Keeping the momentum going, February was an action packed month. The ever faithful UNC-P family welcomed me with open arms. The Locklear Family has certainly kept me housed and entertained this year. They are so kind and giving. I must also tell you, it was such a delight to emcee the Miss UNC-Pembroke Pageant with a favorite Miss North Carolina, Lorna McNeil. She is such an outstanding role model for all of us.
Lorna will always be very special to me because she was the very first Miss North Carolina that I ever met. I remember how I felt as a first time Carolina Princess when I saw Miss North Carolina! She was, and, still is so beautiful. Honestly, I could not believe that I actually got to meet her. Then she sang, and I was just in awe of her. After meeting Lorna, what little girl wouldn’t dream of being Miss North Carolina!?!
From pageants to schools, it is all about promoting our youth to become the best that they can be. This is where a program at West Smithfield Elementary has stepped up to honor this concept. This elementary school hosts a “book night” that is filled with various people reading books to students. It was an honor to be asked to share in this event and read to the students. This program also encourages elementary students to spend time reading with their families. Keep up the good work!
The following night, I returned to the Charlotte area where I participated in the “March Forth With Hope” Campaign. This is an annual event held in Charlotte to raise money for children fighting cancer. March Forth With Hope was founded by Stuart and Shelby Stout in memory of their beautiful daughter, Hope.
Next, I was off to the ARC of Wake County Ball. Adrienne Core and I were so blessed to meet many new friends at this wonderful event. We enjoyed talking to the guests and hearing their stories.
My dad offered to drive me to Gray’s Creek High School and I certainly took him up on that plan. It was a great father/daughter day. We had plenty of time to share lots of news, ideas, meals, and of course lots of laughs. After judging the pageant it was time for the return trip. My dad let me sleep all the way home---he’s a great dad!
Tuesday night it was my mom’s turn. We travelled to Burlington, where we were joined by Kay Dickinson and Amanda Roberts. We all were entertained by the awesome Jeanne Swanner Robertson as she graciously donated all proceeds from this event to the Haiti Relief Fund. This former Miss North Carolina is an amazing speaker. She kept all of us on the edge of our seats the entire night. Please, if you EVER have an opportunity to hear her speak, please, please go. It will be an evening you will treasure forever. She is truly an outstanding lady and a true asset to the Miss North Carolina Program.
Thursday, I spoke at Selwyn Elementary School in Charlotte. This was the cutest idea ever! They were focusing on “Good Citizens,” AND they actually held a pageant! Different students assumed the titles of Miss Respect, Miss Perseverance, Miss Honesty, and the list of contestants continued. Each addressing the responsibilities that came with their particular title, students campaigned as to why they were Good Citizens. They were all so precious. I was asked to “wrap up” the pageant by speaking about Citizenship. This was a neat experience because this whole concept was created by one of my former college roommates, Katie Radcliff, who is now a much loved teacher at Selwyn. It was such a joy to share this time with Katie and the students at Selwyn Elementary.
Speaking of special times, I was honored to be asked to attend the Grand Opening of MHR Designs in Fayetteville. This store “sparkles” from the ceiling to the floor! Marie is one creative lady and her new shop certainly shows off her skills. Take some time and go visit her. You will be glad you did. Trust me, it is a beautiful place to be.
Reflecting on all the events in this month, I am once again reminded of just how blessed I truly am to have the honor of representing this wonderful state. North Carolinians are special people, and with the passing of each month, I am just overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity that continues to embrace me this year. Thank you, North Carolinians, for always being so kind.

A heartfelt thank you to all,
Katherine Southard
Miss North Carolina 2009

The Miss Wake County and Miss Tarheel titles, both for Miss and OT contestants, will be awarded on April 24th. This is an open pageant opportunity for ladies who have competed in the 2009-2010 season without earning a title and to the 2009 preliminary queens who gave up their titles in the 2009-10 year without requalifying. The pageant is being used as a training seminar for our 2010 Judges Qualification. It will be scored identically to an official preliminary, however the responsibilities are very different for this pageant. The winners of this pageant are only required to compete at Miss North Carolina and NCOT. After the state pageant, they are released from this title, and are free to compete again to requalify for the 2011 Miss NC and NCOT pageants. Interviews will be held on Friday, April 23 and the remainder of competition will be held Saturday, April 24th.

