August 18, 2008 | posted by Stephanie
This past year, I have been featured in many newspaper articles, and I have even appeared on T.V. a few times. I have read articles that display my true character, and I have read articles where I don't even recognize the "Miss Greater Greer" they are talking about. I am the type of person who can laugh at these things, and that is why today I have decided to share an interesting find with you all.
Someone recently told me that I had been featured in a blog that discusses sports, so I decided I would check it out. The writer of the blog and many other people often times do not understand that purpose of having a "beauty queen" in today's society, and that is ok. I don't expect people to realize that holding a title is not always a beautiful/ glamorous job and is actually a lot of hard work. Anyway, here is the blog - hope you find it as entertaining as I did.
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First-pitch throwing pagent queens So I took a trip to an Asheville Tourist’s (A) game on Friday night, where Ms. Asheville sang a rather pitchy anthem, and her crown and heels on the baseball field made me cringe.
Maybe it’s because I am a girl, who truly understands baseball and am not allowed on the field, no matter how many times I contemplate jumping the fence….luckily I’m a smart girl.
The tiara was just too much for me, and then I found something even better this evening.
Photo by Tom Priddy: Miss Greater Greer throwing out the first pitch at a Greenville Drive game.
I’m not sure I would have been able to contain myself if the foresaid Ms. Asheville had delivered the first pitch. But maybe I’m being stereotypical, and as a female sports editor I hate that kind. So instead I’ll be kind, and applaud the pagent queen for being able to correctly deliver a baseball, hair flying and all.
http://bravoyeur.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/first-pitch-throwing-pagent-queens/
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August 16, 2008 | posted by Stephanie
I have officially decided that I am not very good (or consistent) at blogging, but I am going to try to do better :)
Last weekend, I had three appearances that were a lot of fun.
(Saturday) - The first was at Publix where I did a meet and greet with children and customers. Publix was hosting Kid Safety Day, and I was excited to be a part of the event. I met a lot of children, and I even talked with a few kids that I already knew.
(Saturday) - The second appearance was a meet and greet at Ashley's Ice Cream. This is a new ice cream parlor, and I believe they are going to be very successful in the Greer/ Blue Ridge area.
(Sunday) - My last appearance of the weekend was the Back to School Bash. This event was hosted by Freedom Fellowship, and it was a huge success. Over 500 bookbags with school supplies were handed out to children who needed them to start school. There were lots of events, and all the kids had a great time.
I have a few appearances left before I give up my title, but everything has really slowed down for me since the state pageant. I am definately looking forward to going back to school next week, and I am aware that I am a dork for that. I am excited about challenging myself and using my brain, and I am looking forward to being back on a structured schedule.
Check back soon to see where my life is taking me and enjoy the last few days of SUMMER!
God Bless
July 28, 2008 | posted by Stephanie
My 21st Birthday was on July 24th, and my sweet family threw me a "Surprise Birthday Party".
It was definately a huge surprise, and the party was held at the beautiful Davenport in downtown Greer.
Many of my friends and family were in attendance, including some of my pageant family. We ate delicious food (sponosored by Fatz in Greer), and enjoyed shag and swing dancing.
I could not have asked for a better way to spend my 21st birthday, and I am so grateful to my family and friends for being there.
If you are looking for a great place to throw a party check out www.eventsatthedavenport.com
They are the best :)
Check Back Soon
July 10, 2008 | posted by Stephanie
First of all, I would like to say "Thank You" to everyone who has supported me, encourgaged me, and prayed for me during this exciting journey in my life.
I had an absolute blast at Miss SC, and I am so grateful that I had this wonderful opportunity. I met so many wonderful girls, and I became very close to Miss Spartanburg (Summer Rayl) and Miss Charleston (Cynthia English).
Tuesday night, I competed in the swimsuit competition, and I must say I had the largest support group in the audience. From the moment I took the stage until the moment I walked off I heard cheers coming from ALL over the auditorium. It was such an exciting experience :)
Wednesday night, I took the stage to perform my talent. I had a wonderful time singing my song, and I really feel like all the hard work paid off. My most proud moment came later in the evening when I recieved the "Melissa Ann Adams Child Abuse Prevention Scholarship". Being a part of this program is about giving back to others, and I was so honored to be recognized for my work to prevent child abuse. I also won the "Robert Pinson Media Award" and that included a $500 scholarship.
Thursday night was evening gown and onstage question. Chandler did an EXCELLENT job escorting me across the stage, and I believe he was the star of the show. I felt wonderful in my evening gown, and confident in my onstage question. My only wish was that I could have gotten a more serious, thought provoking question. My question was - If a fast food rest. were to name a menu item after you, would what the item be named and what would it consist of?
