National Anthem at Cheerleading Competition

Tonight I sang the National Anthem at the Frontier League Cheerleading Competition held at Indian River Middle School in Pittsburg, NY. Teams from schools across Northern New York showed their best work, including my new friends from Lyme and LaFargeville.

I was a cheerleader. For an hour. It's an odd story: I got asked to join the team by a friend in my college dance class. He said that my small frame would make me a good flyer. Oblivious to what that meant, I joined the team for a practice. We started with the dance portion and I started to think that maybe I could do this after all. Plus, we were the Spartans and our colors were red and gold (any Saturday Night Life fans out there?) We got to the cheer portion of practice and I was told to put my foot into someones hand. They shot me into the air and the following moments were a flurry of screams and panic. Once back on the ground I thanked them and promptly exited the gym. Two lessons learned: I have a violent fear of falling, and I am not cut out to be a cheerleader.

Tonight I got to enjoy the cheers from the safety of the viewing stands. Lyme even let me join in for some pre-show pumping up!

Tonight was particularly exciting since Lauren Wagenaar, one of our Miss Thousand Islands 2012 contestants, and Morgan Bocciolot, Miss Thousand Islands 2011, were both coaches! Their teams rocked, and congratulations to all the teams for incredible work!! Thanks for letting me take part!

Superintendent of Sackets Harbor to Talk Bullying

Sat down this afternoon with Fred Hall, Superintendent of Sackets Harbor Central School, and Jennifer Gaffney, Principal of Sackets Harbor High School, to talk about our shared passion for youth development programs. After telling him all about Project Empower and my work discussing bullying across the state, Fred shared details on the countless activities and groups his school has started to offer in order to engage students in character development.

From community anti-bullying campaigns by the Glee Club to community service raffles and events, Fred pushes students to develop their social and civic skills in addition to academics. This school even has students doing midnight video-chat tutoring with students in other countries. Learning to think of others and explore oneself at an early age helps make it second nature in adulthood. That's what we do at Project Empower, and that's what is happening at Sackets Harbor. Thank you to Fred and Jennifer for everything you bring to the lives of your students.

This week the students are celebrating some of their character achievements,

so I left behind a message to congratulate them.

Check out my video message to the students!

La Fargeville and Lyme Middle Schools

Great conversation today with LaFargeville and Lyme Middle Schools about bullying and leadership! After waiting in the wings during a quick viewing of my Miss America talent performance - which I was too excited to actually watch - I was escorted to the stage by a beautiful young woman and good friend Joelle, Miss Thousand Island's Star Princess, who, you will see below, sports the same glamorous crown case as I. Joelle showed off her public speaking skills and introduced me for what proved to be an incredibly interactive conversation.

One student asked what to do if someone blocks them into a corner in the bathroom or stands in your way and refuses to move. We talked about how when someone is using their physical power to control or hurt you, you cannot fight back. No matter how tempted you are to hit or push, doing so will only make matters worse; teachers will have trouble determining who was the instigator, and both parties will likely end up punished. When someone bullies they are trying to get a reaction, so remember to stay calm. Also, don't go anywhere alone. Not only is it safer to have a friend with you, but it's also much more fun. It is always OK to ask a teacher or adult to accompany you in the halls if it makes you more comfortable.

After my conversation I got to visit classrooms and meet with students, including one young woman who asked me questions about pursuing acting in New York City. Rachel had recently starred in the school production of Music Man and we got all sorts of caught up in our conversation about acting.

I had the pleasure of speaking with a number of girls at today's school about the opportunity to be involved with the Miss America program. Met with the usual hesitations related to lack of interest in being categorized as a 'pageant girl', I offered a simple explanation: Every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square. Having a title does not require compliance with any preexisting stereotypes. The opportunity is your own to develop and the success and style of your year is your own to shape. This goes for everything in life.

