in the top five! ;) That was my first time visiting the Alamo, which is a huge part of Texas' history. I feel like a true Texan now! We also walked along the Riverwalk and ate a yummy meal at the Gritsmill. So much fun!

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the job fair on campus and learned about a neat, one-week internship opportunity with a software company called ZOption. They were looking for four students to take with them to work with their marketing team at their trade show at Disney World in March. Ultimately, they needed professional people with outstanding communications skills. “Hey, I can do that,” I thought. I made it through the first round of resumes and was among the ten people called upon for an interview. So, the week after my spring break I’m heading to Florida on my first business trip! I can hardly wait! I attribute the communication skills I've gained through competing in pageants to obtaining this position.

Tomorrow, the newspaper staff is leaving for a photojournalism conference in Fort Worth. It’s tough having to miss my Friday classes, but I just love going to different conferences and learning all that I can.

Yesterday I had a productive conference call with Michelle and Jessica of Legacy Group Consulting in regard to my preparation for Miss Iowa. We talked quite a bit about my platform, which I’m very excited about. While a title for it has yet to be decided on, it has to do with awareness of gender roles and equality in the workplace, inspiring women to strive for leadership roles and supporting female entrepreneurs. More on this later.

This morning I booked two flights home in April! I’ll be back the first weekend for a shopping trip with the Miss Muscatine/Pearl City board and the last weekend for Miss Iowa orientation. I can’t wait to be back!

I’m so thankful for these amazing opportunities, and I truly hope to encourage other young people to set lofty goals and confidently attain them. Whether that be as Miss Pearl City, Miss Iowa, Miss America or just Leah.

 

Have a good rest of your week!

 

Leah

 

P.s. Below is a link to my stories. Enjoy!

 

http://thebells.umhb.edu/author/lbunkers/

 

 

Back in the Heartland!

Hello!

I’ve had a fun and busy weekend back in my favorite state. Every minute of my trip has been thoroughly enjoyed! (Okay, maybe everything except the weather. Burr!) I am so blessed to be able to pursue my goal of becoming Miss Iowa from school in Texas. Thank you to everyone on both ends who support me in this long distance affair.

After a long evening of weather related travel delays on Thursday, I finally made it back to get some sleep before my busy Friday!

On Friday morning I was on air with Andy at Muscatine KWPC. I had a great time talking about the Miss America Organization and what it’s like to be involved! I was able to explain what separates the MAO from other pageants. Doing so always functions as a good reminder as to why I do what I do.

Next we headed to LeChic for round two of Miss Iowa evening gown shopping. It was successful! ;) I’m SO excited to wear my beautiful dress in June. It’s perfect. Thanks again Heather and Stacy!

After shopping we went to Performing Arts Muscatine, a generous sponsor of the Miss Muscatine program, to work on my talent selection for June. Bruce’s expertise and advice is absolutely priceless. Thank you so much for all that you do for the program and the Muscatine community. I greatly appreciate it!

On Saturday, Serica Rowley, Miss Muscatine, and I went to Newton for a princess workshop! This was one of the coolest events ever. The ladies in charge set up hair, make up and nail stations for girls to be pampered at in preparation for that evening’s Princess and Papas Ball. The little princesses were able to pick out their favorite dress, shoes, jewelry and hair accessories to wear. There were so many to choose from! There are wonderful people in the Newton community who make sure that every little girl gets to feel like a princess. It was an honor to be a part of this event.

I’ve been spending my Sunday with my family. In a few minutes I’ll be heading back to the airport and reality!

Life is SO good.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

A New Beginning

Welcome

I’m Leah Bunkers. Last Saturday in Muscatine, I was greatly humbled to earn the title Miss Pearl City 2014. The Miss Muscatine/Miss Pearl City Scholarship Program is a local preliminary for the Miss Iowa pageant, affiliated with the Miss America Organization. Thousands of scholarship dollars were awarded Saturday evening amongst several intelligent and beautiful young women. What an honor it is to have been selected to represent the Muscatine community as Miss Pearl City. I’d like to extend my gratitude to the sponsors and volunteers who make this opportunity available.

