Thank you to those who have served, are serving, and have sacrificed their lives for our country! We are so lucky to live in "the land of the free because of the brave."
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey
I had a blast participating in the Adventurous Journey portion of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Program! What is the Duke of Edinburgh Award? From the DOE USA website:
- The DofE Award is an unique, exciting self-development program available to all young people worldwide aged 14-25, equipping them with life skills to make a difference within themselves, their communities, and the world.
- Currently over 8 million young people from over 144 countries have been motivated to undertake a variety of voluntary and challenging activities through the International Award program.
- The Award began in 1956 in the UK but has spread to across the globe because the fundamental philosophy and the Four Section operational format have proved resilient, attractive, and adaptable to many cultures, languages, and climates. The Award remains as relevant today as ever before and experiences record levels of interest each year. Last year, more than 140,000 participants earned a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award.
Aside from the Adventurous Journey component, the award also requires Physical Activity, Community Service, and Special Skills.
Sam Russo Miss NH, Kenya Welch Miss NHOT, Caroline Carter MGDOT, and Eileen Kelley MNHOT 2012, and I all headed up to the White Mountains to the Kelley's home (a big thank you to the Kelley family for hosting us!!) to begin our journey. It included a River Adventure, teambuilding games, building a campfire, making smore's, and a sunrise hike (my favorite!). Here are some photos from the weekend:
Visit http://doenh.blogspot.com/ for more pictures, and read Sam's recap here.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Watch Finding Kind for Free!!!
"In Finding Kind, filmmakers Lauren Parsekian and Molly Thompson, who met while in school at Pepperdine University, set out in a cross country journey of discovery and education.
Interviewing women and girls along the way about their lives and experiences, Parsekian and Thompson find, among all of the unique personal stories, some universal truths about growing up as girls.
Finding Kind is a document of that journey, and of the filmmakers’ quest to take these experiences and find a common ground of kindness and mutual respect.
In addition to all of the individual girls and women who share their personal experiences about girl on girl bullying with the filmmakers, Parsekian and Thompson include interviews with respected experts and authors in the fields of psychology, education, and the interrelationships of women and girls."
Watch Finding Kind on IndieFlix for FREE until Monday June 3! Please get in touch with me if you are interested in bringing this amazing program to your school or community.
Watch the film HERE.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Miss New Hampshire Week Recap
Hi everyone! It has been about two weeks since Miss New Hampshire Week and I can't believe how quickly time has flown. Since Miss NH, my life has been full of studying for finals, sleep, lots of ice-cream, more sleep, taking finals, writing papers, and moving home for the summer! I am going to do my best to recap the absolutely incredible week I had competing for Miss New Hampshire.
Here's the scoop, day by day...
Here's the scoop, day by day...
Saturday April 20th -- Miss New Hampshire Ball!
Today I woke up and got a quick morning workout in. I was pampered at Raw Salon & Spa in Londonderry. Thank you Kendra for the wonderful manicure and pedicure! I got ready for the Ball and my mom, stepdad Charlie, and I headed up to the Grappone Conference Center in Concord. The Miss NH Ball is a huge fundraiser organized by Wayne and Debbie Sevin and a team of local directors and parents that raises money for Miss New Hampshire's wardrobe and expenses for the year. It is also a ton of fun and a great kick-off to Miss NH Week. At the Ball, all of the local titleholders and our escorts were introduced in front of the guests. We then had dinner, entered raffles, bid on silent auction items, and danced the night away.
The Miss NH Class of 2013 with Miss NH 2012 Megan Lyman (I'm in black in the front row all the way to the right). A special thanks to Sara Carlisle for this amazing gown!
With my mom and Charlie at the Ball. I cannot thank these two people enough for all they do for me. I would not be where I am today without their love and support! A simple "thank you" is not enough.
Sunday April 21-- Production Rehearsal
Today I slept in (if 8am counts as sleeping in?) - YAY! I packed for Miss NH, then got ready to go to rehearsal at the Stockbridge Theater. This rehearsal was SO exciting because a lot of the set was already in place. I couldn't believe that Miss NH had already arrived, and this made it so much more real! THANK YOU to the producers, choreographers, dancers, production crew, volunteers, and everyone who helped to make the week amazing! Again, "thank you" is not enough for all that you give to the program.
Monday April 22
This was not an official day of Miss NH week, but I spent the day packing, running last minute errands, getting pampered (again - I am so lucky!) with a massage and facial, getting a spray tan, packing, oh, and did I mention packing? While I tried to get a good night's sleep, I was simply too excited and did not get to bed until around midnight.
Tuesday April 23
4:43am
(Am I the only one who sets alarms for "weird" times?) and my alarm goes off to get ready for Miss NH Move In Day! I can honestly say that this was one of the few times I was excited to get up this early. I was at the door to my favorite coffee shop at 6am on the dot, right when they open. I enjoyed my large coconut iced coffee, and definitely needed it today! My mom, Charlie, and I finished packing up the car and headed to Derry.
7:00am - We're on the road!
Excited and ready for the week!
I entertained myself on the drive by taking selfies with my coffee...clearly sleep deprived and over-caffeinated hehe
I also made this Vlog!
We arrived at Pinkerton and dropped off my wardrobe at the Stockbridge Theater!
