Life Is Full Of Beauty
The summer continues to fly by as the Miss International 2011 pageant continues to get closer. I wanted to take this time to share a few of the amazing opportunities I have gotten to be a part of these past couple of months. To say the least, each day brings about a new adventure and I feel so honored to have gotten the opportunity to represent North Dakota as Miss ND International 2011.
To start with, in June I received the chance to judge two different scholarship pageants in Minnesota. It was an eye opening experience to have the roles turned. I am used to being the person who is being judged, not the person doing the judging. This definitely showed me what it is like to be on both sides at a pageant and taught me that being a judge can be very difficult despite what people may think. All of the girls competing where beautiful inside and out but at the end of the day it was ultimately up to the judges to pick the one who had stood out amongst the rest in all areas of competition. Besides playing the role of a judge, I also got the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas with my directors, Kathy and Allison, and my mother. I am so fortunate to have these wonderful people in my life! Once in Las Vegas I got the chance to attend the Miss USA pageant as well as continue preparation for nationals.
July marks the final month of preparation and the countdown to the Miss International 2011 pageant. I started out the month by participating in 4th of July events, such as local parades. The 4th of July is a holiday that represents the independence of the United States and I am proud to have played a role in the many festivities honoring that day. Since the 4th of July, I got the chance to represent the American Heart Association at the NISC health fair in Mandan, North Dakota. It was a day filled with educating others on the importance of being healthy and the steps they can take to ensure they are on the right path to preventing heart disease.
Not only has this month been filled with celebrations and learning how live a healthy life, but it has also been about raising awareness regarding my platform, human trafficking. This past Monday I was invited to speak to the Fargo West Rotary about modern day slavery and what we can do as individual people to help stop this ever increasing problem from growing. The audience was very attentive and willing to learn as much as they could about the topic.
Between appearances and everyday activities I have been preparing for my national competition which will be held in Chicago on July 29-30. I have to send out a huge thank you to the many people who continue to stand by my side and have helped me to become an overall better person. I am so fortunate to have gotten this opportunity to work with so many amazing people! Life is truly full of beauty, sometimes it just takes us longer to recognize it.
As Harriet Tubman said, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” I have a dream of making a difference in this world and as Miss ND International 2011, I will continue to make that dream a reality.
Yours truly,
Stacy Schaffer
Miss ND International 2011
