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A Letter from Amanda...
Dear Friends,
This year has been an amazing
journey and a dream come true. I
can remember as a little girl
watching Miss Louisiana and
hoping that one day I would have
the opportunity to compete for
this title. At the very young
age of 17 I started competing,
gaining experience, and
developing that desire to become
Miss Louisiana. But the title
always seemed so far fetched. It
was hard to imagine ME as Miss
Louisiana one day. Well on June
20, 2007 that dream became a
REALITY!
This organization is not just
about a crown or perfecting a
talent. During the four years I
competed, I won enough
scholarship money to pay for my
education at LSU from my
freshmen year through possibly a
graduate degree. That is what
makes this program so rewarding
and different from any other
pageant, and I am so thankful
for the scholarship
opportunities this organization
has provided.
With the title of Miss Louisiana
I have traveled to just about
every corner of the state
endorsing several beneficial
programs and speaking to
thousands of children. I have
enjoyed every second I have
spent with the children in
Louisiana. And because I am a
kid at heart, we have a blast! I
have been the spokesperson for
R. J. Reynolds “Right Decisions
Right Now”, which is a program
designed to teach children to
make wise decisions and stay
tobacco free. I have also been
the spokesperson for Lighten Up
Louisiana, which focuses on
living a healthy lifestyle.
But one of the things I have
been able to do this year is
develop my platform. Promoting
Arts for the Underprivileged has
always been close to my heart. I
have worked with children who
have absolutely nothing, yet
find a way to smile and give out
hugs just because someone took
the time to expose them to the
arts. The week after I was
crowned Miss Louisiana I had the
opportunity to go to Baton Rouge
lobby for the passage of SB 299.
This bill would provide enough
money in the budget to put arts
back into every single public
school system in Louisiana. A
couple days later the bill
passed!! It was such an honor to
be a part of the bill that I
believe will change the state of
Louisiana.
I owe special thanks to my
family, friends and supporters.
I also must tell you how
wonderful the Miss Louisiana
Board has been. They have worked
tirelessly to make this one year
in my life very special.
Everything that I needed
throughout the year was taken
care of, even if it was just
words of encouragement. From the
bottom of my heart, thank you to
each and every one of you.
Growing up I have always been
told, “May your goals and
ambitions always honor the
Lord”. Throughout my year I have
kept this close to my heart. I
know that without him my goals
or ambitions would not have come
true. This year has been truly
amazing and I have made
friendships that will last me a
lifetime. This has been a dream
come true and I am so thankful
to have had the opportunity to
serve the state of Louisiana.
Sincerely,
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