Thanks to LaFargeville and Lyme students for a great talk today, and to the staff and Joelle for making me feel so welcome! A special thank you to Julie Bocciolatt, a teacher at LeFargeville and the mother of Miss Thousand Islands 2011, for inviting me to visit. It means so much to have the support of those within our Miss New York family.

Honorary Citizenship from Watertown's Mayor Jeff Graham

This morning I stopped by to meet Watertown Mayor Jeff Graham. Mayor Graham is an avid blogger and longstanding leader of the Watertown area. I also had the honor of meeting one of our Congregational candidates, Matt Doheny. Both gentlemen and their teams gave me a warm welcome to the North Country.

Having gone to school at Clarkson University here in the snowy north of New York, I have a special fondness of this region of the state. The Miss New York Pageant was hosted in Watertown for years and the community has a strong affection for the title. In fact, my host for the week is a former Miss New York, Jessica Renzi, who met her current husband during her time as Miss New York here in Watertown. NYC is what comes to mind for most Americans who think of our state, and it has been my goal to expand people's awareness of what New York has to offer. There's no denying the beauty and culture that the North Country brings to our state.

Then I got a surprise...Mayor Graham granted me Honorary First Citizenship of Watertown! Yes, this means I am a certified Watertownian. This adds to an already long list of reasons why I'll be back up here (that is includes fishing, because if you haven't fished in Northern New York you haven't truly fished.)

Thank you to Mayor Graham, Matt, and all their staff for a wonderful morning!!

Watertown's News 7 to Talk Miss America

This morning I woke up in Watertown! I'm in town to speak at several schools but started the trip with an early morning visit to News 7. They got the scoop on Miss America and we touched quickly on some bullying advice for adults, since the issue is a hot one in the area. Thanks to Jeff and Beth for having me on the show!

Miss Niagara

Tonight I took part in the grand return of the Miss Niagara Scholarship Organization. After a nearly ten year hiatus the title is back and women from across the county came to compete for the job of Miss Niagara, a scholarship award, and the opportunity to compete for my title this summer.

Hundreds of guests filled the historic Palace Theater. As I conversed with the crowd I was pleased to hear that many did not know a contestant, telling me they were simply interested in supporting what the program stands for and offers to young women. Nearly 60 baskets were put together and donated by the local community to help raise funds for the scholarship. The theater was abuzz with energy as locals prepared to welcome back a familiar friend, Miss Niagara, from her decade long absence.

And the winner is...

Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Miss Niagara 2012...Desiree Wiley!! Desiree will spend the coming year serving her local community and will join me this summer for the chance to take over the job of Miss New York.

The community's support of tonight's event really moved me. I am so glad to see how much this area values the Miss America opportunity. Much of my professional and personal growth happened because of my first local director, Bob Clark. He taught me everything I know about being a business woman during my year as his 19 year old Miss Tampa. Every year he takes a young lady and transforms her into a woman. When local directors take the opportunity to mentor and grow their contestant, the entire community wins. It is clear to me that this will be the case with the Miss Niagara Organization, and I am so thankful to have them in our family once again.

Congratulations to Desiree, and to all of tonight's contestants! You represented yourselves beautifully and made your home town proud. Thank you to the Miss Niagara team. What a beautiful return you have made. Thank you for bringing the Miss America opportunity to the women in your area and for letting me take part!!

Meet Gianna, a Children's Miracle Network Hospital Champion

Earlier this week I got a Facebook message that turned into a dinner date. This doesn't happen often, but the individual who contacted me was well worth taking a night to meet.

Meet Gianna...a Children's Miracle Network Hospital Champion for New Jersey. She is a student, model and actress who comes to New York City almost weekly for auditions and work.

When only a year old, Gianna was in a car accident and suffered head trauma. She had to be placed in a coma in order to survive. When she awoke, she had no motor abilities. For the past thirteen years she has received regular care at CMN Hospitals. When I walked in tonight, Gianna met me at the door and gave me a massive hug. She rushed me to the table to meet her mother and best friend, and we instantly starting to gab about acting and Miss America. I never noticed the limited movement in her right arm and leg. Her wild curls, bright eyes and incredible energy captured all my attention.

