Miss America's Outstanding Teen

This week was the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant in Orlando. All 53 Miss America contestants came together in Florida to cheer on our teen sisters.

I flew in from Atlanta, having just finished my USO show the night before. At the airport I met my first Miss America sister, Jessica Pray, Miss Iowa! Suddenly it hit me how real all of this is. At the hotel, the meet ups continued. The game was always the same: connect eyes and make a slow realization that you've seen this person in a head shot before, then jump to hug and say hello to what seems like a sister you haven't seen in years.

We attended the preliminary competition for Miss America's Outstanding Teen that night as our first appearance as the Class of 2012. On the way I ran into so many familiar faces and friends! The support was out and ready to cheer for Miss New York's Outstanding Teen, Lauren Molella.

Let me tell you something about these teens. Awesome. That's pretty much all I need to say. They are some of the most accomplished students in the country. I couldn't believe some of the credentials the announcers were reading about these ladies. Oh, those announcers? None other than 9 of our current state titleholders who previously held their state's Outstanding Teen title! Perfect proof of what a wonderful training ground the teen program is for developing success in its contestants.

So how did Lauren do? She danced beautifully, looking like a goddess. Her talent has grown so much since just the summer, and she was already star worthy then. Be proud, New York. Lauren brought it full force in talent.

The next morning I was up early to get ready for camera. We were filming our YouTube clips that will be released in the fall to promote the pageant. We were each given 60 seconds to do whatever we wish. This is so smart, as it will give people all over the country a chance to meet all of this year's contestants and see them being themselves. We only got one take, so this stuff is pretty honest. You are probably dying to see them as much as I am, so I promise to keep you posted!

After our shoot Artistry Makeup gave each of us a consultation. Artistry is the official makeup sponsor for Miss America and gave each contestant a kit of products to try. Soon after it was time to head to dinner with Carey and David. They are the owners of Regalia Magnificent Appearal in Orlando. Regalia is an official gown sponsor for Miss New York and will be helping me select the perfect dress for the big show.

Regalia hosted us for dinner at Maggianos, where we were joined by Florida's Executive Director Mary Sullivan and the Miss America Board of Directors. This was a low key, let-you-hair-down kind of meal where we really got to know one another. Over giant plates of pasta we spilled funny facts, dating stories, and impersonations. Oh, and you know who else lives the non-gluten lifestyle? Miss Michigan, Elizabeth Wertenburg! We were happy as can be with our giant bowls of rice pasta. Thank you to Maggianos for accommodating us!

After dinner and the blossoming of many new connections, we were off to the final night of preliminaries for the teens. On the way in I ran into two gorgeous women who are currently representing New York in the Teens in Training Program. These ladies are learning the skills to become a success, and possibly the next Miss America. They were modeling a customizable wrap dress for their onstage introductions. They looked great, I loved seeing them!

Tonight, we too got to introduce ourselves from stage. Thank you to everyone who screamed for me, you are rock stars and made me feel like one! We showed everyone where the heart is, folks! New York continued to represent as Lauren stepped onstage that night in her evening gown, flowing across stage in a dark blue that would set your heart on fire. She spoke wonderfully when asked about how to help teens deal with body image. Once again, she made us proud.

A 4am wakeup was well worth the day ahead: today we were going to Disney World!We got to spend an entire day as special guests at the park, greeted by all of our favorite Disney friends!

You will see footage of our visit at the Miss America Pageant, and throughout the next year on ABC's website. At one point during filming I realized that if I whispered into the body mic they had placed on me, that the sound guy could hear me no matter how far away. We became good friends right away.

We had lunch in a room that housed props and characters from past shows. Behind the scenes, I found even more familiar faces!

When we turned a corner and I saw an Imperial AT-AT rising from the trees before us, I started to bug out. We were at my favorite ride ever: Star Tours! Suddenly they stop us and tell us we will be getting a chance to ride. At this point I started to audible squeal. Soon enough I was cheering on Jedi training campers as they fought Darth Vader himself onstage, at which point I think it became completely clear that I am a Star Wars geek.Suddenly our guide turned to me and said, "I think we have something for you." Another guide held out a paper, rolled and tied. I unraveled to find an Official Jedi Certification claiming Miss New York as a Jedi Knight in the eyes of the Rebel Alliance. Suddenly, I was nine years old. I exploded with excitement, hugging the staff with joy!! There you have it...Disney magic. The little things that make all the different. That's Disney.

By the time we left Disney, my hair had lost the battle to humidity and we were exhausted from the fun. Yet the night was young and we were soon headed to our evenings event: a Miss America Reception hosted by the Miss Florida Organization. We came to the beautiful home of the Porters who welcomed us in for food and friends. We mingled with guests, dined on incredible food, and were entertained by the dashing Atlantic City Boys. Boy, were they dashing. Boy, did we dance. You would have thought we had been friends for years, and by this point it certainly felt that way. The night was incredible.

And so Saturday came. Time for business. We met early in the morning for our official orientation. We were given the privilege of meeting several special speakers. Joshua Randle, President of the Duke of Edinburgh's Young American Challenge, esteemed military representative Colonel David Sutherland, and none other than Miss America 2011, Theresa Scanlan. There is so many wonderful things to share about this meeting, but instead of spelling them out to you now my goal is to incorporate everything into my work over the next few months. I will be following up on some great initiatives and projects, so stick around to find out more. I cannot thank our speakers enough for sharing their time and projects with us! Elizabeth Crot, Miss Virginia and my room mate for the week, were happy to now have some nap time. We loafed for a bit in our room, watching Parent Trap (the original one, which is truly the best.)

That night was Finals for Miss America's Outstanding Teen. All week we had watched our teen sisters show their stuff. We had enjoyed performances from our reigning titleholder, Lacey Russ (a gifted musician,) as well as vocals from Miss America herself and performances from special artists. After a quick autograph signing we entered the theater for the final verdict.

Ladies and Gentlemen, your new Miss America's Outstanding Teen is...Florida's own Elizabeth Fechtel!! You can read all of the final results here!

Elizabeth is a beautiful girl with a heart of gold, which can be seen from just a moments time with her. She will be an incredible representative of America's Teen population and her fellow contestants.

All week, audience members and teen contestants had been telling me how beautiful and intelligent they found Lauren. I am so pleased that our girl represented herself wonderfully not only onstage, but off as well. That is where the most important interactions happen, and where a person's true beauty can be seen.

Keep up with Elizabeth on the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Website.