Shivali Patel, North Carolina Jr. Teen Queen volunteers at the Methodist Home for Children.

Shivali Patel , the National American Miss North Carolina Junior Teen volunteers at the Methodist Home for Children (MHC). They were thrilled that Shivali wanted to support theirprogram in several different ways. She did her research about their needs and she made a commitment to raise money, raise awareness and contribute in-kind items to MHC. She is an awesome young lady!



Shivali’s first goal was to support MHC’s 1K for 1Kid program by raising money to support a child in care for one year. She started her project in July and hit the ground running! She not only surpassed her goal but helped raise nearly $2,000 to support two children in MHC’s care. Her commitment to get out in the community and ask for donations and gifts is amazing! Shivali has put in more than 120 hours, going door to door, business to business asking for support to reach her goal. She didn’t take no for an answer and received gifts from $1.00 to $100.00. They, MHC, were most impressed when she even got the Mayor in Raleigh, NC to support her efforts!

In addition to raising money for their ministry, she asked fellow contestants to collect stuffed animals for our underserved children at their preschool. Shivali delivered big garbage bags full of stuffed animals to the kids at the center one day. She also used extra funds raised to purchase hygiene items and school supplies for our older kids – something she felt passionate about since teens in foster care are often forgotten about.

Shivali has an incredible philanthropic spirit! Her enthusiasm for volunteering and follow through on her commitment is admirable! MHC is proud of her efforts and of the positive way she approached her service to MHC. There are few youth in the community who truly stand out like Shivali. Her determination and drive will serve her well in the future. Her outstanding volunteer service to Methodist Home for Children is greatly appreciated.

Meet The 2011-2012 National All-American Miss Princess Josephine McDowell

Tiffany: How did you get involved in National American Miss?

Josephine:I met Katy Jones, former 2009 Miss South Texas Preteen, at an introductory meeting to NAM.  She read books at my mom’ child care center.

Tiffany:  How did you prepare for the National Pageant?

Josephine: I skyped with my coaches.  I practiced with my parents and brother.  I also practiced in front of my parent’s friends.

Tiffany:  What is the best advice you have ever received?

Josephine: To Have FUN!!!

Tiffany: What quote , motto or scripture best describes you?

Josephine: Be silly!

Tiffany: What are your future plans?

Josephine:To get a house

Tiffany: What activities are you involed in?

Josephine:Volleyball, gymnastics, swim team, and softball

Tiffany: What do you like to do for fun?

Josephine: To play with my friends

Tiffany:What is one item you can’t live without?

Josephine: My American Girl Doll, Kanani.

Tiffany:Who is rolemodel?

Josephine:My brother, Dylan

Tiffany: What is your favorite TV show?

Josephine: iCarley

Tiffany: If you had three wishes what would you wish for?

Josephine: I have everything I want.

Tiffany: If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?

 Josephine: Las Vegas

Tiffany: What is your defintion of a NAM girl?

Josephine: An amazing rolemodel

Tiffany: If you were stranded on a deserted island what three things could you not live with out?

Josephine: chicken nuggets, toys, friends

Tiffany:How would your friends describe you?

Josephine:Nice and caring

Tiffany:How are you making a difference in your community?

Josephine:By helping others and being caring and nice

Tiffany:If you could go back in time and be at any historical event what would it be?

Josephine: I would like to be at one of Martin Luther King’s speeches.

Tiffany: If you could go back in time and meet one person who would it be and why?

Josephine: My Great Grandmother because I was named after her.

Tiffany:If you could be famous for something, what would you want to be famous for?

Josephine: For writing a popular song

Tiffany:What is your favorite book? And why?

Josephine: "Butterfly Buddies" because I love to read!

Tiffany:Where is your favorite place to shop?

Josephine: Justice For Girls because it has fancy dresses. 

Tiffany:Who or what inspires you most?

Josephine: My mom and dad

Tiffany:What have you learned about yourself since competing in pageants?

Josephine:I keep trying my hardest.

Tiffany: What advice do you have for future NAM girls?

