My year as Mrs. Oklahoma International has been challenging and exciting. It has been exhausting at times, but it has been absolutely worth it. I have juggled a hectic schedule and I have learned a lot about this great state and her people. I have also learned a lot about myself, the person I am and the person I am becoming.
So...plans for the future? I have been asked by many if I will be competing in another pageant soon and what I will do next. It's almost hard to imagine having nothing to do, but soon I'll finish graduate school and give up my title. These events will happen within weeks of each other. I'll go from a crazy schedule with innumerable (I suppose they are actually infinitely countable -- that's a math joke -- Never mind.) responsibilities to a single part-time adjunct position at Tulsa Community College. Honestly, I am looking forward to the future and praying about God's purpose for me. Shall I finish my Ph. D.? Shall Bobby and I become parents? Shall I teach at the junior college or high school levels for a while? I don't know.
I do know that I'm going to read the Madame Curie and Ronald Reagan biographies that I've been wanting to finish for quite a while, and truth be told, I'm going to curl up with a cup of tea and my topology book, and reread and rework the problems that were assigned this semester -- just for fun -- this summer. :) Learning math is like discovering uncharted territory. It's always exciting and I always enjoy it. It gives me the same feelings that Shakespeare and Dickens give me. I'm also going to teach differential equations and calculus I (one) this summer at Tulsa Community College, and continue to volunteer on behalf of causes that mean the world to me and speak to youth, although not as often as I have this year as Mrs. Oklahoma. I'm going to pray and try to find out what my purpose is. I know I love higher math, and I love working with young people, so I'm sure that God will reveal the path that is best for Bobby, me and our future family, and I know that math and mentoring will be in it, but I'm not sure how.
As for another pageant, who knows what the future holds? I'm definitely looking in that direction but my concerns are much more in the present moment. Please know that my platform work for strengthening marriage and families and supporting children after divorce will always be close to my heart and always among my top priorities.
Good luck, Mrs. Oklahoma 2009! This is going to be a demanding, challenging, exciting year, full of countless enriching experiences and people...You're going to love it! Good luck to all of the contestants -- See you at the hotel tomorrow night!
With love and gratitude,
Mrs. Oklahoma International 2008,
Sasha Marie Townsend
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