7:45am - Mom got a little lost. Instead of turning into the parking lot for the Sleep Inn, she got back on 93 South. Oops! I think we both needed the laugh this morning. Good thing it only takes 10 minutes to get from exit 5 to exit 4 and back. =)
8:00am - We arrived at the Sleep Inn in Londonderry and moved all of my belongings into the hotel. It was great to see all of the Class of 2013 all together before the week got started!
With my roommate, Lauren Percy Miss Hooksett.
With Sam Massahos, Miss Stratham Fair.
Elysha Greenberg Miss Seacoast, Katy Piszcek Miss Merrimack, Kendall Wipff Miss Greater Derry, Katie McLain Miss Manchester, Megan Cooley Miss Londonderry, Samantha Russo Miss Souhegan Vallen/Miss NH 2013, Marybeth Bjork Miss Auburn, Meredith Eib Miss Gate City
9:00am - And we were off! We loaded up the vans and headed to orientaion. Brenda, Bill, Claudette, and Megan addressed the group of us. Then we heard incredible presentations by former Miss New Hampshire's Kriss Soterion-Blevens and Michelle Lamontagne Strout. They spoke about finding the "vibration" of your beauty, and community involvement, respectively. These women were so inspiring and helped us to get even more excited about the week.
12:00pm - We headed to Joker's in Manchester for a Sponsor's Luncheon. Joker's had fabulous food, and it was great to be able to meet and thank all of the sponsors who support the program. Did you know that the Miss NH Scholarship Organization awarded $72,000 in scholarships this year at the state level alone? That does not even include all of the support given by in-kind donors. I am constantly amazed by the generosity of people and am so grateful to be involved in this program. THANK YOU to everyone who supports our education and our growth!
2:00pm - Arrive at Pinkerton. We spent the rest of the day in rehearsal gearing up for the show!
11:00pm - Bedtime. What a day!
Wednesday April 24
Group B (I was contestant #15) began the day in Talent Rehearsal. It was great to be able to hit the stage and get a feel for performing my talent! We then headed up to Manchester to have our interviews with the judges. I had such a blast in interview! It couldn't have gone better!
After interivew I got a little nap in (about half of us set up camp behind all the seats at the Stockbridge - it was quite cozy!), had dinner (thank you Paula Bernard for coordinating food donations and preparing our meals for us all week!), and ended the night with a long but productive rehearsal.
Thursday April 25
We had a full dress rehearsal this morning! After dress rehearsal, we ate lunch, then got to go back to the Sleep Inn. Yay for more naps! We went back to the theater to get ready for Preliminary Night #1!
Tonight I competed in Preliminary Eveningwear and Lifestyle & Fitness in Swimsuit. I was so relieved to compete in these areas first because believe it or not, I get more nervous to walk on stage than to speak or sing. I am always afraid of tripping on my gown or stumbling in swimsuit! Lucky for me, I didn't trip. I had so much fun!
Lauren and I before dress rehearsal
With my amazing director, Danielle. Thank you for everything you do! I wouldn't be where I am today without all of your help and encouragement!
Friday April 26
Today was a lot like yesterday. Dress Rehearsal, lunch, more rehearsing, nap, and showtime! I performed my talent and answered my onstage question. Tons of fun! It felt great to know that all of the competition was done and everything was in God's hands.
Saturday April 27
The day went something like this...rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal, LUNCH at J.W. Hills in Manchester (SO good. Bruschetta and Blueberry Cobbler? Yes, please!), 15 minute power nap, get ready...and SHOWTIME!
I was so excited when I heard my name called for the Top 12! First up was evening gown. After eveningwear, I got to perform my talent again. My performance was so much stronger tonight than it was in Preliminaries, and for that I was so thankful. We then got to perform a fun dance to Kesha's Die Young, then I competed in Swimsuit.
And just like that, it was time for the finale. I was so happy with how I performed and thankful to have made the Top 10. I was the last contestant called into the Top 5. I was blessed to just be standing on stage with 27 of the most amazing women, and even more honored to be in the Top 5. The next moments seemed like hours as additional scholarships were awarded and Megan Lyman gave her farewell speech. Megan - congratulations on your year as Miss NH! You are such an inspiration and a genuine person. Thank you for your encouragement and friendship!
Then it was time to crown Miss New Hampshire! I was so incredibly honored to be standing where I stood. I knew that whatever happened, I was perfectly content. This quote can explain how I felt better than I can: "The struggle alone towards the heights is enough to fill one's heart." -Camus
Congratulations Samantha Russo, Miss New Hampshire 2013! Sam is such a hard working person and has already done SO much for the Miss New Hampshire Program in just these last few weeks. Follow her journey at www.missnh2013.wordpress.com!
All in all, I had such an incredible week! It was full of laughs, too much hairspray, a few cat naps, a lot of hard work, and tons of fun! I learned so much about myself, made friendships that truly will last a lifetime, and walked away with a $4000 scholarship that will go towards my completion of my Undergraduate degree at St. Anselm College.What more could a girl ask for? Thank you again to everyone who has been a part of my journey thus far. I wouldn't be who I am today without you.
Lots of love,
Kendall
Miss Greater Derry 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
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