Junkies FAQ's Part One...

If you've poked around this site for any length of time, you can tell the Junkies' Blog "Comes Alive" around Miss America and more recently, during State Pageant Season.  In an effort to "Keep the Blog Alive" between now and September, we thought we'd do our best to come up with topics of interest to Junkies across the nation.  Therefore, today's post addresses some Frequently Asked Questions that have come to us while we travel to various state pageants, via Facebook, Twitter or in personal conversation for people who meet us...

So here you go... In no particular order... These are your Top 10 FAQ's answered by none other than the "Founding Junkie" herself...

1.  How did you decide to start Miss America Junkies?
          ~ Four years ago, I was frustrated and disappointed with how much negativity existed online in Miss America forums.  I longed for a site that would 'lift up' contestants, encourage them to get the most out of their Miss America experience, and would showcase the best of what each girl had to offer - be it compassion, humor, talent, beauty or grace.  Two years passed... and when I realized I couldn't find what I was looking for, I simply decided to start it myself.  Nearly 4500 Facebook fans and Twitter followers later, I guess I was on to something. :) 

2.  Did you ever compete yourself at Miss America or in other pageants?
          ~ I'm afraid I never made it to Miss America... but I enjoyed growing up in a 'Pageant Family'. My pageant career consisted of being named the 1st Runner Up at my state Junior Miss pageant then competing twice at my Miss America State pageant.  I finished as the 2nd Runner Up in my state which also allowed me to compete at Miss Sweetheart in fabulous Hoopeston, Illinois. :)

3.  Do you have a 'regular' full-time job?
          ~ Yes!  I happen to be the VP/GM of a National Media Company by day and a Junkie by night. :)

4.  How do you choose the girls who make your "Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch" list?
          ~ Essentially, we do our best to research the Top 5/Top 10 from the last 2 or 3 years of competition (which can be surprisingly difficult depending on the amount of accurate/inaccurate media coverage your state pageant receives).  Then, we look up Outstanding Teen state winners and runner ups (again - runner up coverage is sometimes very hard to find!).  Then, we look at head-shots and see who catches our eye.  Truth is, we've actually been doing this long enough now that we're pretty familiar with several names and faces from certain states - which makes our jobs much easier!

5.  What has been the biggest surprise to you since you started Miss America Junkies?
          ~ Hands Down... the biggest surprise to me is learning how many incredible young women are more than qualified to represent their state at Miss America.  In many cases, the girls who finish as the 1st or 2nd runner up are just as qualified to be "Miss State" - but for whatever reason, they aren't named the winner.  It's a rare thing to compete at Miss America - but seeing intelligent, talented, and capable young ladies finish within arms length of the crown, is not rare at all.

That's Part One of our "MAJ ~ FAQs"... Part Two will be posted soon enough! :)

If you have a question you'd like to ask the Junkies, feel free to post it in our comment section below.  You can also reach us on our Facebook page, through a private Facebook message, through our Twitter Feed or via email at MissAmericaJunkies@gmail.com.  So many ways to "Ask the Junkies" - Just take your pick!  :)

#JunkiesUnite

MAJ

Junkies "TOP 5" Wrap-Up Post!!! :)

WHEW!!!!  Welcome to the Junkies "Wrap Up Blog"!

When we started this state pageant season back in April, we had NO IDEA how hard it would be to make it to July 21st!  Fifty-Three Blogs about 53 state pageants can take a toll on even the most dedicated of Junkies!  So - we thought we'd compile a few "Fun Facts" about this year's state pageant season, just in case you didn't know...