Thank you, Children's Miracle Network. You didn't just save this girl

s life physically; Gianna is full of life because if the incredible care CMN Hospitals provide both medically and personally. So glad I got to meet her.

Let's do it again soon, Gianna!! I have to hear how Jonas was in How to Succeed!

Queen of the Rosary Academy

This morning I brought a panel of judges to Queen of the Rosary Academy to judge the finalProject Empower non-profit competition. After developing their own civic project over the past four weeks, 12 teams from two separate academies sought the chance to win the grand prize and a trip to the New York City Regional Competition coming up in February.

Congratulations to Peace Makers and Santa's Helpers for winning top score from their schools!

Peace Makers was an anti-bullying effort that created a pledge bookmark, invited Detective Steven McDonald to speak to at their school and held a poster contest among their peers. Santa's Helpers collected nearly 150 toys then personally delivered them to the local hospital.

While these two teams will have to opportunity to present at our big competition in two weeks, they are not the only winners for today. Check out some of the other projects we saw:

The "Homeless Helpers" campaigned for donations of warm clothes and volunteered their time at local shelters. "Driving Irresponsibly" created an education campaign to end drunk and distracted driving. "Free Shoveling for Senior Citizens" did just that. "All Children are Born Special" collected funds and created a viral awareness video for a local runaways shelter - and even performed a special rendition of Lady Gaga's Born This Way. "Water Resources" had peers take a pledge to participate in a weekly water-conservation day. "Litter" donated their time during recess for several weeks to clean trash from the school block. "Animal Helpers" put up fliers and collected supplies for local animal shelters. "Ugly Tie Contest" had students donate to participate in a contest for the ugliest tie. "Beauty Inside and Out" designed a website to teach students about Locks for Love. "Head Start for the Future Generation" collected books for local day care centers. Other groups collected donations and designed awareness campaigns for St. Jude Children's Hospital, USO, UNICEF, Wounded Warriors, Salvation Army, Good Dog Foundation, as well as local food pantries, day care centers, shelters and hospitals.

Today's judges all hail from the worlds of finance, business, and New York University. Each donated their time to be part of the event.

All we did was give three basic instructions to these students: identify a need, come up with a plan, and implement it. What impresses me most is how creative and bold each group was with their efforts. With youth comes fearlessness and thus the tendency to take greater risk. As years jade the rest of us, it's important we watch these students as they remind us of the payoff that comes with bold action.

Congratulations to all of the students and a huge thanks to our judges and teachers who made this such an incredible experience!

Project Empower's big day ahead...

I've been in dozens of meetings all week to catch up on the progress of Project Empower since I've been gone.

Thrilling news! On February 10th we will be holding our first-ever Regional Non-Profit Competition. Throughout the fall we held our non-profit event in schools across New York City. The twelve winning teams will be getting the opportunity to present their community initiatives to a panel of global leaders for the chance to win a year of funding and partnership with Project Empower! All this in only three months, and there are so many other things in the works. Stay tuned for details!

Keynote at PricewaterhouseCoopers

Thank you to PricewaterhouseCoopers for inviting me to be keynote speaker today to discuss contemporary leadership with their staff!

PwC is encouraging it's associates to step outside the typical finance mold in order to bring out the individualism that makes them valuable. I was so flattered when, after seeing me speak at NYU, this group asked me to share my story with their staff in order to encourage a dialogue about the benefits of taking the "path less traveled." Peter Drucker once said, "Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision." Whether asking to take college level engineering in 8th grade or choosing to go all-in on a beauty pageant for the sake of paying my education, I'm on board with Drucker's concept of making bold moves in order to maximize potential and opportunities, be it that of a business or your life. We had a great discussion about my Miss America experience, the skills I have learned and developed on my journey, and the benefits of setting lofty life goals.