Josephine:To work their hardest and have fun!

Tiffany: What do you plan to do with your title this year?

Josephine: Do volunteer work and help others.

Tiffany: Tell me about yourself.

Josephine: I am nice and caring.My mom always says I’m smart, I’m funny, and I’m beautiful!

Check out These FUN videos from The 2011 NAM National Pageant !

Take a minute to check out these snap shot videos from the 2011 NAM National Pageant held in Hollywood, California.

NAM Texas Titleholders Make a Difference in their Community...

The 2011 National American Miss Texas Titleholders voluteered their time at the Tarrant County Buddy Walk. Together these girls help make a difference in the lives of others.

NAM Queens often become life long friends!

I'ts a Wrap... NAM Nationals 2011!

The 2011 -2012 NAM National Winners !!!



The 2011-2012 National All-American Princess

Josephine McDowell of Texas



The 2011-2012 National American Miss Princess

 Bernice Chau of Florida

 

The 2011-2012 National All-American Miss Jr Pre Teen

 Kylan Darnell of Ohio





The 2011-2012 National American Miss Jr Pre Teen

Peyton Newman Illinois



The 2011-2012 National All- American Miss Pre-Teen

Shereen Pimentel of New Jersey

The 2011-2012 National American Miss Pre-Teen

Regan Spoltman of Ohio

The 2011-2012 National All American Miss Jr Teen

Maggie Marx of Kansas

The 2011-2012 National American Miss Jr Teen

 Raven Delk of California

The 2011-2012 National All American Miss Teen

Kasey Knowles of Kansas

The 2011-2012 National American Miss Teen

Jenna Diller of Ohio

The 2011-2012 National All American Miss

 Amanda Moreno of Georgia

The 2011-2012 National American Miss

Rachael Landis of Missouri

YOU Can Make a Difference for a NAM Girl....

Ashley Marie MacDonald competed in NAM from 2004-2009. Through her years with NAM she won the Ohio State Teen Cover Girl title in 2006 and went on to Nationals to win the National Cover Girl title. She was also a city queen (Miss Cincinnati) in 2009 competing at Nationals with city queen (Miss Worcester) Cara Haig that fall. This story isn’t about Nationals; it’s about what happened after Nationals.

In January 2011, Ashley went to school and work like any normal day. But that night at work, during a stock check Ashley had an accident. A 72 inch unassembled bookcase had fallen on her foot. She informed the manager of the accident but tried to walk it off. Within a half hour, her foot was so swollen it was bursting out of her shoe and was bruising. A report was filed and Ashley was on her way to the Emergency Room.

There, doctors x-rayed her foot and thought it was a bone chip fracture. They fiber-glassed her foot into a boot and sent her home with instructions to follow up with Mercy Health Solutions in 2 weeks.

During the follow up, the doctor there confirmed to her that the x-rays appeared to show a bone chip fracture and to treat it as such, and to follow up with them again in 2 weeks.

2 weeks later, Ashley came back, but to a different doctor. This doctor told her there was nothing wrong with her at all. All the while, Ashley is feeling excruciating pain and was noticing changes in her foot. An approval to see an orthopedic specialist had still not come in from Workman’s Compensation.  At this point she was frustrated and made the appointment anyway. If her foot was indeed broken, she was already halfway through the healing process with it being now 4 weeks after the initial injury.

Upon seeing her orthopedic, all the signs were clear and the xrays clearly showed no break. In fact, Dr. Devine had seen this before but needed an MRI for proof. When that approval came in, the test clearly showed what Dr. Devine had suspected; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. (RSD)

The diagnosis devastated her. She even wanted to drop out of her upcoming National Pageant in St. Louis.

“It took me a few months, but I finally came to realize why this had to happen to me. I am a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason and God never gives you anything you cannot handle. I was dealt this card to help others with it. I even changed my major from pharmacology to physical therapy so that I can help someone else with this disorder. I am also working so hard to create more awareness for the RSD disorder.” –Ashley Marie

RSD/CRPS is considered a rare nerve disorder that affects anywhere from 200,000-1.2 million Americans. It develops after any injury or any medical procedure that the body would see as traumatic. An injury that would seem as simple as a sprain can result in an incurable nerve disorder that is often unrecognized and untreated.

