Happy Holidays!

I hope that everyone had a very happy holiday, along with a fun and safe new year! It has been so nice to be off school the past couple weeks and spend time with my family. I spent Christmas Eve with my family from my Dad's side at my house. I truly have the most amazing family and it is so exciting to be with my aunts, uncles, and cousins that I don't get to see everyday. The next morning I woke up to the best Christmas I have ever experienced. Santa was certainly very good to me this year! After opening presents, laughing, and sharing Christmas memories together, my family packed up the presents and went off to my Pap's house. My Mom's side of the family was all there which is always a treat. Everyone brought their specialty dish and my Pap cooked up a delicious turkey! The food was almost too good to be true! I am lucky to be a part of a family with so many wonderful cooks! Following lunch, it was time for presents again! My aunts and uncles were very generous and I received a plethora of wonderful gifts. Christmas isn't just about the presents, it really is about being with your family and spreading good to everyone around you. I learned that I can't take my family for granted because without them, I really don't know how I would survive! Christmas shouldn't be just for one day, it should be all year round! We should be continuously loving, caring, and sharing all that we are blessed with. That's what I love the most about Christmas!

Throughout my holiday break, I have still kept extremely busy with dance. There are basketball games almost every other day! The University of Akron dance team works very hard to make every performance memorable. We practice everyday we do not have a game and sometimes we even practice when we do have games! I have had so much fun being a part of such a wonderful team and I am looking forward to the rest of our year together.

The U of A dance team performed a Holiday special
dance to spread the Christmas cheer! We had a blast
choreographing a fun and upbeat dance to all of our favorite
Christmas songs! We also picked out some pretty cute outfits
for the halftime show as well :)

New Year's Eve was SO much fun! Every year, I Irish dance at "First Night." This is a night full of performances, activities, fireworks, and family fun. This family-friendly celebration of the New Year through the arts brings the community together to experience a brief moment in time while creating lasting New Year's Eve memories. The entertainment and fun featuring music, dance, theatre, visual and interactive arts delight everyone for the Holidays! It is located in downtown Akron and is always a blast! This year, I was asked to be an emcee for the night as Miss Ohio Teen! I arrived in downtown Akron at 4:30 to learn my scripts and introduce some very talented acts. It was so much fun to watch other performers! This was the first year I had the opportunity to do that because usually I am getting ready to perform myself! I was planning on performing with my dance school, but unfortunately, I was double booked! I was supposed to be an emcee at one stage and performing on another at the same time! I rushed to my performance stage, but they were all ready and about to go on stage. Instead of dancing, I went ahead and came on stage to talk to the audience! I greeted them with a Happy New Year and informed them that they were certainly in for a treat. I told them that the next act was one that was very close to my heart for I have been Irish dancing with this dance school for 15 years now and have loved every second of it. I told them what a phenomenal group of dancers they were and how sad I was that I didn't have time to change and get ready to perform with them! As I finished up, one of the Dad's of another dancer came out and took the microphone! He went on to introduce me and tell the audience what a treat it was to have me there and introduce the dancers. He told them that I was a six time World Qualifier and have won numerous competitions. He went on to them about some of my accomplishments and ended with that I am the 2010 Miss Ohio Teen USA. His words were so touching and it meant the world to me that he said all he did. I had to emcee a few more acts, then I was free for the night to talk to children, take pictures with them, and sign autographs! It was a blast to be there and I am very happy I got to be there as Miss Ohio Teen!

Kendall and Ashley are two of my favorite little
dancers! They both dance in my beginner class
and are VERY talented! This picture was taken right
before they went on to stage to perform. This was their
first big show and they were so excited! They did an awesome
job and I am very proud of them!

I had SO much fun being an emcee at First Night this
year! I love being in front of people and speaking
especially when I'm introducing a group I have grown
up with. Here, I was just finishing up my last words
as Glade Pauley, whom is a father of one of the dancers,
came on stage to say a few kind words about me and
the O'Hare school of Irish Dance.


These three beautiful girls are some of the most
wonderful dancers! The pretty blonde is Caroline!
I have mentioned Caroline before on her success
becoming a World Qualifier this year! I have trained
with Caroline for the past couple years and have had the
pleasure of watching her grow as a dancer. She is truly
amazing and I know she will blow the judges away this year
in Scotland at the World Championships! The other adorable
dancers are McKenna and Tauri! They are outstanding as well
and all three of the girls put on a fantastic show! :)