~ After writing 53 blogposts, how many did you get right?
Although we wrote 53 posts, we technically only created "Here's Who to Watch" lists for 51 states.  Miss Puerto Rico's facebook page had photos of the contestants, but no names listed (tough to make predictions without researching contestant names) - And we listed all 4 names of the 4 contestants at Miss Virgin Islands (not really a fair way to predict a winner when you list everyone who's competing).  So - of the 51 states where we listed potential ladies to watch (50 + Miss DC) we correctly identified 44 winners.  That translates to being correct 86% of the time. #NotTooShabby 

~ So Tell Us... Who did you miss?
Absent from our list of "Who to Watch" included the state winners from Miss New Hampshire, Miss Iowa, Miss Indiana, Miss Illinois, Miss Texas, Miss Oregon and Miss Idaho.  It doesn't mean we don't love you - but you can bet it means we're paying attention to you now. :)

~ And of the 7 state winners you missed, were you totally shocked? 

Four of these girls were never on our radar and 3 of them we considered listing, but didn't.

~  How many total contestants did you research? 

There were 1380 contestants competing for the 53 state titles this year.  Think about that for a moment...  Nearly 1400 girls!  That means each state had an average of 26 girls competing to win!  We realize most people only care about one state pageant... But our job is to look into all 53 states - and sometimes that means we don't do as much research as we should on "your state".  If you, or your daughter, or your grand-daughter, or your sister, or your roommate, or your cousin, or your neighbor's hair-dresser's best friend wasn't listed, please don't take it personally. :)  We simply couldn't research all 1380 girls and write 53 blogs in basically 2 months.

 ~ Which states received the most interest on your blog?

These 5 photos represent the "5 Most Visited Posts" for this pageant season! From the bottom to the top... We have...

          - 4th Runner Up, Ivana Hall, Miss Texas

          - 3rd Runner Up, Chandler Champion, Miss Alabama

          - 2nd Runner Up, Haley Williams, Miss Michigan

          - 1st Runner Up, Brooke Mosteller, Miss South Carolina

          - Winner = Alison Cook, Miss Oregon!!!!

Big Thanks to all the Junkies who shared these posts with your friends... The 5 posts on these 5 states represented nearly 5000 pageviews!  You guys certainly know how to support your girls! :)

~  What are you going to do now with all your free time?

LOL!  Of course, we've started researching these 53 girls for Miss America!  Because Atlantic City is right around the corner - we think we'll have some strong insights into this class in ways we haven't before.  We can't wait to give our Preliminary Predictions and see the results come September!

So - there you go!  A plethora of pageantry propaganda at your fingertips!

And you thought 'Miss America Junkies' was just a name... :)

#JunkiesUnite

MAJ

MISS ARKANSAS!!!

The final blogpost for this state class features none other than Sloane Roberts, Miss Arkansas 2012!

During her time at Miss America, Sloane received the coveted "Miss Congeniality" award... and her reaction to this honor was posted on her Facebook page...

"When my name was called in the dressing room as the 2013 recipient of the Miss Congeniality award, I knew that His (God's) light shined way brighter than I even imagined. In that moment, I felt so humbled. Of course, emotions were on edge and I cried like a baby. That award is by far the greatest achievement I have ever made. I am so glad I had more of an impact on 52 other girls that I will remain in contact with rather than the judges who have probably already forgotten about me. I gave a short speech to the girls telling them how much I loved them and appreciated that more than they even knew..."

We know Sloane Roberts has a heart of Gold - and wish her the best in her future endeavors... We look forward to watching her blossom beyond the pageant stage in the years to come!

And now - The final state competition for Miss America is bound to be a doozie!  There are 20 veterans, 25 newbies for a total of 45 girls!  Although we expect some newbies to make some waves, we're listing our top picks based on previous performance.

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Morgan Holt - 1st runner up '12, AR OT '07
Amy Crain - 1st runner up '09, 2nd runner up '10, Top 10 '11
Brooke Ault - Top 10 '12, Alpha Interview and Talent awards
Somer Allen - 3rd runner up '11, Top 10 in '12
Tracy Neal - Top 15  in '12, Gown, SS and Alpha Interview awards
Lauren Howell - Prelim Gown '12, Tap Dancer

Good Luck Ladies!!!