Thanks to my new friends at PwC for letting me share the afternoon with them!

This is bigger than school yards...

I should we writing my Miss America experience update, but something far more important must come first.

This week while I was away our nation lost another life to the hands of bullying, but this was not a typical victim. Almost a year after his 14 year old son Kameron committed suicide from bullying, father Kevin Jacobsen took his own life. After becoming a major advocate in the fight against bullying and even speaking in front of congress so passionately that he brought the crowd to their feet, the pain of losing his son had been eating at him every day until he just could not go on. He leaves behind a wife and children.

The bullies who tormented Kameron to death have now further destroyed this family. This story is just horrifying proof of how bullying is bigger than schoolroom teasing. This epidemic is ripping families and communities apart.

My request: Please...get out your cell phone, Facebook, Twitter, or just stand up and walk over to someone nearby...and give someone your love right this second. As we saw with Kevin, we cannot know the pain someone carries no matter how OK they look on the outside. We all hurt. Some just have a strong poker face. Do not assess whether someone is worthy of your love, chose that you are too tired or self aware to share your love, or worst of all decide that because they look confident and strong that they need to be pulled down into their place. Touch someone today and help them heal. There is no such thing as giving too much, as we have an endless supply to give and exist for that very reason.

My thoughts are with the Jacobsen family and I hope you will all consider giving your support to them as they deal with this devastating loss.

Miss America

Here is where I will eventually post my Miss America experience. There is so much to share. To rush these posts would be a waste of the opportunity to slowly reflect on the week, so I appreciate your patience and promise they will be up soon!!!!

Miss America: Preliminary Swimsuit Winner!!!

Who needs beaches to rock a bikini body? Not us New York girls! Tonight I had the absolute honor of being awarded the Amway Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit Award!!!!!

This scholarship goes to the contestant during each preliminary night who earns the highest score in the swimsuit competition! Unreal! Not only was this past year a challenge in terms of my nutritional health (going gluten-free was no easy task,) but I also did not work with a trainer. I wanted to learn how to master my physical health on my own so that it could become skills for me to carry for the rest of my life. I have to thank all the people, books and websites that helped me piece together my health process, as well as Equinox for being my official sponsor! They gave me all the right tools and the perfect atmosphere to take on my health.

Check out this video by swimwear sponsor Komplique of the Thursday night swimwear preliminaries:

Miss America: Quality of Life Finalist!!!

At today's Miss America Arrival Ceremony at Planet Hollywood my name was announced as one of the eight finalists for the Quality of Life Award!!

The Quality of Life Award is a scholarship provided to Miss America contestants who have made exceptional impact on the lives of others. The selection is made based on an extensive application that explains the details of our platform work and involvements.

This award is what Miss America is all about! Forget the fancy pictures and pretty dresses...titleholders are about using their skills to give back to others. From working with Senator Klein on the new legislation to launching my own non-profit initiative - plus all the schools, events, and partnerships that happened in between - I tried to find a way each day to make sure I am always forwarding the fight against bullying.

During my AMWAY interview I had the chance to discuss my nomination.

From the politicians and organizations to the students and community members who gave their support, my effectiveness in the fight against bullying was fueled of the passion of many. I extend this honor to every single person who took part in supporting my work this year. Thank you to the Miss America Organization and the panel of Quality of Life judges for this incredible recognition!

Send Your Love!

To send cards, letters or packages to me during Miss America:

Kaitlin Monte, Miss New York

Planet Hollywood Business Center

3667 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Las Vegas, NV 89109

They do not allow us to receive any organic items (flowers, fresh foods, etc.) Packaged foods or gifts will be allowed!

Thanks to everyone who has already sent their love!! My walls will be covered in your beautiful notes! Also, feel free to email, tweet, write on my wall, text message...I may not get a chance to respond but will certainly be picking up my digital messages all week!