Wow... This blog is WAAAAAAY overdue! This has been a phenomenal month for me and everything has happened so fast, I haven't had time to document it until now. My last blog left off in April, when I was on my way to Las Vegas for the True Beauty Expo.
I met some of the most amazing people, including the Miss Nevada USA state director and host of the event, Maureen Atwell; the renowned and life-changing motivational speaker, Dale Thomas; the one and only, Sherri Hill; and the stunning MUO runway coach, Lu Sierra. A friend and idol of mine, Robin Fleming of La casa Hermosa was also present in addition to about 20 other beautiful women and young ladies competing at various levels across the globe. I also had the opportunity to meet and work with photographer, Fadil Berisha, which was a blast to say the least! The whole weekend exceeded my expectations, taught me more about myself than I ever realized I didn't know, and brought me closer to a group of genuine people that I feel blessed to have met.
Also in April, I attended the Miss Houston USA pageant and watched Brittany Booker take home the crown. It was an exciting show and will be a lot of fun to compete with Brittany at state! While in Houston I also had the privilege of shooting with Ben Urcuyo, the artist and genius behind Benizo. The end result of the photographs blew me away! I have worked with Ben before, and I swear his work keeps getting better each day! He's one of a kind :)
Then came May...
The month of has May brought more clarity and bliss to my life than I have ever felt before, for infinite reasons. After years of perseverance and aspiration, I have finally received the prestigious honor of being crowned Miss Dallas USA, 2011. My first official shoot with Zac Grimaldo occurred the very next day after being crowned. My new little sister, Breanna Young (Miss Dallas Teen USA 2011) was with me, which put the cherry on top of an extremely exciting day!!!
As I have said numerous times before, I did not earn this title alone. It takes a village to raise a child... and this village just happened to be the most supportive, encouraging and inspiring group of friends and family that anyone could begin to ask for. To say that I am blessed is a narrow understatement. The even better news is that the title is just the beginning. I am certain that I have the most remarkable year ahead of me, with Dallas as a stepping stone to the frame of my big picture. Doors have been opened wide, and not solely for me. My goal is to connect with as many people as I can, impact lives, and touch people on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong... I know I never needed a title to attain this goal. It has been the journey that has allowed me this liberty in addition to the beautiful understanding of myself as a human and my purpose. The voyage that brought me to this point is what matters and has provided me the strength and courage to flourish.
May is also a significant month for my family because my beautiful sister, Megan just got engaged!!! I am simply ecstatic for her and overjoyed to know that I will soon have a wonderful brother-in-law joining my family! There is much more I could say about the past month, but I will conclude this blog for now and save the rest for later!