On April 4th, after the last preliminary is held, an email will go out to the interested contestants. The first 15 Misses and 15 OTs to respond to the email will be awarded the opportunity to compete at Wake Co/Tarheel. The required $100 CMN fee will apply to the Miss contestants and there is a $100 application fee for the OTs. For more information, contact Beth Knox at missncbookings@yahoo.com

We are excited to offer you the opportunity to represent your business at the 2010 Miss North Carolina Trade Show that will be held during Friday night and all day Saturday of Work Weekend, April 23 and 24, 2010 at the Raleigh Downtown Marriott. Select Vendors will have the opportunity to showcase their goods and services directly to our 60 contestants, local Executive Directors, families, and Carolina Princesses! Only North Carolina businesses will be accepted for this trade show.
This is a wonderful opportunity for clothing boutiques, photography studios, jewelry designers, magnetic sign shops, just to name a few, to showcase their goods and services to a select target group!
The Miss North Carolina Trade Show will be open on Friday, April 23, 2010 from 6pm to 11pm and on Saturday, April 24th from 8am to 11pm.
There are two ways to become an official Trade Show vendor.
A $1,500.00 donation to our scholarship fund, the NC Educational Scholarship Fund, Inc. will give you full tax refund rights for donating to our 501(c)3 account. You will be provided with two 6 foot display tables with seating. You will also be given two Final Night tickets to the 2010 Miss North Carolina pageant in June.
A $250.00 donation to the Miss North Carolina Pageant will cover the cost of one 6 foot display table and seating. We will provide a pipe and draped dressing room in the corner for clothing vendors to access as a dressing room.

Contact Beth Knox at bethknox@missnc.org for more information!

Little did I know that my trip to Miss America would start with a pecan pie! Picture this: a bed piled high with clothes, a floor cluttered with shoes, a hallway blocked by two massive suitcases and a ringing doorbell! My mom hurdles the suitcases and bolts down the stairs. When she opens the door, there stands Roger Hawkins with a pecan pie (my favorite) and a lady bug balloon for good luck! He never lets me down. Thanks, Roger for the Hawkins' support team.

The next morning I was on the plane to Vegas! Not knowing who to expect, I landed. Before I even collected my luggage, I was greeted by members of the Miss America staff and Security. I realized that all of these months of planning, preparation, and praying were coming to fruition. Miss Alaska, Miss Indiana, Miss Michigan, and I were escorted from the airport to Planet Hollywood where the festivities were about to begin. It was no time until we were all standing at the opening ceremonies, introducing ourselves to Vegas!

After the ceremonies we attended the "Kick Off Meeting" with the Miss America Staff where we watched a very touching video showing the impact that the Miss America Organization has on Children's Miracle Network. Watching this made me realize even more how important this partnership truly is, and how much it impacts the lives of these precious children. Being Miss North Carolina blessed me with the opportunity to experience this, as well as visit children firsthand. These children need our help. I would just like to assure you, that donating to Children's Miracle Network is a sure way to know your money goes to a worthwhile cause and is very much appreciated by each and every recipient.

Up bright and early on Friday morning, we were all learning to flip pancakes the IHOP way! This experience was even more special when we were visited by two children that had received benefits from CMN. The younger of the two, immediately wanted to flip pancakes. I was so blessed to toss "snowman" pancakes in the air with him. His giggle touched my heart and soul. What a blessing this little boy was to all of us.

After a tasty breakfast we were off to burn those calories at rehearsal! Several hours of practice made 53 contestants ready for dinner. We were all soon ready to dine at PF Chang's and then we were on to the Venetian for Gondola rides. I could tell this was going to be a wonderful experience.

Day two was filled with rehearsals and PR interviews. You would be surprised to see just how quickly 53 young ladies changed to hit the runway in Vegas. Suddenly we were all transformed from rehearsal clad contestants to high fashion models! Where else, other than at Miss America, can one get that experience?

Our third day included hours of rehearsal and an exciting adventure at the indoor raceway. Miss Kansas and I battled it out for the title of "Fastest Simulated Racecar Driver"… that's my kind of racecar!