I answered, "It would definately be called Stephanie's Grilled Chicken Salad, because that is my favorite food. It would consist of lettuce, grilled chicken, tomatoes, and mandarin oranges. It would be very healthy because I enjoy eating healthy foods, but it would also be very delicious!"
Friday night was the gala, and I brought my "Uncle Jack" as my favorite patriot. I was so honored that he came to share this experience with me, and I felt great pride when I introduced him to the audience. Jack is a former Marine, and he served in Vietnam as a Sergeant E-5.
Saturday night was finals night. The top ten was immediately called, and although I was not in the top ten I felt proud of the way I performed during the week. Later that evening, my "Princess in Waiting" (Mallory Price) was introduced onstage, and after that Camilla Pitman (Greer's LED) was awarded the Presidential Freedom Corps Lifetime Achievement for volunteering over 4,000 hours of service during her lifetime. I was so proud to have my director recognized for such an honorable achievement.
Well, that was a quick summary of last weeks events. Now, I am back to work as Miss Greater Greer, and I have lots of things planned for the last few months of my reign. Check back soon for updates on what I am doing :)
For pictures from last weeks pageant check out www.missgreatergreer.com and click on "Updates from Spartanburg"
Congrats to Anna Perry and Taylor Fitch for their big wins last week, and also a special "Congrats" to Grace Wepner (1st runner up to Miss SC and a triple pre lim winner). I had the honor of getting to know Grace while rooming with her in Atlantic City, and she is truly a classy lady.
June 27, 2008 | posted by Stephanie
I wanted to give a quick update on what has been happening over the past two weeks.
On Monday (June 16th), I was on the Peggy Denny show with two other local title holders. This was a great experience because we had the opportunity to speak about our platforms and promote the upcoming Miss SC pageant. We all had a lot of fun on the show!
On Friday (June 20th), I was a judge for Greer Idol, and this was one of my hardest appearances so far. After each contestant performed, I had to give feedback on how I thought they did. Each contestant was outstanding, and it was so hard for me to judge them knowing three contestants would be "kicked off" of Greer Idol. I am wishing all of them the best of luck.
On Thursday (June 26th), Caitlyn (Miss Greater Greer Teen), Leslie Sloan (Miss Southern), and I performed at the Greer Community Ministries Senior Dining. This was a wonderful experience, and I really enjoyed spending time with the seniors in attendance. They were all so sweet and so encouraging, and I hope to go visit with them again soon!
On Friday (June 27th), Caitlyn and I attended the Greater Greer Send-Off party. This was so much fun, and we both enjoyed every moment of it. We had tons of family and friends in attendance to give us encouragement before our upcoming competitions. We were able to socialize, show off our wardrobe, perform an interview for a local paper, and open lots of gifts that we recieved. I am so so grateful to have such a GREAT support group :)
Well Miss SC is here.... tomorrow morning I will be checking into the hotel, and the busy week will begin. Many of you have asked what you can do to help this week run smoothly for me, and all I can say is to please keep me in your prayers. Pray for the safety of all the girls, that we will perform to the best of our ability, that our personalities will be seen in competition, and most importantly that God's will will be done.
I will try to update this blog during the week to let everyone know how things are going, and for Camilla's blog check out www.missgreatergreer.com
Much Love and God Bless!
June 14, 2008 | posted by Stephanie
This morning, I attended a "Princess Party" to benefit Greenville County Schools. I had a wonderful time meeting all the princesses, and I even had the opportunity to perform my talent.
I know this is an event I would have loved as a little girl - I hope you enjoy the pictures!
June 13, 2008 | posted by Stephanie
Wow, this month is FLYING by and I can't belive it is almost time to compete in Miss SC :) I have been very busy preparing to be the best that I can be. I am at the gym almost everyday, practicing for talent everyday, getting my wardrobe together, and trying to keep up with current events. It is a lot to keep up with, but I am loving every moment of it and hoping it will pay off in the end.
As I mentioned before, I travelled to Washington, D.C. and to Atlantic City for a few days, and I had a wonderful time. I had the opportunity to meet so many unique and interesting people, and I even spent some time with Miss America, Kirsten Haglund. Hanging out with her was the icing on the cake. She is very personable and down to earth, and I believe she is doing a wonderful job as Miss America.
On the trip, I got to know many of the other contestants, and we had a great time together. I know we are going to have a ton of fun in July.
This past Wednesday, I assisted with a grand opening for a new doctors office in Greer. Many of the Greer Chamber members were in attendance, and it was nice seeing them again.
