Send Off Party!

I am truly the luckiest girl in the world to have been blessed with the most incredible family and friends anyone could ever wish for! My Mom never ceases to amaze me, but this time, she completely outdid herself! A few weeks before I am leaving to compete for Teen USA in the Bahamas, I ask my Mom, "So are we going to have a send off party for me?!" Since we are new to the pageant world and how everything works, she had no idea that people had send off parties haha. She was confused on what I even meant, but she went above and beyond and threw together the best party! My aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, and friends all came together for me and helped out to make the party a success. My Uncle Kevin works at the University of Akron as the equipment manager which means he works a lot with the sports teams and events at the University. He came through for me and rented out the Press Level at the brand new Infocision stadium! It was perfect! The stadium is huge and one of the nicest places I have ever seen. It was so nice to have the University of Akron support me and honor me by having it there. I love Akron and proud to be a Zip! My aunts came together and got some delicious appetizers and drinks for the occasion. They also went on numerous shopping sprees with my mom picking up decorations! I couldn't believe my eyes when I walked in to the party to see posters of me hanging up, a big sign that said "Bridget Linton Miss Ohio Teen USA", a plethora of food and drinks, adorable tables with Hawaiian necklaces (representing Bahamas haha)on them along with my autograph cards for people to take,and my family running around making sure everything looked perfect! One of my great friends, Erin who made me my birthday cupcakes made a GORGEOUS cake for me! It was absolutely beautiful all glitzy and glamorous! She knows me too well and knows what I like! Also, there was a table set up with plain white puzzle pieces laid out for people to write a little good luck note on, for me to put the puzzle together and always remember who was there to support me on my journey to Miss Teen USA! I loved this idea and wasn't shocked to hear that Laura Spray came up with it and set it up for me. Laura Spray is who I like to call my "second mother." I literally call her Mom, never Laura or Mrs.Spray! I grew up with the Spray family through being best friends with both Adam and Kevin Spray. Adam is in my grade and Kevin is a year older. They have been such great friends to me and have ALWAYS supported me in everything I do. I know I can look to them for anything and they will be there for me. "Mom" has been nothing but so gracious and amazing. She has always treated me as I were her real daughter and spoils me! She's too great to me! I truly love the entire family and am so lucky to have them. The party then started at 7 and I was shocked to see how many important people in my life were able to fit me into their schedule and come to support me. The party was very last minute, but it was really the best party I could have ever wished for. All of my family and best friends were there and I just felt so blessed. People went up to the microphone and said the kindest words about me. They really brought tears to my eyes. After hearing what they had to say, I realized that I didn't care about the result of Teen USA because I already have had the most incredible journey and have grown up so much this past year preparing for this. I knew I was ready to walk on that stage knowing that I was going to be the best that I could be knowing that I had all of them behind me. Overall, my send off party was more than a success and really made me realize how lucky I really am!

I LOVE my food :)
The most amazing woman in the world and the one I can
thank for the greatest party! Love you Mom :)

I love this family too much! Some of the Irish dancers
that I teach :) We have some future Miss Ohio Teens
right here!

The CUTEST little man in the whole world!
Notice his onesie....it says "Good Luck Aunt Bridgie"
I love him too much!
Some of my best friends that came to see me off!
This group of gorgeous girls with me are my absolute
best friends!! I don't know what I would do without them
in my life! Look at them...any one of them could be Miss USA!

My handsome Pap!My 2nd family...the Spray's!!My two mini mes! They are just as crazy and outgoing as me
& LOVE the spotlight! I gave them the crowns off my cake
so they could be queens for the night too!

Hahaha! Just being funny & reliving the moment
my dream came true!

Happy 4th of July!!

