Tuesday, December 27, 2011

December

I am one week away from leaving for Miss America, and it hardly seems real. An event I have wished and hoped for my entire life and in a blink of an eye it will be over. I am fortunate to say that I am enjoying each and every moment.
My efforts for improved literacy and a love of reading continue. I had the honor of speaking at the New Jersey Teacher’s Convention at the luncheon for higher education and The Dionne Warwick Dream Academy. I especially liked visiting The Dion Warwick Dream Academy in Newark, NJ because my visit was themed around achieving your dreams. We talked a lot about the hard work that must go into making dreams come true. I also appreciate the many parents that attended the presentation because it is my belief that parents can play a key role in encouraging their children to dream big, work harder, and then reach further. The students were excited to be able to pick out a book to take home as well. A big thank you goes out to all those who have given donations of books and especially Five Below. There are so many children lacking the reading material they need to enhance their passion for reading and the generous donations help to aid that tremendously.
Supporting Children’s Miracle Network, the national platform, is also very important. This past month I participated in the Ramapo College Dance Marathon to benefit Children’s Specialized Hospital, an affiliate of Children’s Miracle Network. It was a wonderful event that raised $12,369.03. I love to dance, but it was also special to spend the evening with the kids that will benefit from this fundraiser. This is one of the most rewarding parts of being Miss New Jersey.
I was privileged to meet William Cohen, former Secretary of Defense. As an International Studies major concentrating on Security Studies, he is someone I look up to and admire. He wished me luck in my future in diplomacy and mentioned me as a future Secretary of State. Watch out Hillary Clinton!

For as long as I can remember I have woken up on Thanksgiving morning to turn on channel ABC and watch the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day parade. This year, however, was much different. Instead, I had the pleasure of riding in the parade! Natalie Ragazzo, Miss NJOT, and I joined the queens from Delaware and Pennsylvania, as well as Miss America’s Outstanding Teen, Elizabeth Fechtel, to ride through the city of brotherly love on a beautiful Thanksgiving morning. There was only one small hiccup. To everyone’s great amusement, I accidently fell on one of the Christmas trees on our float…so much for grace. J We all enjoyed ourselves, and Dunkin’ Donuts put on a great parade.
After my morning in Philadelphia I headed back across the river to Cherry Hill, NJ, where I joined former Miss NJ, Jill Horner, for a surprise Thanksgiving feast for a group of service men and women in the military. This really was a fun event full of good food, dancing and a little trivia competition. I hope all the heroes that were there enjoyed their holiday even if it was spent away from loved ones and family. They cannot be thanked enough for the sacrifice they make to protect our country.  

 A few days after the holiday I had reason to be extremely thankful. The Miss Coastal Shore Scholarship Pageant, under the direction of Michael McCann, my local title director, hosted a huge send-off party for me. I was treated like a true queen as I received many well wishes and gifts from many generous and loving people. I am so blessed to have the support of so many wonderful people. Everything was perfect about the party from the entertainment and centerpieces to the chocolate fountain. (I am a huge chocoholic.)

One of my favorite Christmas traditions has always been watching or performing in The Nutcracker. My dance studio asked me to perform again this year, and I am so thankful. Tricia Sloan Dance Center has been so supportive, and I cannot thank them enough. I had a wonderful time playing a party mom and dancing in Flowers and Spanish. 


With Miss America quickly approaching I have been working hard to prepare. I have received my competition gown which was donated by Crowning Touch and designed by Stephen Yearick Privata Inc. as well as my alternate gown donated by Ideal Fashions and designed by Tony Bowls. I cannot wait to wear them on the Miss America stage! I am also pleased to announce that Spa Villa is sponsoring my nail care for Miss America. Alanna’s Fashions in Mullica Hill invited me to spend a few hours in the store meeting customers.  The store then gave me a beautiful cocktail dress and Bella Lux was having a trunk show at the same time and also generously provided me with a dress. I am so thankful for all my sponsors!


Lastly, I would like to congratulate our new local title holders: Kayla Collymore, Chrystina Lewis, and Nicole Washington. They are the newest contenders for Miss New Jersey 2012, and I am very excited for them to be a part of the Miss NJ family.


Till next time,
Katharyn Nicolle
Miss New Jersey 2011


Monday, November 14, 2011

November 14

It has been the month of books and literacy.  I have given over 1,200 books the past couple of weeks to students all over New Jersey.  I have gone to elementary schools, visited classrooms, and shared with students that reading can be fun.  A common question I get from students is: What is your favorite thing about being Miss New Jersey?  My answer is that I get to travel around New Jersey and meet students and talk about one of my favorite things in the entire world… READING!  It makes me smile when I can get students excited about reading. 