On Thursday night, Justin and I got to babysit Mallory and Griffin. We had the best time, and I can't belive how talkative Mallory has gotten - she is really growing up.
Today, I have been running around like crazy trying to get some last minute things done before the competition.
Be sure to check back tomorrow - I will be attending a "Princess Party," and I will have an update and pictures for everyone!
Much Love and God Bless
pictured with Miss America
wearing the Miss America Crown
pictured with Miss America @ the "Miss America Pajama Party"
June 2, 2008 | posted by Stephanie
May has come to an end. Here is an update on the last two events I appeared at during May.
May 30th - I performed at the Dance Vision's Dance Recital, and while I was there I watched my Palmetto Princess, Hope Cox, perform two dances. She did a wonderful job, and I truly belive she will be Miss America one day!
May 31st - I answered phones for a CMN Telethon that was being held in Charleston. This telethon was a great success - raising over two million dollars :)
This coming Wednesday I will be leaving for Washington and Atlantic City; so I better go pack a few things. Check back soon - I will post updates and pictures from the trip!
May 29, 2008 | posted by Stephanie
May is coming to an end, and I have a few more events to fill you in on!
May 25, 2008- Sunday
This past Sunday was an eventful day. After church, I hurried to Liberty for a meeting concerning my upcoming trip to Washington and Atlantic City. I believe I mentioned before that I and some other contestants are now "pearls" and because we met the requirements of the incentive program we are now being treated to a trip. I am so excited about going to Atlantic City, and I can't wait to tell you all about it when I get back (I will post pictures too). After the meeting, I came back to Greer, picked up my family and Palmetto Prince (Chandler), and we went to watch a Greenville Drive baseball game. We had the BEST time, and we all really enjoyed the beautiful fireworks show that ended the game! Chandler is an athlete; therefore he was really into the game, but I truly believe he enjoyed eating all the junk food more than anything!
May 26, 2008 - Memorial Day
I wanted to add a little bit of information about Memorial Day- I think it is important that we remember what this day is all about.
Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (in 2008 on May 26). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who perished while in military service to their country. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.
May 27, 2008 -Greer Rotary Club
I had the wonderful opportunity of speaking to the Greer Rotary Club this past Tuesday morning (7 am). They were all extremely nice, and asked many questions about my platform. They really wanted to know why child abuse is such a problem in the upstate (spartanburg and greenville counties), and how we could go about fixing this problem. I really love speaking with groups like the Rotary Club because I feel that my whole purpose in being Miss Greater Greer is being fulfilled when educating others about abuse.
May 28, 2008 -Greer Middle School Career Fair
Yesterday, I spent a few hours at the Greer Middle School Career Fair talking with students about my job as Miss Greater Greer. I also handed out tons of information about ways to prevent child abuse, and I signed autograph cards for many of the students. Unfortuantely, I ran out of autograph cards (I brought over 150) and some of the studensts were not too happy about that. I will be ordering more autograph cards, so hopefully I will see some of these children out at various events in Greer.
I have some fun appearances coming up this weekend- so check back soon to see how they went.
May 21, 2008 | posted by Stephanie
May is a very busy month, and I want to give you a quick update on what I have been doing.
5/15 - Caitlyn and I had the honor of performing for Riverland Hills Baptist Church in Columbia. This was a really fun event and it was great practice for the upcoming state pageants. I was excited to perform three different songs, Caitlyn performed her song for state, and Ms. Camilla performed a few songs as well. While we were at this event, we were able to speak about our platforms and raise money for Children's Miracle Network.
Later that night, I returned home and practiced swing dancing for the "Dancing Under the Stars" competition at Relay for Life.
5/16 - Caitlyn and I participated in Relay for Life at Dooley Field in Greer. I organized a team called "Queens for a Cure" and was thrilled to have many queens come out to support Relay for Life. All of the queens walked the "Survivor" lap and the "Care Giver" lap. It was very touching to walk with all the survivors as everyone cheered them on. After walking, I announced all the teams and their captains as they walked for the parade of teams.
At 11:00 pm, Justin and I competed in "Dancing Under the Stars" - we were excited to come in third place. I am going to try to post a video of our dance, and I hope everyone enjoys it :)
5/17 - I performed at the LymanFest and signed autographs for some children. Later that evening l performed at El Bethel Church in Greer to help with a youth mission trip fundraiser (a womanless beauty pageant). I also spent a few moments giving my testimony, and speaking about my platform before crowning the winner of the pageant.
5/21 - Today, I had a blast singing the National Anthem at the Greenville Drive game. There were a lot of children at the game, and I enjoyed talking to them and watching the game for a while.
Stay tuned for more updates and more photos :)