I had one of the best 4th of July celebrations ever this year!! Even though I don't have pictures to prove it, I hope that you all believe me when I say that I spent my 4th of July with Lebron James!!! Yes, its true! My family is extremely close with the Hurley family who just happens to be really good friends with Lebron! I have grown up with the Hurley's through Irish dancing. Katie Hurley is one of my really close friends and we grew up together going to the same school, training in the same school of dance, and traveling all over competing in dance together. Through this, our Moms became best friends as well as our families. Katie's brother, Michael Hurley graduated from St. Vincent-St.Mary with Lebron and they were great friends all through high school. I actually remember meeting Lebron when he was only a sophomore in high school at the Hurley's house! So crazy to think about considering he is one of the best NBA players of all time now! Anyways, I received a text from Michael telling me that he had put my picture up on his facebook and blog for people to vote for me on the miss teen usa site. I thanked him and was so excited to know I had his support! Michael was actually named Mr.Ohio in Cosmopolitan magazine two years ago and has been very successful in his modeling career. After his text about voting, he told me that Lebron was having pool party and had told him he could bring a few friends. Now mind you this is a few days before Lebron is announcing his final decision on where he is going to play so I am thinking he meant it was a party FOR Lebron, not Lebron's party! I hadn't seen Michael in awhile so I thought I would go to see him and I knew I would have fun with him! He picked me and my best friend, Liz up and we were off to a party we thought was for Lebron. We arrive at this insanely huge mansion in Cleveland which looked more like a hotel than a house! I couldn't believe my eyes! Then, we walk around to the backyard where there is a gorgeous pool with fountains of water shooting and a hot tub within the pool! I have never seen anything like it! I am thinking this party could not get any better until I look up and see LEBRON JAMES!!! My heart seriously dropped, I thought I was dreaming! He walked up to us and said "This must be Bridget and Liz! Hi sweetheart! Hi Hun! My name is Lebron!" For the first time in my life, I was speechless. All I kept thinking was, "Lebron James just said my name in a sentence. Lebron James just said my name in a sentence" Haha and the funniest part was that he introduced himself to me like I didnt know who he was or something! I thought it was very polite of him and I respect him for that. He showed us where the food was and said if we needed anything to just come to him and he would take care of it for us! The whole day was incredible! The weather was perfect for the pool and I don't think it could get much better than spending it with two of my close friends and a celebrity!! The only negative part about the whole experience was that we weren't allowed to take pictures there or with him :(. I understand why he wanted it that way considering he is such a huge celebrity and his name is always in the News. Overall though, it was definitely one of the best pool parties and 4th of July's I have ever been to and I hope you all believe me that it did happen haha!

The following day was my day to be a celebrity! I was asked to be apart of Stow's annual 4th of July parade which is the biggest in Ohio! I got to ride in a red Thunderbird convertible with my name posted on the side of it! My Uncle John was so kind to let me use his cool car and take the time out of his day to be my driver :)It was a super hot day and I was sweating in that car while waiting for parade to begin. Just when I started to get frustrated with the heat, I got to see some of the Akron cheerleaders and some girls on my dance team! They were in the parade as well so I hung out with them before the parade began. The parade was huge and ran for about 4 miles long! There were so many people out celebrating and cheering for the floats and other organizations that were passing by. The people were so kind and were shouting their congrats and good wishes to me. I had tons of fun and it will be a 4th of July I will cherish for a lifetime!

My sweet ride :)

Team Akron! GO ZIPS <3>

Walking in Nashville :)

I traveled to Nashville about 4 weeks prior to Teen USA to get tips from only the BEST, Kent Parham! Kent is so much fun! He is full of energy and enthusiasm all the time. I don't know how he does it! I had a 2 hour walking lesson with him in which I learned more than I ever thought I could learn in that short amount of time! I never realized how much went into a walk, but I'll tell you what, I made a complete 360 turn after working with him. He showed me how to show off my best angles, how to work the runway without being too fast & "dance like", and how to command the judges attention. I felt so confident in my walk after working with him! That was definitely worth the trip and I had so much fun. He also gave me some very helpful tips to help prepare me more for Teen USA. He gave me some insight on what to expect in the Bahamas and definitely got me so pumped and excited for it! I was so happy that he was going to be the choreographer there too! Nashville is also known for it's amazing shopping so of course I had to make a few special trips too! I actually got a lot of clothing for the week at the Opry Mills! I also got to see Tennessee Teen, Kristen Rose while I was there! She is so beautiful and sweet! I am glad I got to become great friends with her!