I intend to use this blog as a tool to keep you updated on all of the fun things I’m up to during my year of service.

I am currently a junior at the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor, not to be confused with Baylor University! I’m 45 minutes south of Baylor. My school was the original Baylor Female College, but has seen name and location changes. Mary-Hardin Baylor was then the school for women, and Baylor College for men. There’s your history lesson for the day! I’m majoring in public relations with a minor in business administration. I am extremely blessed to have such a wonderful education experience here at UMHB.

I’ve been able to do lots of really cool things thus far in Belton. I was on the Sader Belles drill team for two semesters, I currently write for The Bells newspaper and I studied in Israel last summer to name a few. While I’m pretty far from home, I’m glad to have taken the leap out of my comfort zone. If you were to ask me why I am who I am, I would tell you because of the decision I made to go to college in Texas. Fun fact.

Okay, back to the pageant topic! It’s only been a few days since I was crowned, but I feel like so much has happened since! After the pageant, my family and I went out for pizza at Salvatore’s with the wonderful John Robinson and Wendy Robinson-Koch. On Sunday morning, the board and my mom and I went to Le Chic Prom and Pageant Boutique in Muscatine to begin the pursuit for my Miss Iowa evening gown. Thank you so much Heather and Stacy for your sponsorship. Le Chic has beautiful gowns, so if you’re in need of one, I would highly recommend them!

This week so far has been primarily working on logistics and getting organized. I’m about to start my training with the fantastic Ray Porter with Workout With Ray, the fitness sponsor for Miss Muscatine and Miss Pearl City. Thank you, Ray! I can’t wait.

I guess that’s where I’m at for now! If you’re interested, I started my first public relations internship today at the Belton Area Chamber of Commerce. Tomorrow, I begin my second with the Special Assistant to the President at UMHB. I’m very excited for the fresh semester and new opportunities to learn and grow as much as I possibly can, all the while making a positive impact on all who I meet.

Until later,

Leah

Introducing Miss Pearl City 2014, Leah Bunkers!  Leah will chronicle her year of service as she prepares for Miss Iowa and beyond.

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

Upcoming Events

Greetings!

I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall weather! With the start of the school year, I have been keeping busy with classes, graduate school applications, and student organizations. This year especially, I feel exciting about all of the promising opportunities in store for me.

I have one very exciting piece of news to share. When I began competing in the Miss America Organization, like every contestant, I put together a resume. One of my interesting facts has always been “has yet to learn how to ride a bike”. I am happy to inform you that that is no longer true! After 21 years, I have finally learned to ride a bike. Unfortunately, I learned to ride on my friend Peige’s extremely nice triathlon bike, so when I went to ride on a normal road bike, I promptly fell over (gracefully, of course!). But I am sure that with time, I will be able to ride any bike I may come across. As you must image, I am very proud of myself.

I have several exciting events going on in the next couple of months. First, on Saturday I will be taking the LSAT, the entrance exam into law school. Since there are not joint programs for masters of human resources and juris doctorates, I am probably looking at completing my master’s degree first before continuing on to law school. This means that this exam is more like a practice test for me, because I have several years before my scores will be submitted and several more opportunities to take the test. Nevertheless, I will do my absolute best on Saturday and will remain focused for all six hours.

The Miss Pearl City titleholders and Miss Muscatine’s Outstanding Teen are also putting together a food drive over the fall months in order to help Muscatine families in need. Throughout the next couple of weeks, we will be putting donation containers in stores and community centers throughout Muscatine. Look out for additional details!