I have also had the opportunity to attend a few Literacy Volunteers of America events.  The most memorable one was when I visited their facility in Camden.  During the couple of hours I spent there I spoke with many adult students with ages ranging from early 20s to 60s. There were quite a few students that were working toward their GED.  One of the questions I had for them was: What was their reason for improving their literacy?  Many of them talked about improving their reading and math skills so that they could get a better job or get a job in the first place.  One common reason that many students seemed to have was that they wanted to be a positive influence on their children and family members.  They wanted to be an example of how education can improve their living standards.  There was one young woman who will forever be etched in my brain.  Her child was recently taken away from her because she was seen as being unfit to care for her child.  She explained to me how that event had been rock bottom for her.  She was so determined to get her child back she came to the Literacy Volunteers of America to improve her reading skills so she can get her GED and a job.  She will then be able to support herself and her child. For the last five years I have concentrated so much on improving literacy in children by getting them excited about reading.  I have now learned more about the struggles that illiterate adults face.  This is why it is so crucial that we as a society work to insure that children do not leave school without the literacy skills they need to be successful in their lives.
Please also visit the website of Michael Antonio shoes.   http://www.michaelantonio.com/  They have generously sponsored me this past month and supplied me with the most gorgeous and fashionable shoes and boots.  You can also find them on Facebook! Thank you Michael Antonio!!
Congratulations to our new title holders Lauren Talvacchio, Hilary Levin, Christine Skorenko, Lindsey Giannini, and Madison Alterman.  The pageants have been wonderful to watch and our new competitors have a wonderful year ahead of them.



Till next time,
Katharyn Nicolle
Miss New Jersey 2011


Friday, October 14, 2011

October 14, 2011

The closer January and the Miss America competition get, the faster time seems to fly. It was a very busy month and lucky for me I will not be getting bored any time soon. I want to start out by thanking everyone who has helped me in raising money for Children’s Miracle Network. I want to especially thank the Ocean City Exchange Club for their generous donation.
There have also been quite a few girls crowned recently: Nychole Hunt, Breanne Ray, Olivia Jennings, Courtney Fairfield, Ellen Chu, Cierra Kaler-Jones, Carissa Palumbo, Venessa Baez, and Lindsey Petrosh. Congratulations to those girls, and I wish them the best of luck during their year and this coming June’s competition.
This past weekend was Columbus Day. I got the chance to participate in three different parades and see many Italian-Americans honored for their service to the community. I also had a chance to practice my Italian when I met some Polizati di Stato in East Hanover. It was a great weekend in which to celebrate the strong Italian culture that permeates New Jersey.
The last bit of warm weather is about to leave us, but I was able to make use of it at a golf tournament for the USO at Balla Golf Club in Philadelphia. With every golf team we had a little competition of who could take the goofiest picture on the course. I am not sure who won because there were a lot of funny ones, but the pictures served as good entertainment while they played on a slide show during dinner that night.
 I am so fortunate to have so many sponsors that are helping me prepare for Miss America. One of them is Brandon Bonnet. He has been helping me train in fitness and conditioning. The Crowning Touch located in New Bedford, MA is providing a competition gown for me and Ideal Fashions which has locations in Washington Township, Hammonton, and Margate is providing an alternate gown for me to wear at Miss America. Cosmetics are being provided to me by both Bobbi Brown and LancĂ´me, and La Bottine Boutique in Ocean City gave me shoes and jewelry. Watch for me in November on the Michael Antonia website showing off shoes that they have also generously given me.
I have been taking a Dale Carnegie class and one of my many favorite things about the class is reading quotes from Dale Carnegie himself. He has compiled a lot of wisdom which he has been sharing with others throughout most of the last century. In closing I want to share some of what Dale Carnegie said, “People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” This is one of my goals for the upcoming few months. I want to always be striving for fun while I am Miss New Jersey.
Till next time,
Katharyn Nicolle
Miss New Jersey 2011

Monday, September 12, 2011

September 12, 2011

I am so proud of Natalie, our Miss New Jersey Outstanding Teen! She did so well in Florida competing for the national title. She sang “Somebody to Love” which gave me chills and looked gorgeous in her lavender gown. I was even fortunate enough to be able to emcee her fitness competition. She then had everyone from New Jersey biting their nails when she made top 15 and then proceeded to top 10 the final night. I know she had a blast, and I am so fortunate to call her my little sister!
Florida was also an exciting trip for me because I got to meet the 52 other Miss contestants and participate in special things having been a former Outstanding Teen. There are nine formers and each of us emceed a portion of one of the preliminary night competitions. We were also asked to be part of extra photo and video shoots; as well as being announced and interviewed on stage each night. Orlando was a fantastic trip!
Congratulations go out to Katie Berry, our Miss New Jersey Sweetheart and winner of the Judge’s Award. She recently returned from the National Sweetheart pageant in Hoopeston, Illinois. She said it was an amazing experience. Thank you Katie for representing New Jersey so well! I also want to congratulate Kaitlyn Schoeffel, the new Miss Avalon.
Miracle Treat Day at Dairy Queen was August 11th. It is a designated day that Dairy Queen gives money made from the blizzards to Children’s Miracle Network (CMN). I had the privilege to spend Miracle Treat Day with Gianna, New Jersey’s CMN champion, and other CMN kids at the Dairy Queen in Tom’s River, New Jersey. This past weekend I also participated in a radiothon at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. It was an energetic event with a lot of fun activities for kids. Miss Delaware, Maria Cahill, and I enjoyed meeting so many miracle kids and their families.  
Finally, I invite you to follow me on twitter. I just learned how to tweet, and I can keep you updated on what I am doing day to day.
Till next time,
Katharyn Nicolle
Miss New Jersey 2011