CBUS trip & Kid's #1 Run!

I have some major catching up to do!! Feels like forever ago that I visited Columbus schools and participated in the Kids #1 Run! I have been so busy these past couple months, but I have to share these events with you because they were so much fun and I will never forget them! As I have mentioned before, my older sister lives in Columbus so I visit her and my new baby nephew all the time! She is a third grade teacher and I actually made my first appearance as Miss Ohio Teen USA at her school way back in November! I had a blast talking and spending time with all of the children and my sister informed me that they did as well! They had been asking if I was coming back to see them again so I made sure to make time to see them before I left for Teen USA. I came at the end of the school day and surprised them! They were SO excited! I felt like a true celebrity! They were jumping on me, hugging me, asking me to sign their projects, take pictures! It was craziness, but I enjoyed every second of it.

This is Mo! He is one of my favorite little kids of all
time! He is so adorable & so sweet. He brought my pic
from the last time I visited & he had it laminated so he
could keep it forever. I am going to miss this little man
so much!

The Kids #1 Run was held at Akron Children's Hospital which is rated one of the best Children's hospitals! It was a beautiful day and the perfect day for all of the fun festivities. The Kids Run event is the perfect mix of physical fitness and fun entertainment for all ages. Some featured events include a 5K run, a one-mile, non-competitive Fun Run and a Miracle Mile race for those capable of running less than an eight-minute mile. People of all ages came out to participate and help make a difference. I spent most of the day walking around participating in some of the little events they had set up, hanging out with the children, visiting some of the patients, and helping out with the races! I even got to meet Bill Considine who is the CEO of Akron Children's Hospital! This man is a true representation of a person with a heart of gold. He has given back so much to the city of Akron and is the biggest supporter of everything Akron has to offer. He is one of the nicest people I have ever met and he made me feel so special and welcome. He invited me on stage with him to start the races and he gave me the kindest introduction. Shortly after I helped with that, I once again participated in the 5K race! It was a very hot day, but it was definitely worth it! Overall, it was a fun filled day and very rewarding!

One of the most beautiful, sweetest, & strongest
young girls I have ever met!

Look who I found!! ZIPPY! Best mascot ever :)
The man that started it all :)This is 98.1 WKDD's very own Keith Kennedy! WKDD is
one of the biggest radio stations in Ohio. Keith was
there broadcasting the event & also invited me for an
interview as well! He's such a fun & nice guy!
Haha probably the least flattering picture of me, but
hey this is what I look like after running a 5K in 85
degree weather!

5K Health Run!

As you all know, I have been in intense training for Miss Teen USA. Well, a few weeks ago, I was asked to make an appearance at Mercy Hospital's 5K Health Run. I was asked to help pass out awards, meet and greet with the participants, and help out with the children races. I was so excited to be apart of such a worthy cause and to meet all of the individuals that were participating to help make a difference. Before I got up early the morning of the race, I thought to myself, "Wait, I like to run, I am always seeking to help others and make a difference, why can't I also participate in the race along with helping out?" I called the director early that morning to share my idea with him and he was thrilled with my eagerness to participate. I arrived at Mercy Hospital around 7:30 that morning of the race to register, get my shirt and number, and then I was all ready to run! I was shocked to see how many teens and young adults like myself were there to participate! It's amazing how so many teens are getting out there and seeking to help others. It's very refreshing and tells us that our youth is striving for a positive future. Before running in the race myself, I helped out with the kids run! They were so adorable and looked like they had so much fun with their little obstacle course which I helped direct them through. My race started within a few minutes after that so I hurried over to the starting line and began my running! It was a long 3 miles, but I made it through and felt GREAT!! I felt great about myself and my health and also felt great knowing that I helped others through my actions. I got to announce the award winners and hang out with the participants afterwards. I had a ton of fun and got a great work out at the same time! I killed two birds with one stone haha!

