What Is She Thinking?

As I mentioned before, this year's Miss America competition was a special one for Section 36! Not only were a record number of

visitors preparing to walk on stage, but an incredible two forever visitors were able to make the top five! Miss Connecticut Bridget Oei was even still standing as one of the final two, before being announced as first runner up to Miss America!

While I was watching Bridget standing there, I couldn't help but wonder "What is she thinking?". I couldn't imagine what thoughts must have been racing through her head. 

As the moment carried on, I realized that I wondered a lot of things about the entire night. And, to be honest, the entire week. What was it like just being there? Standing on stage for the first time? Performing your talent? Everything?

I also realized (assumed?) that I wasn't the only one who had these questions. Not many people have had the chance to walk around Atlantic City with that sash on their shoulder. We all have no idea.

Which is why I'm excited to say that Bridget Oei herself is going to help us all out!

I'm honored to announce that Bridget will be authoring a series of guest blogs to be posted right here on Section 36 Pageants discussing her thoughts on all sorts of her experiences at Miss America!

The first post goes live tomorrow! So, be sure to check back in to see what she has to say. And, keep checking back to hear about all of her thoughts and experiences throughout the whole series!

This is going to be fun!

Miss New Bedford Crowned Tonight!

Today, another amazing woman will take their next step towards their dream job, and earn some amazing scholarship money along the way.

Today, a new Miss New Bedford will be crowned!

I’m sure you’re all joining Section 36 in eagerly waiting to see who takes the title!

But, with every new beginning comes the end of a reign.

The current Miss New Bedford Sara Achorn will have to relinquish her title. Sara was nice enough to visit with Section 36 over a year ago while she wore the Miss Plymouth County crown. Her interview was wonderful, and I certainly hope you’ll go back and reread it.

Sara Achorn

So, Section 36 would like to congratulate Sara her fantastic year. She’ll be a tough act to follow, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes her way next!

Congratulations Sara! 

Two Titles Awarded Today!

Tonight, we'll get the chance to welcome two new titleholders. Both Miss Gate City, and Miss Lake Sunapee Region will be crowned tonight! I'm sure you're as excited as I am to see who will take home those titles.

Of course, as is often the case these days, a new titleholder means the end of the reign of a forever visitor to Section 36. That's what's happening with both of the titles today.

The current Miss Gate City is the amazing Kylee Anne Drew. She visited with Section 36 in March, and talked about heart disease, tap dancing, and much more.

Kylee Anne Drew

Miss Gate City 2018

The other titleholder turning over her crown is the current Miss Lake Sunapee Region Lauren Fohlin. Lucky for her, she already has a new crown of her own after winning the Miss White Mountains Region title. When she visited Section 36 in January, we talked about the arts, singing, and more!

Lauren Fohlin
Miss Lake Sunapee Region 2018

I would definitely like to congratulate both Kylee and Lauren on their wonderful years as titleholders, and wish them luck. At the same time, I'm excited to welcome the new titleholders to their reigns.

And hopefully, to a Section 36 visit soon!

National Concussion Awareness Day

I’m sure you’ve all read the wonderful interview Section 36 had with Miss Winnipesaukee Brooke Mills. So you’ll remember that as a result of her personal struggles with concussions, she created her platform “Lessen the Impact”.

Her goal is to increase awareness of concussions, and their effect on everyone. As part of that, she founded National Concussion Awareness Day to promote that message. That’s today!

I would implore you to take this opportunity to learn more about concussions, and their impact. You could start by rereading Brooke’s Section 36 interview of course. But you should definitely read some of the important information on the Lessen the Impact website and Brooke's Facebook page. If you are suffering from effects of a concussion, know someone who is, or just want to learn more about it there’s a wealth of information there for you.

If you’ve suffered a concussion yourself, today is the perfect day to share your story with someone else. Tell a friend what happened. Leave a comment on this blog post. Leave your story on Brooke's Facebook page, or shout the story out on your own social media platforms (just be sure to use the #nationalconcussionawarenessday hashtag). The more people who openly talk about something, the less mysterious it becomes and the better off everyone is.

