Standing in the presence of Maria Beale Fletcher, the only Miss NC to ever be crowned Miss America, was a moment that I'd never imagined! Yet, there she was: beautiful, poised, kind, and gracious, and she was actually talking to me! Eloquently spoken words of advice flowed naturally from her. I was truly "lost" in the moment and savoring each and every word. It is a moment that I will always treasure.
Moving quickly from the Miss NC stage, to the reception, and then to the Sheraton where I slept for only one hour- Interviewing with WRAL, WTVD, G105, and News 14 in Raleigh was only the beginning. More television, radio, and newspaper interviews followed. This was a blast! I must admit, Beth and Lorie kept me going in the right direction and right on time. Everyone was so generous and excited to greet another Miss NC, true testimony to all of my predecessors and the wonderful job they did as Miss NC. Actually, the Hampton Inn in High Point was holding onto Amanda. My mom and I looked at the marquee as we pulled into the parking lot, we were told they were expecting me; however, after reading "Welcome Miss NC, Amanda Watson", I wasn't so sure they expected me! They loved you, Amanda!
After leaving dinner with some of Archdale's Bush Hill Festival Queens, I had realized I missed a call from an unknown number. I soon checked the message and it was MISS AMERICA! Yes, Miss America, Katie Stam, called to congratulate me! You are right; I will never erase that message!
Next, I was off to Southport and Ft. Bragg. What a beautiful city and festive event. While I was there, I certainly enjoyed dinner with Connie and Keith at their historic home on Oak Island. From Southport to Ft .Bragg's Independence Day Celebration where I met Jason Michael Carroll and Julianne Hough, I travelled with the best, Lindsay and Taylor Knox. We shared so many laughs and even stopped to get a McFlurry on the way home, that was before I started meeting with Tim Kelly, my trainer! I had the honor of spending time with Lizzie Horton at Fort Bragg and also met a beautiful young lady named Emily. She has just been put in a scoliosis brace three weeks before we met and we became instant friends. We had the opportunity to share lots of feelings and I am still in touch with her family!
Another major highlight was meeting with Al Steiner. After hearing this amazing gentleman explain the history of the USO and its connection to NC, you can imagine how honored I felt when he asked me to be a USO Ambassador.
The fun continued as I travelled to Louisburg, NC for the first annual NC Outstanding Little Miss Pageant. Eleven beautiful and talented young women competed for the prestigious titles. We all had so much fun at the slumber party; the young ladies got to design their own pair of flip flops and they created original outfits from white garbage bags for their mommy to model! Look out Tyra, we have some great models and designers here in NC!
The next morning started at 4 am! My mom and I drove to Fayetteville for the Christmas in July Toy Run sponsored by Wal-Mart. The 286 cyclists drove from Fayetteville to Duke Children's Hospital followed by a "sleigh" (truck) loaded with toys for the children. After Wal-Mart's partnership with CMN over $475 million dollars has been donated to CMN! From there we travelled to Karma Salon and Day Spa in Lillington, NC for their Grand Opening. Then it was back to Louisburg for the crowning of the first NC Outstanding Little Miss Pageant. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Miss NC's Outstanding Teen, Katherine Puryear and my own Carolina Princess, Alex Franks perform for the crowd; they are both so talented! Please take time to watch these two amazing ladies perform this year. After crowning our new queens we were off to a celebratory dinner! North Carolina you have some beautiful young queens!
Thank you everyone. You have filled my first few weeks with care, support, and enthusiasm. You will never know just how much it means to me to be able to represent the wonderful people in North Carolina.
There is an individual that left me with a simple, yet inspiring message. Each day I recall the words of Mrs. Shearon, a special teacher that I was blessed to have when I was in the sixth grade. She didn't know that as she ended each class every day that her words of wisdom would inspire me for the rest of my life. This gracious lady always reminded us, with the words I'd like to share with you- "Remember to always be kind and gentle". How wonderful life would be if we remembered these words every day?
My love,
Katherine Southard
Miss North Carolina 2009