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy that is now also referred to as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome can be prevented all together. By taking Vitamin C immediately following an injury and over the course of 50 days, the chances of one developing this disorder reduces by 76%. That is incredible for a disorder that appears after 5% of all injuries.

There is no cure for RSD. The disorder is treated the best it can be. Through medications, physical therapy, sympathetic nerve blocks, spinal cord stimulation, tens units, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, and ketamine infusions, patients learn to live their life in pain. But it never had to be this way.

Ashley isn’t taking this diagnosis lying down and has now teamed up with Cara who also now suffers from this disorder. She decided to take a stand against this disorder that has changed their lives. Ashley has started a petition on change.org to make it mandatory for hospitals, outpatients, urgent cares, etc to provide vitamin c and inform the patients of the possibility of this disorder developing.  Just as flu shots are given in hospitals to prevent the spread of the virus, the precautions should be made to prevent a nerve disorder from developing. Too many people are unaware of the disorder and it’s time to make it known and prevent one more person from receiving this debilitating and incurable diagnosis.

In addition to the petition, Ashley and Cara have been asking those that they know to write to Ellen Degeneres. They are in great hopes that Ellen will take notice and back their efforts, promote the awareness, and the petition. In the past, Ellen has done many things to promote awareness for other efforts and they are praying for her help.

 November is RSD awareness month, how will you spread the awareness? Please sign the petition to help Ashley and Cara help others. It only takes one minute and you can change someone’s life.

Please help put out the flame by signing your name.

                                                             Click to sign your name!

NAM is All About TRUE Beauty ...

Check out this awesome video to see what TRUE BEAUTY is all about !!!

Former 3 Time NAM Winner Danielle Doty and Miss Teen USA 2011 is Featured in Pageantry Magazine!

Miss Teen USA Danielle Doty!

Danielle is no stranger to the stage, she is a 3 time former National American Miss Winner and is living in New York City as the new Miss Teen USA! Check out Danielle's podcast in Pageantry Magazine!

Click to hear Danielle's Interview!

NAM Connecticut Titleholders are makinging a Difference and Hope for a Cure for Cancer !

The 2011 National American Miss Connecticut Titleholders give back with Strides Against Breast Cancer.

NAM titleholders lead the walkers for the event in warm up.

Former National American Miss Jr Teen Sarah Summers Wins Miss Nebraska Teen USA!

The 2009-2011 National American Miss Jr. Teen Sarah Summers!



Former NAM National Winner Sarah Summers wins the title of Miss Nebraska Teen USA!

Be In The Know...

With the 2011 National American Miss National Pageant right around the corner, I went straight to the pros to give out the best advice. I asked NAM girls:

 "What is the best pageant advice you have ever received?"

Lets see what they had to say...

Laura Nguyen :always have the right amount of confidence... never be over confident ... never not have any confidence at alll. always be right in the middle

Brianna Haggerty Cannon:( 2005-2006 National American Miss) Being a queen isn't about you. It's about representing something much bigger than you, so you have to be relatable. A queen has to be able to talk to anyone about anything and have a likable personality. Thus, it is important for those qualities to translate in your personal introduction and interview.

Sarah Odell: Smile like you already won, do your best, trust God, and dont give up!

 

Ravayna Tracey:(2002-2003 National American Miss Teen)  positive pageantry is a must!

if you compete only for a crown and title, the chances are good that you will wind up disappointed. but if you compete with a positive attitude, looking to gain self confidence, new friends, and experience, you will always be a winner!

 

Haleigh Newman :In interview, it's just like talking to your friends parents or your parents friends.

Sherelle Peterson: You don't have to go into debt to be in pageants, start buying used pageant wear!! I love saving money!