I definitely want to thank Brooke for founding this day. As she said in her interview, “By having a knowledgeable society on concussions including the signs and symptoms, healing processes, importance of rest, returning to play and learn guidelines, and taking the concussion seriously, we would be able to greatly help those suffering and prevent future injuries.” I couldn’t have said it any better.

So check out those websites. Share your stories. Spread the word.

It’s the day for it!

Oh What a Night!

One of the best parts about interviewing so many titleholders who visit Section 36 is what happens after. It’s so wonderful to watch these amazing young women go on to accomplish so much after their visits. Whether it’s advancing to another level within the Miss America organization, or advancing in their post pageant careers. I always get a flutter of excitement to see them doing so well.

Which happened to a degree Sunday night never before reached.

Thanks to Alexandra Coppa for sending along the pic!

On Sunday, a fantastic five forever visitors took the stage at Miss America. Miss New Hampshire Marissa Moorhouse, Miss Massachusetts Gabriela Taveras, Miss Vermont Julia Crane, Miss Connecticut Bridget Oei, and Miss Rhode Island Alexandra Coppa. If that’s not a record, it certainly could be. It was such an amazing feeling watching each of them walk out on stage. I can’t imagine what it feels like for people who actually know them well. But it was such an honor to be able to think “I interviewed her!” each time one of them came out on stage to introduce themselves. It’s what makes all the interviews even more fun.

Of course, if this year might be a record as far as sheer quantity of visitors appearing on stage, it was definitely a record as far as advancement!

Prior to this year, the highest finisher to ever visit Section 36 was also my very first visitor. Lauren Kuhn made it to the top five at Miss America prior to visiting with Section 36. The best showing by a titleholder after visiting was Alissa Musto. After visiting Section 36 as Miss Cambridge, she went on to win Miss Massachusetts and then finish in the top fifteen at Miss America. So, I would definitely like to mention two amazing women who raised that bar even higher.

Gabriela Taveras is my most recent visitor, and she was able to make it to the top five on Sunday night! Bridget Oei also made it to the top five, and eventually made it all the way to first runner up to Miss America! It was so exciting! As nervous as I was for them, I can't imagine what must have been going through their mind standing up on that stage. The best part was getting to see those two compete in all the phases of the competition, and follow along with their night.

So I want to offer a huge congratulations to all the former visitors why graced the Miss America stage. They definitely made us proud!

I'm flattered that they all visited.

Miss America is Crowned Tonight!

Yes, Miss America 2.0 is a terrible concept. Yes, eliminating the swimsuit was one of the worst ideas since new Coke. But, that doesn’t detract from the main event.

Miss America is crowned tonight!

This very night one incredible young woman will realize her dream, and wear the Miss America crown. As has been the case the last few years, Section 36 is honored to have interviewed several women competing tonight. It would, of course, be fantastic if one of them walked away with the title. Wondering who you should be rooting for? Here is the group I’ll be hoping finishes 1-5…or, in order of appearance on Section 36.

Marisa Moorhouse

Marisa visited with Section 36 while she wore her local Miss Manchester crown. We talked about her upcoming Miss New Hampshire competition, her dancing, and her favorite Disney character, among other things.

Alexandra Coppa

Alexandra visited Section 36 not long after winning the Miss Rhode Island crown. We discussed eating disorders, her past pageant experience, and her thoughts on Miss America, among other things!

Julia Crane

One of the first things Julia did after winning the Miss Vermont crown is work out a visit to Section 36! We talked about organ donation, her dancing, and thoughts on the Miss America competition, along with other things.

Bridget Oei

Just one week after Julia's visit, Section 36 welcomed Bridget! We discussed her goals, her dedication to STEM and, oh yeah, surfing!

Gabriela Taveras

The most recent visitor to Section 36 gracing the stage in Atlantic City is Gabriela. Just over a week ago, we discussed her expectations of Miss America, singing, and wrestling!

As you can see, there are some amazing young women hoping to complete the Section 36 - Miss America combo. I can't wait to see how it ends up.

Good luck to all of these incredible women!