I ran into these two beautiful girls right before the race!
They go to Green High School just like I did! It was great
to see them again & catch up as we fought through the race!
I DID IT! haha :)

Presenting awards!

Orange Jubilee Fest :)

Just a few days after I arrived back in Ohio after such a fabulous week in Vegas, I was asked to make an appearance at Orange City Schools, Orange Jubilee Festival! I received a warm welcome from the superintendent of Orange City School along with the other wonderful staff. The festival was so much fun and they had so many talented students to be proud of. I was asked on stage to "kick off" the festival weekend! I took a few minutes to introduce and tell them a little bit about myself and to stress how important it is to give back to your community as well as staying healthy and positive. I then announced the winners of the "Community Service Ambassador" awards. It amazes me how intelligent, kind, and well rounded the students are. After hearing all of their hard work and community service, no one could deserve the award more! I also got to pull the name of the winner to sing the National Anthem for the following day to start out the festival. It was so thrilling to see how excited the winner was. She was adorable! She even sang with her sister that night on stage. Both of them have beautiful singing voices, I was so envious of them! I think God passed me up when he was handing out the talent of singing haha! I spent the remainder of the night hanging out with students and children of Orange City. Everyone there was so supportive of me! I signed tons of autographs and took countless pictures. I had a blast with everyone there and was really sad to leave.

The wonderful staff of Orange City Schools :)The winners of the Community Service Award!
Congrats! Very well deserved :)Some of my "number one fans" which they called
themselves haha! The students were so welcoming
& kind to me. Orange Schools should be proud!
The beautiful sisters that sang for everyone! Look
out for them on American Idol in a few years!

These are some of the friendly police of Orange City! They had a fun game set up to advocate the importance of no drinking while driving. I even got to play! I wore some funny goggles that blur your eye sight and had to walk in a straight line. Let's just say I would have definitely failed the test!! I was all over the place! A very important lesson was learned by this demonstration and I hope that the students realize this too. I know it is so hard for teens to turn down the use of alcohol and drugs because of the strong pressure from your peers. Always remember to stay true to YOU and know that YOU have the power to say no and do what is right. Orange City Schools have done an excellent job teaching this to their students!

MISS USA 2010! Viva Las Vegas :)

The moment we have all been waiting for had finally arrive, the Miss USA pageant 2010!! I flew into Vegas very late on Wednesday night which was the night of the Preliminary competition for the Miss USA contestants. I woke up Thursday morning and heard from my beautiful Miss Ohio, Amanda! She was thrilled with her performance at Prelims, but I wouldn't expect anything less from her. I knew she was going to be amazing from the moment I met her at the Ohio state pageant. She oozes beauty and confidence and you can't help but to stare when she walks into a room. I can never take my eyes off her and I can just see how much passion she has in her. She has worked so unbelievably hard and I couldn't be more proud to call her my big sis! She also informed me that my other beautiful sister, Miss Michigan, Rima also did an amazing job at Prelims! I have grown to become so close to Rima as well. I drove up with Rima to our last training weekend and we had a blast together! We are so much alike and we just laughed, sang, and danced the whole way there! There is a never a dull moment with us! Rima just has that "IT" factor just like Amanda. She works that stage like she owns it! She is absolutely gorgeous and has the personality to go with it. I couldn't be more proud of both of them! The rest of the day, I had the opportunity to lay out and relax the whole day with my family! The weather in Vegas is amazing! It was so hot, but they have incredible pools which made it so relaxing. One of my best friends & my brother's beautiful girlfriend,

Britney & I enjoying the gorgeous weather at the pool!

