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 First
of all I would like to say congratulations to all of the newly crowned
teen titleholders! Each of you worked diligently to get where you are and
have a lot to look forward to. Remember that the road to Miss Teen Texas
is not an easy one, but it is a journey in which you will learn a great
deal about yourself and life. The rewards that are gained through
community service and volunteering are priceless. They are ones of
inner-strength and self-accomplishment. Best of luck to you all this
summer!
Since
spring has sprung, school activities have become lively again. Competing
in UIL events and running track has kept my spring schedule busy, along
with cheerleader tryouts and celebrating a seventeenth birthday. I had to
bid farewell to my precious piglets when the county show came around. It
had been quite a hassle raising them but it was also very fun and a
learning experience.
To
kick off the month of March, I traveled to Weatherford to emcee the Miss
and Teen Parker County pageants, down to Conroe to emcee a runners-up
pageant, and to Fort Worth to perform at the Teen Fort Worth and Teen Hurst-Euless-Bedford pageants. It is always
a pleasure and an
inspiration to see old friends, meet new ones, and watch all of their hard
work pay off.
During spring break I had to opportunity to travel to
Little Rock to pay Tony Bowls’ Arlington Dress Shop a visit (and use the
$1,000 gift certificate that he donated to Miss Teen Texas 2000.) What a nice
place to shop for suits and gowns!
Later that week I accompanied Miss Teen Ellis County
at Cook’s Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth. After meeting and
greeting the patients there, one realizes how precious and fragile
life is. I spoke with one particular twelve-year-old who had cancer and
had to have an operation to remove the bottom-half of her leg. She was the
most energetic and happy young lady I had ever seen. She told me about her
favorite sport, soccer. She had to have an artificial leg to walk, yet she
looked forward to being able to run again and play with her teammates. I
will never forget that little lady. After being around her positive
attitude I was full of motivation and admiration for her.
I spoke and performed for a high school in Mart and attended the
last teen pageant in Nacogdoches. To conclude the month, I attended an all
day visit to Texas Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House in
Houston. So many touching stories are told at the McDonald House. There
are individuals there who were not expected to be alive and made it
through. It is always a pleasure to share those stories with the people
there.
The
first week in April I spoke at a Catholic private school for girls. It had
to be the most enjoyable school lecture I have given. The ladies there
were so attentive and courteous. It was also a pleasure to be able to
visit with Miss Teen Southeast Texas, who attends school there also.
I
accompanied Tara Watson, Miss Texas, at one of her appearances in Kilgore
at the Kilgore College Rangerette’s Spring Show. She did an excellent
job of performing and speaking. Tara, you are inspiration to us all!
I
had so much fun attending the ‘Celebrity Chef’ night benefiting the
ESCAPE Family Resource Center at the Chinese restaurant Benihana in
Houston. There
were many accomplished people there such as football star Ray Childress,
Miss Texas Petite Misty Mcleod, Broadway singer Robert Goulet, and many
others. I also learned how to grill food the ‘oriental way’ and how to
speak a little bit of Chinese.
Remember that doing community service is not about the crown, but it is
about helping others to become the best that they can be. It is finding the
joy of a simple smile or accomplishment. Work hard, but have fun doing it!
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You may have seen Rebecca's mother Reda at
some of the pageants that Rebecca has attended. She has helped make
this a very successful year for Miss Teen Texas by driving Rebecca around
the entire state so that she can make her scheduled appearances as well as
helping make sure she has the proper wardrobe and all the other things
that only a mother can do. We often forget all the hard work that
the parents put into this program so the next time you see Rebecca's mom
waiting patiently in the background, please introduce yourself and let her
know how much everyone appreciates all that she does. |
The
Miss Teen Texas Top 5 is pictured from left to right:
Fourth
Runner-up – Miss Teen Texarkana – Allison Coleman, Second
Runner-up – Miss Teen – Farmers Branch – Britney Phillips, Miss Teen Texas
2000-Rebecca Robinson,
First
Runner-up – Miss Teen – Ellis County – Shasta Ward,
Third
Runner-up – Miss Teen Burleson – Liz Floeck
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