On October 23rd, the Miss Muscatine/Miss Pearl City Scholarship Program will be hosting “Pageant School – Road to the Crown” in Muscatine, IA. This should be a very exciting event! Keynote speakers include Miss Iowa 1999 Jennifer Caudle and Miss America 2009 Katie Stam Irk. These two women are such great models and they are both women that I will be honored to meet. In fact, I feel like I already have an important connection to each. Jennifer Caudle was one of my judges this year at Miss Iowa and Katie Stam has been my pageant inspiration since I watched her on the Miss America reality show three years ago. She was actually the first Miss America I saw crowned. This should be an excellent event, and I encourage anyone who in interested in pageants to attend.

Finally, November 18th through the 20th is the Iowa Mission of Mercy, a charitable dental clinic that will be held in Sioux City, IA at the Tyson Center. Over the last three years, over $1,000,000 of dentistry has been provided through the missions of mercy. I am so excited to be one of the 4,000 volunteers to help with this wonderful event. With my platform of “Making Smiles Happen: Children’s Dental Health Advocacy”, this event is especially near and dear to my heart. Please contact the Miss Pearl City/Miss Muscatine Scholarship Program if you would like to help this year.

I will provide more details about all of these events as they approach. I have a couple more events in the works, but I will just have to keep you in suspense for now!

Best,
Elizabeth

Summer

Hello everyone!

It has been much too long since I last posted a blog entry. Preparation for Miss Iowa is physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausting. Between mock interviews, two-time a day exercise sessions, hours reading the news, and almost daily appearances, I was doing everything I could to prepare myself for the pace and obligations of being Miss Iowa. I know without a doubt that I was ready to be Miss Iowa and was ready to continue my pace for the next year. Not surprisingly, being named the first runner-up to Miss Iowa for the second year in a row was extremely disappointing. While I certainly support the Miss Iowa Scholarship Program and the new Miss Iowa, Jessica Pray, I needed time to recover from the disappointment. After having a fairly free summer, I finally feel like I am ready to once again be the best Miss Pearl City I can be.

During my recovery time, I was blessed to have some amazing experiences. For two weeks in July, I was able to travel throughout Scotland with my parents. Truly, I have never seen a more beautiful country. The scenery is so varied throughout Scotland, but everything is stunning. We visited dozens of castles and abbeys and learned so much about Scotland’s amazing history (including the Davidson clan!). After hearing about the real Robert the Bruce and William Wallace, the first thing I did when I got home was watch Braveheart for the first time. While it was not at all historically accurate, it was still exciting to see it. I’m included some of our pictures.








Last Tuesday I took the GMAT exam in order to apply for human resource graduate programs. I was extremely happy with my results (in fact, my score is higher than the highest score in the incoming fall class at my top school choice!) and feel confident that between my test score, high GPA, and extracurricular activities, including Miss Pearl City, I will have no trouble getting into a top program. I hope to attend either the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, or Texas A&M, in College Station. Unfortunately, no program in Iowa offers a Masters of Art in Human Resources and Industrial Relations.

Classes for the fall semester started yesterday and I anticipate a very exciting semester. In addition to classes, I will be working with two different professors on their personal research projects. The first is with one of my favorite professors at Iowa studying a human resource topic that is extremely interesting to me: the effect of international business travel on family and life satisfaction. I will actually be with this professor all year and will end the year with an honors thesis. The second is with a political science professor looking at women in the Washington state legislature. As you can probably tell from my activities this past year as Miss Pearl City, I love politics and am very exciting to learn about the role of women in politics. Also this semester I will be kept busy as the Co-President of Associated Iowa Honors Students. Right now recruitment is taking the majority of my time! When recruitment is done, planning will immediately begin for the Masquerade Ball in early November. The Masquerade Ball is a campus-wide event that is basically like prom. It’s a blast and last year we had several hundred attendees and raised over $2000 for charity. As President this year, I fully intend to bring in more guests and raise more money than ever before.

I have several Miss Pearl City appearances scheduled over the next couple weeks, and I will be much better at keeping this blog updated. Until then.

Elizabeth