Bowling

Kelly Kulick and I

Yes, I bowl. Yes, I am a 15 year-old high school student. Your probably wondering why would some my age what to join the most boring sport ever? Bowling. Well, like how most people get into things, I started bowling because one of my best friends did. My friend, well she didn't really like bowling so she eventually quit the league, but I continued to bowl. For me, bowling is as exciting as any sport most people play, the rush of waiting for the ball to hit the pins, the amazing moment when you get that strike, when you finally get it right. Right now I'm at the end of my sixth year bowling, so far I've had a pretty good career. When I first started out, it was more like a joke to me, or just something I do for fun, but then I realized, hey I'm good at this. Right now my average is about a 145 give or take a few. Last year at this time was average was a a 120 something and the year before that barely a 100. I think this year and the year before has been the years I've taken bowling the most serious. Two years ago I got second place in the Junior Masters tournament for where I live, in the Minor A division, I never thought I was that good, that changed my mind and I thought, this is where I should be. Several months (about 6) after that in October, I shot my first 200, a 207 to be exact I think and then a week after that a got another 200, a 208 I believe, that tournament changed my seriousness about bowling.

Last year I competed in that same tournament again, but this time in the Major D division. I had moved up a whole division in a year, I was so excited and was determined to do my best and no matter what just have fun. In the first round we played two games out of the 16 people in each division I believe 8 get knocked out of competition. In the first two games I had a 190 something and a 200! Everyone told me not to worry and that I had made it into the next round, which I did. In the next round we played another two games, my scores got lower around a 170 maybe for both games, but still very good scores for me, after that round they knock out half the people in the division again and make it down to four people. I made it to that round too! That round was to be held the next day because it is a two day tournament and they need time to make the plaques for the top four and tomorrow just add what place we got. I was so hyper and couldn't believe I made it to the second day of competition two years in a row and that I was in the lead! I woke up the next day and was ready to do my best, and that's exactly what I did! For that round I continued to do good, I think one game was about a 140 and I'm not sure what the other was, but I was still in the lead! Again I made it to the next round, I was in the top 2 again, but this time, I planned to take the title. I wound up being good friends with the girl who got forth place in my division and she stuck around and cheered me on for the final 2, that gave me so much more confidence. When I started the final round, I was disappointed in myself, I was doing so well, then all of a sudden, it went a little down hill, the first game in the final round wasn't that great, but I was sill in the lead, because I did so well with my other games, I wasn't worried, I was just mad at myself. My final game was alright. I ended up winning! I couldn't believe all my hard work payed off! It was finally my time to shine. What made it so much better though was that everyone was so proud of me, when I walked up to get my plaque an owner from one of the bowling alleys near me, that I bowled at before gave me my award again for the second year in a row, he seemed super proud of me, and I liked how someone I knew gave me my award. The best part was that when I told everyone at my bowling alley the were so excited and Al, one of the guys that works at the bowling alley where I'm on my league it put it up on the board, that made me feel so special :) To top all off I was the only one from my home bowling alley that made it to the Junior Masters and I felt so proud to represent where I bowl at and thought I did an amazing job representing, considering I won..

Jacqui Reese :)

She signed it!!!

That was the end of my bowling season considering and don't bowl in the summer and the week before the tournament was the last week at league, but it was a great way to end the season! When I got back in September I was ready to make this season the best yet and so far have, I've gotten several 200's and joined my school's bowling club. I even got my highest score ever at bowling club, a 229, I was amazed. This weekend I have the same the Junior Masters tournament again and I qualified for it my third year in a row, during the pre-tournament that I bowled in to qualify for it I did amazing. I got a 630 in my first 3 games and got all 200s! My highest series yet. My last game was a 181 for a total of an 811, I beat every girl there and be two boys beat me, one being my friends brother with an 861. This year I am in the Major C division, again I moved up a whole division in a year. This year two other people from my bowling alley qualified too, one of my best friends Emily in Minor A and her brother Tyler in Major B. I hope we all do well at the tournament this weekend, it would be amazing if we all walked away with a title.
Overall, I believe bowling is an amazing and more kids should get into it. It's a really fun sport, you can also get a lot of scholarships from it. I met one of my best friends threw bowling and I don't know what I would do without her. In my career I have met several famous bowlers like Kelly Kulick (who is from NJ) and Jacqui Resse who Isn't extremely well known but is pretty famous where I live. I hope to go far with my bowling career and one day be as  good as people like Kelly of Jacqui. I love bowling.