Later on that night, I got to meet up with Amanda for a meet and greet session they had at Planet Hollywood. I was SO excited to finally see her! I missed her so much! She looked incredible as always and I was so happy I got to bond with her even if it was only for 20 minutes! I made her an Ohio State bear at Build-a-Bear along with a heart felt card that I gave her which she loved! I also got to see my amazing director, Melissa at the meet and greet! I felt like I hadn't seen either of them in so long! I missed Melissa so much too! Once the contestants had to leave, I hung out with Melissa for a little longer and she surprised me with a mini me!! Yes, a real barbie doll that looks just like me!! She had my same color hair, same length, and was wearing a hot little black dress haha! I LOVED it! She really is the best director anyone could ask for.

Haha and this is why I love her so much! We have
too much fun together! She will be my best friend &
sister for life!

I woke up Friday to another relaxing day! I soaked up the sun and enjoyed the pool all day! Later on, I attended the Miss USA rehearsal at Planet Hollywood. It was so thrilling to be there at the actual theater watching all of the beautiful contestants light up the stage. During their break, I got to see Amanda and Rima which was great! I just can't get over how stunning they both are! We also got to meet Trace Adkins! Although I am not a huge fan of country music, Trace's voice is breath taking!! He is an incredible performer and it was an honor to meet him.
After rehearsal, I was off to my first event with all of the other teens that were in Vegas! I was so excited to reunite with the teens I had already met and was even more anxious to meet all of the others! We all gathered for a group photograph in front of Planet Hollywood and the Miss USA 2010 sign. After our mini photo shoot, we met in a conference room to meet and bond with one another. I had met several girls at the Standout Productions retreat and it was so great to see them all again. I've missed them so much! I also got to meet all of the other titleholders that I hadn't met before. They were all so sweet! Everyone is so beautiful and so welcoming! Miss Teen USA 2009, Stormi Henely also made an appearance! She looked gorgeous of course and she spoke with us about her experience at Miss USA last year. She had to leave due to another appearance so for the remainder of the night, us teens just hung out and got to know one another a bit better! After the meet and greet, a couple of us teens were asked to Jonathan Kayne's suit to try on some of his fabulous designs! When I say fabulous, I mean it! His dresses were absolutely gorgeous and I wanted to wear them all!

Saturday was yet another fun and exciting day! This was the day of the True Beauty Expo! The Miss Universe Organization and Planet Hollywood put this on for the teens and anyone who wanted to come! The expo had tons of amazing vendors like popular pageant boutiques along with wonderful designers, amazing photographers, cosmetic lines, CHI hair products, and many, many more! Before we explored all of the vendors, all of the teens were asked to line up on stage to introduce ourselves and give the audience a chance to get to know us a little bit better! We each went up one by one and were asked an individual question about ourselves then got to work the runway and do a quick pose at the end. I had so much fun up there and it was so nice to learn a little something new about each of the teens. We also got to meet the beautiful Stormi Henely once again along with Miss Universe 2009. Tony Bowl is the designer of my Teen USA dress and I was thrilled to see him there!! We got to chat and catch up which was so nice. He then asked me to model in a fashion show he was having at the expo. Of course I said yes! I had a blast on the runway and it was so nice to get to see Tony again.

Miss Teen USA 2005, Allie LaForce :)
Love her!
One of Tony Bowl's many beautiful designs :)
Miss Universe 2009, Stefania Fernandez!

Once the Beauty Expo was all over, Catherine and I headed up to Melissa's room for a shoot with the wonderful Deb Knoske! Deb had some rockin' outfits for us! We got our hair all teased up and some fierce make up done! We were ready for a hot shoot out by the pool! Deb always makes shooting so much fun and it was even better this time being in Vegas with the beautiful weather and pool! Catherine and I took a lot of the photos together, but we also took some individually too. There was a clear runway in the pool which was awesome! We took full advantage of it and worked the runway as Deb snapped some photos. We were looking through the pictures on her camera and I will admit, they look awesome! It looks like we are walking on water because the runway was clear, very cool! We also took some shots outside and around the casino. I am eager to see the pictures! I had an absolute blast with the crew as always! After we were all done shooting, we rushed to get ready for our Fashion Rocks event! All of us teens got to walk the red carpet and have photos taken of us. I felt like a true celebrity!! It was just like the red carpet events you watch on TV. We walked on the red carpet, posed for a few photos, then had a quick interview all on live webcast!! It was a BLAST! Shortly after was a fashion show with Sherri Hill's fabulous designs! The dresses were amazing, I wanted all of them! We took pictures and had fun for the rest of the night. It was so good to see the beautiful Allie LaForce, the inspirational AT Dunn, and all of the wonderful past and current titleholders.

