This past Saturday I was able to come one step closer to my goal of being crowned Miss North Dakota! After a long day of driving, interviewing, and rehearsing, I was crowned Miss Empire 2012! I had been counting down the days until this pageant for months. I truly believe in the life changing power of the Miss America Organization and the Miss North Dakota Organization—that is why I will be working hard and preparing myself for the Miss North Dakota pageant from now until June.
This weekend I was reminded of the high quality of young women in our state. All of the contestants were intelligent, driven, talented, and beautiful women. Any one of them would have made a great titleholder, and they should all be proud themselves! I am glad to know each and every one of them. They all made Saturday such a fun experience.
Over the next several months, I plan to work with students and encourage them to get involved in what they are passionate about. I believe that students who find, join, and stay involved in activities that they enjoy will be empowered by the sense of belonging it gives them. I am proud of the accomplishments I have had in my life so far and know that I have the power to do even more. Being Miss Empire will help me do even more.
One of the first things that I want to work towards is raising money for the Miss America Organization’s charity, Children’s Miracle Network. So far, I have set a personal goal of raising $500. This money will benefit the only Children’s Miracle Network hospital in North Dakota, which is located in my hometown of Fargo. That means that the money I raise will go directly towards helping children and families who live in my community. I am excited to be able to raise money for such a great cause! If you want to help me meet (or even surpass!) my goal, go to https://www.missamericaforkids.org/m.aspx?i=145229FFA+B75C381 and click on the “Donate Now!” button. Every dollar counts, and with the holidays quickly approaching it is the perfect time to help children in need and make sure that no child is turned away from receiving hope and healing!
Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me on my journey to Miss North Dakota. You can expect more blogs and pictures throughout the year. I am excited to see what opportunities I will have in the coming months as Miss Empire!
Stephanie Erickson
Miss Empire 2012
