The director has included my biography in their press release. Click the link below to read it!
http://www.nwosu.edu/miss-northwestern-emcee
This Saturday, Miss NWOSU 2008 Michelle Bruffett will crown one lucky lady Miss Northwestern OSU 2009. Although only one woman will take home the crown (and all of its opportunities and responsibilities), I believe that all contestants will benefit from their participation. Pageantry develops interpersonal and public speaking skills. Pageantry provides extra motivation to stay healthy and fit. A pageant title opens doors for your community service efforts. The volunteers and staff of each pageant believe in the pageantry and what pageantry can do for young women, and what these young women can do for their communities through the skills they learn in competition. As an added perk, as a contestant, you make a lot of great friends! I still keep in touch with women I competed with at the state and international pageants. I have become friends with women who inspire me; To me, it doesn't get any better than that!
I am an avid supporter, even though as titleholders, we are often misunderstood. (Who can forget how Sarah Palin was made fun of?) Like one recent reporter said, I see nothing wrong with using our beauty, interpersonal skills and talent to earn scholarships and the opportunity to serve as a titleholder. And I am always amazed at the difference a year makes: Watching Kirsten Haglund as she gave up her Miss America title, I noticed the poise and confidence she gained in a year, after traveling 20,000 miles a month, speaking, teaching, and representing our pageant and our country as Miss America. She matured. She grew up. I witnessed the same increase in interpersonal competence and maturity in Oklahoma's Lauren Nelson in her year as Miss America. Kirsten also earned over $50,000 in scholarship money, and devoted a year of her life to promoting awareness of eating disorders and representing the Children's Miracle Network. It all begins at your local or state pageant. One woman will begin the journey to Miss Oklahoma America this Saturday. Who will it be? I hope you'll join me at the Herod Hall Auditorium to find out.
For more information about pageant opportunities in Oklahoma, in particular, the Mrs. Oklahoma, Miss Oklahoma, and Miss Teen Oklahoma International pageants, visit www.OKPageants.com. The International pageants are affiliated with the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement, a nationwide movement that celebrates the energy, passion, and power of women to band together and wipe out heart disease. Our pageant is different, because we don't compete in swimsuit (just fitness wear) and although we are all talented women :), there is no scored talent competition. Our state winners go on to the Mrs. International, Miss International, and Miss Teen International competitions, competing with state titleholders and titleholders representing other countries from around the world. (It is an incredible experience.) While I don't support every pageant system (I don't support pageants where children wear make-up, for example), I do support pageantry in general and hope you will get involved, as a volunteer, a contestant, a member of the audience, or pageant or contestant sponsor. If you decide to enter my state pageant, let Lauri know that I recommended you!
Being Mrs. Oklahoma has been an incredible experience and I have grown tremendously because of it; and I still have three months left! In our system, your year is what you make it. You can be as active or as inactive a titleholder as your schedule allows you, but the more active you are, the more of an impact you can make on your community and the more you can personally benefit from the program. I never want to be a titleholder whose crown and sash are on a shelf, collecting dust! I hope to see you all at the Miss NWOSU pageant this weekend and our state pageants in April!
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