As 2009 came to an end, I can look back at all of the accomplishments I made, all of the wonderful memories I have created, and most importantly see how fortunate I truly am. I have a had such an exciting year! 2009 was the year that I became a leader of my high school. I was a senior and held countless responsibilities. I was a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council, Spanish Club, "Girls of Green", and Varsity G club. I served as a captain of my varsity cheerleading squad, dance team, and track team. Throughout high school, I remained very involved with my school and community. I participated in numerous walks and runs for Relay For Life, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. I was also a team leader for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I participated in Kick for the Cure and Volley for the Cure every year and had a blast! I modeled in a charity runway show for the Battered Women's Shelter which was so inspiring. After sharing the news with the women about our success with the show, they were so grateful and to see their happy faces meant the world to me! Every year, I have been very involved with Toys for Tots. This is an amazing charity and I am so happy I have the opportunity to help make a difference in so many children's lives. Helping my school and community have been two major aspects that have made 2009 such a memorable year. Another great success was when my dance team was named State champions and then went on to become National champions! I was also a dedicated performer to Musical Theatre all throughout high school and my senior year, we reinvented the classic musical, "Crazy For You." I played the leading show girl by the name of Patsy. I had so much fun with this role. I was "the ditzy show girl" and really got to showcase my dance ability. I even got to spotlight my Irish dancing skills! Speaking of Irish dance, I qualified for the World Championships the following weekend! I was then voted Homecoming Queen by my fellow students which was a tremendous honor. I always strive to treat everyone the way that I would want to be treated. I was very welcoming to all freshman and new students and tried to make everyone's day brighter. To know that my friends and other students of Green High School saw that, means the world to me! My school was then chosen to have a rally for the McCain/Palin campaign! We found out only two days before that a Presidential campaign was going to be at our stadium! I was called down to the office to be told that I was chosen as a student news reporter and journalist!! My major is Broadcast Journalism, so this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me! I was so excited and it was thrilling to be apart of such a huge event! I got to interview reporters from other countries and even talk to the security and secret service of McCain and Palin. After interviewing, taking photos, and reporting, my dance team got to perform at the rally in front of ten's of thousand's of people! It was exhilarating and a moment I will never forget. After performing, John McCain, Sarah Palin, and their families arrived! We made a spirit tunnel for them and each of them shook our hands and took pictures with us! This is something I will remember forever and can show my grandchildren! Later on that year, I was named a member of the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Court. I was a goodwill ambassador for the city of Canton and participated in numerous charitable events. I worked with charities like Habitat for Humanity, the Hammer and Nails foundation, the Turnaround Community Outreach Center, Mercy Medical Peace Camp, and many, many more. This was an experience I will never forget. Again, helping people make their dreams come true and by even just brightening up their day in a small way is one of the biggest accomplishments I can receive. I had the honor of escorting Bruce Smith as he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame! Following this exciting experience, I was chosen to be a model in the Henri's Cloud Nine Coolbook magazine! I auditioned along with hundreds and hundreds of girls in Columbus. I was thrilled to even be chosen in the top ten! There was not a girl in there that wasn't drop dead gorgeous! I was shocked to hear my name called! We each tried on one of the dresses that would be appearing in the magazine and the photographer took ten snap shots of us. The number was then narrowed to five of us! When they said that I had been chosen to appear in this year's Coolbook Magazine, I flipped! I was beyond excited! The photoshoot was a couple months later at a beautiful resort, Nemocolin Woodlands. It was a week long shoot and I had the time of my life. Everyone involved was amazing in their own way. The make up artists were so much fun and I became very close with them. Paul Innis an Tanya Dejesus traveled from New York City and made the week so memorable for me. The hair stylists were equally talented. We would sing and dance together every morning to help wake everyone up for a long day of shooting! I still keep in contact with the hair stylist and he even calls me to do run way shows for him which is great! Then there's the owner, managers, and other workers for the Henri's Cloud Nine store. They are so inspiring in all of the hard work they put into the store. The magazine actually just came out a couple weeks ago and it turned out great!

These are a few of the many photos that appeared
in the 2010 Henri's Cloud Nine Coolbook magazine!

After that unbelievable opportunity, I auditioned and earned a spot on the University of Akron dance team! That was a decision that I will never regret! I honestly don't know what I would do if I didn't get the chance to meet such an amazing group of girls. They have become my best friends and I know I can count on them for anything. Then, to top off such a successful year, I became Miss Ohio Teen USA 2010!! Words can't even describe what this title means to me. I am so honored to represent Ohio! It was a dream come true and the happiest moment of my life. Ohio, I promise to make you proud!

So here's to 2009! Thank you for providing me with a supportive family who loves me unconditionally, for blessing me with countless opportunities, for sharing some of the most precious gifts, and most importantly for helping me grow as an individual and letting me share my blessings with others. I can't wait to see what 2010 brings for me! I am looking forward to an unforgettable year! :)