MAJ

MISS ARKANSAS RESULTS:

Winner = AMY CRAIN

1st Runner Up = Tracy Neal

2nd Runner Up = Abby Lindsey

3rd Runner Up = Kiley Wright

4th Runner Up = Lauren Howell

MISS NEW YORK!!!

From Miss New York, Shannon Oliver's personal blog about becoming Miss New York...

          I was sitting in an apartment in Harlem with six strangers and one friend while watching the Miss America Pageant.  And then it happened. My words were gone. I couldn't say "She did it!!" No, I could not even muster an "Oh my gosh!!" Instead, what can only be described as a banshee scream came pouring out of my mouth. Honestly, it sounded as though I had just witnessed murder. My voice teacher would have had a fit on account of my vocal chords as this terrible noise erupted from my throat for what must have been at least 15 full seconds. Eventually I stopped screaming when I realized that the neighbors of this stranger's apartment might call the police. 

"Shannon! Maybe you'll take Mallory's title!", I looked at them as though they had just suggested that in a week from now I'd be on the moon. Crazy-talk.
Well, crazy-talkers, you win. Here I sit, the new Miss New York 2012. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it since, in my mind, Mallory will always be Miss New York 2012."

We think Shannon has been an excellent Miss New York - and would highly encourage you to follow her blog at Shannon's NYC.  She's spunky, confident and only wishes her mom could've been around to see her wear the crown.

Mallory Hagan WILL be on hand to crown the new Miss New York - and this one isn't going to be easy!  There are 5, count 'em, FIVE former Outstanding Teen state winners competing at New York... along with some additional stiff competition!  Can't Wait to see who walks away with this one!!!

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Nora Ali - America's Jr. Miss '07, Violin Talent
Katie Berry - 1st runner up '12, Prelim SS and Talent, 2nd runner up NJ '10, NJ OT '05
Acacia Courtney - Top 10 '12, CT OT '09
Nina Davuluri - 2nd runner up '12, MI OT '06, 1st Runner Up at MAOT
Amanda Mason- 4th runner up '11
Desiree Wiley - 3rd runner up '11, 4th runner up '12 Prelim SS and Gown
Camille Sims - GA OT '10, 2nd runner up MAOT
Amanda Alicea - NY OT 05, NY Teen America '07 2nd Runner up Nationals

JUNKIES LOVE NEW YORK!!!  ALL THE BEST, LADIES!!!

MAJ

RESULTS:

WINNER = NINA DAVULURI

1st Runner Up = Amanda Mason

2nd Runner Up = Acacia Courtney

3rd Runner Up =   Desiree Wiley

4th Runner Up = Theresa Lii

MISS MISSISSIPPI!!!

Miss Mississippi Marie Wicks simply exudes warmth, generosity and sincerity.  When watching videos about her, she strikes us as the kind of person who would casually stroll along an quiet, tree-lined street, curiously considering whether or not anyone in history ever walked the same path.

After all, Marie has an inquisitive mind... She has a dual degree in International Studies and French, with a minor in Chemistry.  And while her future plans are not 100% set in stone, she's thinking of a combination of medicine and law because, as she says, she just "loves learning".

At Miss America, Marie was named a Quality of Life finalist, a non-finalist Talent Award winner and was also Mallory Hagan's roommate.  A couple of select awards to be proud of and 10 days with the future Miss America may prove to the least of Marie's accomplishments if she continues to learn, grow and be that classic, "Southern Soul" we love.

And now - Miss Mississippi 2013 is crazy competitive!  With 35 contestants, this one will not be easy at all!

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch!