Robin Walters: I use to tell all 3 of my beautiful daughters, just be yourself, and SMILE!

Charika Jordan :A crown doesnt make you a winner your a winner inside your heart!

Kelly Young Klein :To take a breath~ I need to remind myself of that when I have three girls that compete! But the best advise that was ever given to my girls was to go out there and be themselves~ and do their best!!! It really is that simple! No one can ask any more of you. I am always in awe of the girls that do pageants and the grace and confidence that they have!!!

Monica Grace Wolfe: Be Yourself and the Judges will Love you

Amanda Temperton: Be you and walk on stage knowing that you are beautiful and worth it!

              The 2010-2011 National American Miss National Titleholders!

Mom's Know Best ...

Dawn Lymberopoulos was a bit surprised when her daughter said she wanted to be in a pageant.

“I was a little apprehensive at first,” Dawn says of the day Emily got an invitation to apply to the National American Miss Pageant. “But I had participated in a Miss Teen USA pageant at 16. So I couldn’t deny her.”

Last year, Emily participated and had so much fun she decided to do it again this year. This time, she won Miss Illinois for her age division. She goes on to compete in the national competition in November.

What did you say (and what did you think) when she first proposed the idea?

I thought the experience would help her to grow in a positive way.

National American Miss is very age-appropriate. They discourage makeup, jewelry and polished nails. They focus more on their natural beauty and who they are. This pageant is more about inner beauty, poise, self-confidence and their ability to communicate.

Did you worry that pageants may somehow change her, make her too concerned with appearances?

I guess there is always a concern that with all the attention a young person gets in a situation like this, it could cause her to become more caught up with her appearance, but in this case it actually taught my daughter that she is beautiful even without all the makeup and things.

That natural beauty comes from within a person.

How is she different from the girls she competes against?

Emily is a typical 13-year-old in many ways. She does however, possess an inner beauty and confidence that I cannot easily explain. The most important things to her are God and friends and family.

What advice did you give her?I told her to do her best. Just before leaving for the pageant, I heard a thought for the day on my favorite radio station. The thought for the day was “Be the change you want to see in the world.” This is a famous quote by Gandhi. I personally had never heard it before that morning. I told Emily, and she took this thought with her to the pageant. On our drive up to Chicago, we stopped at her aunt’s house, who we had not seen for a while. Emily walked in the house and went over to admire some pottery that her aunt had made, and as she stared down at the pottery, to her disbelief, etched in the pottery were the words, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Emily’s shocked and surprised look prompted her aunt to give her the piece of pottery to take with her to the pageant.

Is it hard to watch her lose or to think about the fact that she may lose?

Every experience in life shapes us and molds us into who we become. Even if she had lost the pageant, I believe she would have become a stronger and better person for the experience.

What do you like about the pageants?

I like that they encourage the girls to become leaders, and to serve others by getting involved in their community. They also put more emphasis on inner beauty instead of outward appearance, helping them to like themselves for who they are.

Is there anything you don’t like?

Our experience was a good one. I do have to admit, it can be stressful at times. If you are trying to do everything with excellence and encouraging your child to do her best, this is what can create stress. The demands of family, school and extracurricular activities would create stress in any situation. This is where faith helps.

Dawn Lymberopoulos

Age • 45

Home • Maryville, IL





                                                                 For Full Story Click Here!

The 2011 National American Miss Nebraska Pre-Teen Cassandra Salas makes a Difference with Man's Best Friend!

Cassandra Salas ~ the 2011 NAMiss Nebraska Pre-Teen has been busy volunteering and what better way to do it then for the animals. Each year Cassandra volunteers for the Nebraska Humane Society by making treats and blankets for the animals and their adoption families. This year she was also asked to take part in the Walk for the Animals which raised $103,973. She served food to hungry walkers and helped out at the different adoption booths. Pam Weiss (Director of the NE Humane Society) told Cassandra how nice it was to see her back each year.

National American Miss Oregon Pre-Teen Madeline Monlux Rubs Elbows with Hollywoods Top Celebs !