Sunday, August 14, 2011

August 14, 2011

The great state of New Jersey has amazing people, and I am so fortunate that I am meeting them. I visited Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick with New Jersey’s Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) champion and my new friend, Gianna Trotter. We got to tour the hospital and spend time with some of the kids staying there. I have to admit prior to arrival I was scared about becoming too emotional. However, it did not feel like the overly sterile, cold, and serious hospital I had imagined. Children’s Specialized Hospital is a place of hope, progress, innovation, and at times even fun. During lunch, Gianna and I hung out on the teenager’s floor. They told us about their fun plans for that night which was to see a movie (if I can remember correctly the movie was Cars II). I went to this wonderful hospital feeling scared and left realizing a new perspective. Life can be simple: do not worry over things you cannot control, make the best of the cards that God gives you, and happiness can always be found if you can find the strength to look for it. 
Night in Venice was on the 16th of July. As always I was glad to be back in Ocean City, but I got to experience it from a whole new angle. Night in Venice is not just a parade of boats through Ocean City’s back bays. It is a celebration of summer and a colorful display of Jersey shore pride. I want to thank Nancy Craig Abbott (Miss NJ 1975) for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful experience on her beautiful boat.

Two stores have generously donated clothing to me, and I am very grateful. I want to thank Sun Seekers in Ocean City and Fashion Rocks, in Cherry Hill. I also had fun participating in the Fashion Rocks fashion show at Top Dog. Thank you for helping me represent our state in style!
 
In July I attended a golf outing benefiting BEST, Inc. It was founded to aid students needing financial assistance to fulfill their dreams and goals of obtaining a college education. A mentor is assigned to each student who qualifies for an award, to then follow the student throughout his/her college career. My favorite part was hearing the stories of past recipients who had overcome hardship and adversity to succeed. Like the patients at Children’s Specialized Hospital, they were a true inspiration. 

I also want to congratulate our new 2012 Miss New Jersey contestants. I am so happy to welcome back Krysten Moore, Miss Bergen County Area, Angelica Nardi, Miss Seashore Line, Courtney Charatsaris, Miss Cape Shores, and Anna Negron, Miss Coastal Shore. They are all beautiful and so talented! 

Natalie Ragazzo, Miss New Jersey’s Outstanding Teen, has just left for Orlando to compete for the national title. I am so proud to be her older sister, and I want to wish her the best! I am also thrilled to be going down to Orlando to root her on as she competes. As a former Miss NJOT I know that she is in for one thrilling, fun, exhausting, and just awesome experience. In addition to being a part of Natalie’s cheering section, I will also be quite busy while in Orlando. All 53 Miss America contestants will be meeting for the first time. We are going to be promoting the program and some of our sponsors, participating in photo and video shoots, and visiting Disney among other activities. I was also asked to be a co-emcee during the Tuesday night preliminary competition! I am honored to represent New Jersey!!  

Till next time,
Katharyn Nicolle
Miss New Jersey 2011

Sunday, July 24, 2011

July 9, 2011

After three weeks I am only beginning to get used to the idea that Miss New Jersey lives in my house, wears my clothes, and has my face. First and foremost I want to acknowledge and thank the 22 women in the class of 2011 for not only making the week in Ocean City incredibly memorable, but also for being an inspiration. You are beautiful, intelligent, talented, and most of all hard working. When I wake up each morning it is all of you that give me the determination to be the best Miss New Jersey I can. I also would like to acknowledge Ashleigh Udolavas, Miss New Jersey 2010. She is a beautiful and eloquent woman that served the state so well. For years she has served as an example to me.
To say the least, the first few weeks have been wonderful. Already I have traveled throughout the great garden state and met some of the interesting people that live here. I attended the State Line Golf Outing at Architects Golf Club. It was a fundraiser for the Phillipsburg High School football team. Then almost in my backyard I was invited to a dinner and fundraiser on the Battleship New Jersey. We got to tour the newly restored second gun turret and after dinner we watched fireworks over the Delaware River. I met a Special Olympics athlete while I was there, and he gave me his card which said that one of his hobbies is “girl watching.” I was tickled pink to have been noticed by him. J  Last Saturday I had a chance to go back to where it all started in the Ocean City Music Pier for the Miss Cape May County pageant. Congratulations to Jennifer Taylor! She is the first Miss New Jersey 2012 contestant to be crowned. It was also a very special week because it was our nation’s birthday. I spent Independence Day morning in Smithville. They officially have the longest parade in the state! The parade ended in historic Smithville where there was a ceremony in which we had a chance to honor the many service men and women who have become our country’s real life super heroes.
The date for the final night of Miss America was also released. Everyone mark your calendars and remember to tune into ABC on January 14th to see the crowning of Miss America 2012. Also keep your fingers crossed that the title goes to a Jersey Girl this year.
Till next time,
Katharyn Nicolle
Miss New Jersey 2011