The beautiful Miss South Carolina Teen, Megan & I
on the red carpet! I have become really close with Megan
& I know she will be a life long friend after Teen USA :)

The Michigan girls!! Miss Michigan Teen 2009, Kristen
& Miss Michigan Teen 2010, Catherine! :)

Sunday was the best day of them all! I woke up bright and early for my photo shoot with famous Fadil Berisha! Words can't explain how incredible he is. The make up artist was phenomenal as well. Fadil makes you feel so beautiful with all of his compliments and helpful hints on how to move. He even showed me some of the pictures off his camera and they looked great! The shoot was so relaxing and he is truly an incredible photographer. After my shoot, I headed to the Planet Hollywood theater to watch the final dress rehearsal with the Miss USA contestants. Every single girl was drop dead gorgeous and were stunning on stage. It made me so excited to watch the telecast later on that day! I got all ready and ate lunch before I was off to the telecast! It was chaos walking through Planet Hollywood with all of the people going to watch the show! I just couldn't believe that I was going to witness the Miss USA pageant live with everyone! This has been something I watch on TV every year. I have looked up to the Miss USA contestants and always wanted to meet them. This year, not only was I there, but I have gotten the opportunity to meet most of the girls. They were everything I expected and more. Each contestant is beautiful in their own way and I respect every single one of them. Before the show, my fellow teens and I took some fun photos together and got to hang out a bit more before the show started. It was so thrilling when Donald Trump walked out on stage to announce the show was about to begin. I got goose bumps and was beyond excited! Amanda, Rima, and all of the girls looked incredible! Shortly after the show began, they announced the top 15, then top 10, and finally the top 5. Rima made it through all 3 rounds!!! I was going crazy in the crowd! I could have been her number one fan out there! I was so proud of her and she was absolutely beautiful up there. After the top 5 were asked their final questions, it was time for results. I was so nervous as the count down was happening, but it was all worth while once I heard....."the next Miss USA is......MISS MICHIGAN, RIMA FAKIH!!" I completely lost it! Tears came to my eyes and all I wanted to do was rush on stage and hug her and tell her how much I love her! She deserves the crown and she will be the best representative for USA at the Miss Universe pageant this summer. I met up with my gorgeous sister, Amanda after the show and we got ready and went to the after party together! I am so lucky to have the best big sis in the world. She even gave me her VIP guest bracelet! We had so much fun together getting interviewed, having photos taken, and meeting all of the accomplished individuals in there. We even got to see our beautiful Miss USA, Rima! It is so crazy to think that the girl we've spent our entire year with, having sleepovers and goofing around with all the time is our new Miss USA! I don't think our country realizes how incredible and down to earth Rima is! She will be a fabulous Miss USA! After a long night in heels and walking around everywhere, Amanda and I had a fun sleepover in her hotel room! I was so happy I got to spend more time with her. She is truly the best Miss Ohio and sister. She has been there for me throughout this entire year and I know she will for a lifetime. I couldn't be more proud of her. She was a goddess on stage and could have easily been Miss USA too. I love her with all my heart!

Some of my gorgeous fellow teens posing before the
telecast began! So exciting :)

Amanda & I at the VIP after party with one of the
celebrity judges, Johnny Weir!

The beautiful, stunning, incredible new Miss USA,
RIMA FAKIH!! Love her so much & couldn't be more
proud of her <3

Overall, my week in Vegas was one I will never forget. I met so many incredible and inspiring people. I am so blessed to have experienced these once in a lifetime opportunities at such a young age. This week has gotten me so motivated, prepared, and anxious for Teen USA!! It's right around the corner!!