Madeline with award winning actress Sigourney Weaver !

Madeline with The Today Show Host Ann Curry!

Check out True Beauty to NAM Girl Paige McArthur

By: Paige McArthur

                What does “true beauty” mean to me? True beauty can mean so many different things. Being beautiful is so much more than what meets the eye. So many people don’t see this. Being beautiful is not always based on the clothes you wear or the amount of makeup you put on before you start your day. It is not the style of clothing you can afford or the cost of the necklace around your neck.

Thankfully, for me, being beautiful is SO much more than any of these things. Being beautiful is showing unconditional love to the ones who mean the most to you in life. It is doing what in your heart you feel is right even when the rest of the world may be doing the total opposite. To me the most beautiful and true thing you could ever do in your life is accept Jesus Christ into your heart and have faith that he will help you conquer all of life’s journeys.  Because without your Lord and savior what is possible in this life? In my opinion the answer is NOTHING! He makes life so much more beautiful and when I look in the mirror every day I see him and thank him for all of the beautiful opportunities he has blessed me with.

Through pageantry I never imagined how many truly beautiful friends I would make. Many girls who are not only beyond beautiful on the outside, but on the inside as well.  For every new friend I meet through beauty pageants I know that is why God placed this hobby in my life. Pageants are not all about the glitz and glam. They are not all about winning prizes or a beautiful crown. They are about what you do with the crown to make a difference in the life of others in your community and around the world. We are role models for younger children and are expected to set an outstanding example for these young girls and boys to live by!

For everyone in this world there is something beautiful in you. It is up to you to find out just what that may be. I feel that the most beautiful thing about me is my loving heart and being a great friend to others. Sometimes that is all a person really needs in life is a true friend. I feel so lucky to not only be beautiful on the outside but to also have such true beauty on the inside.

True Beauty is ....

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of “True” is the following three statements:

1. Being in accordance with the actual state or conditions; conforming to reality or fact; not false.

2. Real; genuine; authentic.

3. Sincere; not deceitful.

            Also, the definition of “Beauty” according to Dictionary.com is:

1. The quality present in a thing or person that gives intense           pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising           from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a           meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a        personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).

            So, to put together these words, logically, “True Beauty” means a “genuine ‘like’ person’s exterior qualities.” Is that all it’s really about? People are judging others on whether or not they are beautiful… and it’s all a matter of opinion. Not everyone likes the same things and no two people are identical. So, who are we to judge whether or not someone is beautiful. We’re all different, but we’re all still the same. I know that’s a contradiction in itself, but we look at others on the exterior and we’re all original; however, sometimes you have to go deeper than that to find “true beauty”.

            So, what is “true beauty” in the non-logical and completely opinionated definition? My definition: a person who has spirit, who can be who they really are without worry; someone who’s dedicated, honest, supportive, helpful, caring, and, most of all, unique. They have to be themselves. Flaws and everything.

            No one can be their own person without being unique, and that’s what every person with true beauty is. There’s no such thing as normal. Every person that I meet is trying to find themselves. They’re searching, but they’re searching for the wrong thing. They’re searching for a sense of “normalcy” when there’s no such thing! No one’s normal and that’s what makes a person unique without them even knowing. Nevertheless, the person that realizes this uniqueness in everyone, including themselves, is the one with true beauty. No amount of make-up can make that.

            We all have true beauty somewhere inside us. It’s our personality. Who we are as a person is what people should be judging us as, if at all. Our outer beauty is a plus, but to be truly beautiful is to have an even greater inner beauty. Writing this reminds me of the show True Beauty with Tyra Banks. They judged the person’s outer beauty while judging their inner beauty without the contestants knowing. The show helped people realize that it’s not all about what you look like, but it’s also how you act that makes you a beautiful person.

            Children, teenagers, even adults need to remember that not everything is based on how you look. If everyone knew they were being judged on their true inner beauty before their outer beauty, I’m almost certain that everyone would act a little nicer and smile a little brighter every day. That’s what everyone needs. That’s what true beauty really is.