Breanne Ponder - MS USA '10, Top 10 at Miss USA
Jasmine Murray - 1st runner up '12, America Idol Top 13 Finalist, Miss MS OT '07 = Top 10 at MAOT
Shelby Corn - 1st runner up '11, Prelim SS
Jessica Terrill - 2nd runner up '12, Top 10 in '11
Chassidy Sumler - 3rd runner up '12
Chelsea Rick - 4th runner up '12, Prelim SS
Laura Lee Lewis - MS OT '09
Kennitra Thompson - spent 2 weeks in a coma on life support and nearly died from an allergic reaction, Miss Black MS USA '10
Jordin Johnson - 4.0 nursing student, competitve gymnast, 1st time to Miss MS
Adrian Turner - 3rd year Pharmacy Student, 2nd time at Miss MS

We'll be watching these results closely!  Good Luck Ladies! :)

MAJ

RESULTS:

WINNER = CHELSEA RICK

1st Runner Up = Hannah Roberts

2nd Runner Up = Laura Lee Lewis

3rd Runner Up = Jordin Johnson

4th Runner Up = Caroline Conerly

MISS VIRGIN ISLANDS!!!

Miss Virgin Islands, Aniska Tonge shone brightly in Vegas... literally.  Anyone who was there saw her amazing gold evening gown - The Junkies even saw her after the pageant was over and complimented her on it in person!

Like many of the other contestants, Aniska regularly updated a blog about her year.  We particularly loved an entry she made in September, reminding us how important it is to have a strong 'support system' in the life of a pageant girl...

          "I can't begin to express how amazing and rare this experience is. Today I took my official head and competition shots. What a feeling! I brought my mom along as well and although I love how proud I have made others, her being proud of me is truly the most fulfilling. She said last night that her little girls were all grown up and soon we wouldn't need her anymore. But how wrong she is. She has taught me every value of a true queen; resilience in the time of struggle, faith when the dark times seem more powerful, and above all love and compassion. I feel as though I am most prepared for this journey because of what she has taught me, so today I took my official pictures for Miss America, and that meant such a great deal to me...But today my mom used her phone and took a million unofficial pictures of her "princess" and that meant the world to me."

         
For all the 'pageant moms' out there who have taught your daughters well, the Junkies say, "Thank You" :)

And now - here are the 4 contestants vying for the title of Miss Virgin Islands, 2013!

Naydyeyah Acoy-Thomas - 2nd runner up Miss St. Croix
Ashley Massiah - competed in '12
Cahtriellah Shabazz - competed in '12
Jessica Willock - 1st runner up VI OT '11

Good Luck, Ladies!  Junkies Wish you the Best!!! :)

MAJ

MISS IDAHO!!!

The Junkies were "Uber-Proud" of Whitney Wood, Miss Idaho 2012!  She was precisely the kind of contestant who 'grows' within the Miss America system and was willing to put in the work to showcase her strengths.  Allow me to list the awards Whitney received at Miss America:

- Quality of Life Finalist - Handbags of Hope - $2000
- Non-Finalist Talent Award - $1000
- Louanna Gamba Instrumentalist Award - $1000
- Miss America State Finalist - $3000
- Total = $7000

Of the 53 girls at Miss America, Whitney won more scholarships than 41 ladies on stage!  In fact, she won just as much scholarship money as the Top 10 finalists won!  The Junkies thoroughly appreciate how Miss America rewards ladies like Whitney for their collective efforts - and not just those who 'make the finals'.  Idaho should be proud!!!

And when it comes to Miss Idaho 2013, this a bit of a head-scratcher for us... It doesn't seem like our choices are as "obvious"... Plenty of deserving ladies could win this year!

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Kacie Bitzenburg - 2nd runner up '12
Kaitlin Anderson - 4th runner up '12
Kalie Wright - SS and interview winner at her local
Meg Rowe - 4th runner up '10, 3rd runner up '11 
Dani Beckstrom - ID OT '08
Lauren Parkhurst - Cinderella Scholarship Pageant Winner, AL USA contestant
Sierra Sandison - was just diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes a year ago, beautiful girl

GOOD LUCK ALL!!!  JUNKIES LOVE IDAHO!!! :)

MAJ

RESULTS:

WINNER = SARAH DOWNS

1st Runner Up = Katelyn Anderson

2nd Runner Up = Laura Hampikian

3rd Runner Up = Emily Housman

4th Runner Up = Kayli Schwendamin