True Beauty Movement

The True Beauty Movement was founded in April 2011, today the organization still is in reign today. The program was founded by a sisterhood of NAM girls and is mainly run by Amanda Moreno (2011-2012 National All-American Miss.) The goal of the True Beauty Movement is that each girl realizes she is the most beautiful person when she is just herself, and that we are all unique and beautiful even without makeup.  We all have beauty within ourselves. Be True. Be Beautiful. Be You.
Be sure to keep up to date on everyones true beauty by:

•  Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/#!/TrueBeautyMovement
•  Website: truebeautymovement.org

You can purchase a True Beauty Movement Shirt today! Check the Facebook page for more details!

Some of this years NAM queens sporting the True Beauty Movement shirts at the National photoshoot.

My National American Miss Journey :)



Red is my fav color. So why not be the color of my formal gown too? I love this pic! <3

I never thought I would be a girl to do pageants. I always thought of myself as a tom boy who didn't like to dress up fancy and who loved to get down and dirty riding go-carts, quads, and dirt bikes. Who knew a had a really girly side? I didn't even know! Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them,” that’s my goal to always pursue my dreams. “You have been selected as a state finalist for the National American Miss Jr. Teen New Jersey Pageant,” that was the first sentence I saw when I received my acceptance letter from the NAM pageant. It's what made me start to purse my dreams ♥ It's what made me realize I want to do this, that I had dreams. I've always loved singing since I was a little kid and thought NAM could help me with that. It also mentioned modeling, when I was a younger, I always pretend to be a runway model and walk around the house trying on new clothes pretending to model the latest fashions, who knew I would actually want to do that when I grew up. I'm not grown up yet, but I'm at the age where I'm statring to figure out what to do with my life. Nam was the best thing that could've happend to me. It made me love pageanty for one thing, and I'm starting to do more pageants because of it. Before I did nam I had some confidence but I was always to shy to perform in front of anybody, infact before nam I never performed on a stage completely alone before, it was my time to shine. My favorite part of competition had to be formal wear, it gave me the most confidence, especially about walking in heels, I never walked in heels before I started pageants, that was a big step for me. For my first year in nam I did almost every optional. I did Talent (1), Actress (2), Photogenic (4), Top Model (1), and Casual Wear (1). I always loved singing, like I said before so I had to do talent. For it I sang "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera, It wasn't the greatest perfomance, but it gave me a loooot of confidence, and since then I have sung in front of people several times. I never got into acting until this year, when I was in the pageant last summer, it was the summer before I would be going to techanical school for perorming arts (singing, acting, dancing), well I never really acted before, so I thought this would be the perfect opturnity to practice that, it was so fun, and it helped me gain confidence as an actor. Photography has been one of my hobbies forever, I've always loved taking and being in pictures, so I had to enter photogenic, same for Top Model since I liked to model and be in pictures I had to do it. For Casual Wear I thought I could practice my runway type skills. Pageantry has change my life. It has givin me so much more confidence in myself and it also gave me lots of friends :) Even though I didn't win anything, I walked away a different person. I got participationawards though, I got the Portfolio Award for doing Photogenic 4 times, I got the Outstanding Participation award for selling ads, and the Spirit of America award for doing 5 or more optionals. I plan on continuing Pageanty and hope to get far with it. I hope it continues to help me with my career. I am participating in NAM again this summer and cannot wait to see what this time brings me.