Monday it was down to business. More rehearsal time, the Mu and Alpha groups had interviews and that night we were all out on the town to Phantom of the Opera! What a great show!

Competition was truly in full swing by Tuesday. Today the Sigma group (my group), had interviews. Miss Hawaii and I made time to say prayers together before we went in for our personal interviews. That night we were off to our first preliminary night of competition: for me it was swimsuit and evening gown. After competition that night and every night, I was first greeted by the warm, smile of Alan. He gave me a big 'ole hug and led me to the best table in the room. He certainly knows how to make you feel special. This table was filled with lots of wonderful people from North Carolina that came all the way to Vegas for Miss America. These are truly loyal friends and they all hold a special place in my heart. They all cheered me on every step of the way. I also know there were many that wanted to be there, but could not- rest assured you too were certainly there in spirit, and I carried your thoughts with me right onto that Miss America stage. A special thank you to all of you that texted in your votes for me, you all worked so hard to put me in and I cannot thank you enough.

Kevin always had a way to make me laugh, while Beth offered assurance, love and support. What a team! Gregory Ellenburg and Susan Grant worked their magic for me both on stage and off. You two were always there to say just the right things. My little Carolina Princess, Alex Franks and Outstanding Teen, Katherine Puryear were there to cheer me on… and while we are on the subject of cheering, many of you know that my sister cheered for the Charlotte Bobcats for two years, well let's just put it this way- she hasn't forgotten how to project her voice! She sat way in the back of the auditorium and I could hear her as I walked on stage! Honestly, I think she did have a duo partner (Lindsay Knox) several nights. You all are simply the best.

Wednesday and Thursday concluded the nights of preliminary competitions. During the day on Thursday the Sigma group (that's me) did filming for Planet Hollywood. We all pretended to socialize in a brand new Planet Hollywood suite, soak up the sun as we lounged by the pool, and exercise in the workout room. These film clips will be used for Planet Hollywood. We all felt like movie stars.

Friday included rehearsal, which was different, because we were blocking for television. That evening we were off to the VIP reception and the Evening of Dreams Gala. Surrounded by 52 beautiful contestants, we were made to feel even more special as we were greeted by our own supporters. Thank you again to all of you that made this evening one to remember. It truly was an evening of dreams. Joe O'Brien, President of the National Scoliosis Foundation, was there to offer his support- it sure was great to see him again. Joe has certainly helped make this journey even more rewarding as we have teamed up to make everyone more aware of scoliosis detection and awareness.

Another highlight of the Gala was Katie Stam's engagement. It was so neat to be there to actually see him put this diamond on her hand. I need to tell you, that is a beautiful ring, but even more important… they are a great couple.

It was here, the big day, the final night. One of us was going to be Miss America! We all knew we would have hard shoes to fill and that only one contestant would have that opportunity. At this point, I would like to add, I was so blessed to have lunch with Miss Minnesota and Miss America 2009, Katie Stam. Honestly, Katie is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She is just what at true Miss America should be. It was so neat to actually sit there, have lunch, and chat with Miss America! She explained to Brooke and me what her year was like as Miss America and she listened to us ask her questions. She is such an amazing person; it was a true joy to be around her.

Now back to the final night… fifteen beautiful and talented finalists were announced. One of them would soon be our new Miss America. One life was going to be changed and because of that, many others would have their lives changed by her. The very talented Miss Virginia was crowned Miss America 2010. Congratulations, Caressa you will do an amazing job.

For me… the journey to Miss America ended, but my journey as Miss North Carolina continues and I am excited to complete my year with all of my fellow North Carolinians. I am so blessed to be able to spend this time in our great state with all of you. Each night as I talk to God, I thank Him for blessing me with this wonderful time to represent you and for the amazing opportunity Joe O'Brien presented to me at Miss America. Because all of you are close to me, I must share what is a bit of a secret… On Saturday night at the conclusion of Miss America, Joe asked me if I would like to become a member of the National Scoliosis Board. (Of course, this has to be voted on by the current members, but I was so touched and honored by that I just had to share this news with you). It has only been seven months since June, but this experience has been and continues to be such a blessing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this opportunity of a lifetime.

As always, as we touch the lives of others, may we always "be kind and gentle". May you be blessed each and every day.

Katherine Southard, Miss North Carolina 2009