The Start Of An Amazing Journey

Dear Friends and Fans,

It’s hard to believe that it has been exactly one week since I was crowned Miss Iowa 2007! It all still seems very surreal. I have always dreamed of being Miss Iowa and going to Miss America, but the reality of last weekend still hasn’t really sunk in for me. For the past 5 years I have been involved with the Miss Iowa Organization and this year was my third and final attempt for the Miss Iowa title. I guess you can say the third time is the charm! I’m so honored to have been selected as the representative from such an amazing group of ladies and I’m excited for the year to come!

First, I want to thank everyone who made the Miss Iowa week such a success! From the volunteers and sponsors to the contestants and fans, the week would not have been possible without all of you. Thank you to the sponsors for providing the meals, transportation, entertainment and even massages for the week. We were treated like royalty while in Davenport and I want to thank all of you for your generosity! To the volunteers and hostesses, thank you for giving your time and talents to help the contestants throughout the week. The Miss Iowa Organization is supported by some of the most giving and compassionate people I have ever known and I cannot thank you enough for all that you do. Thank you so much!

Finally, I want to thank the other 18 amazing young women that I competed with last weekend. It was a pleasure to spend the week with you and a privilege to share the stage with you. We truly had some of the brightest and most talented young women, with some of the greatest personalities, at our state competition.

There never seemed to be a dull moment! Despite the long rehearsals and exhausting days, we always found a way to laugh through the sore muscles and smile even when we wanted to collapse. Regardless of the outcome, I am grateful for the opportunity to get to know all of you and thank you for the many great memories from our week at Miss Iowa. I wish all of you the best!

So, how has my first week as Miss Iowa been? Well, so far, it has been a whirlwind of events! I spent the first few days doing several radio, television, and newspaper interviews. On Monday, I picked up my brand new 2008 Jeep Liberty from Kimberly Car City in Davenport and on Wednesday, I got the keys to my new apartment! On Thursday, I had my official Miss Iowa photo shoot and yesterday I went to a trunk show to start to look for that perfect evening gown for Miss America. I have been contacting sponsors, booking appearances, and already starting to prepare for the Miss America competition. There is so much to do and I can’t believe one week has past already! I will be cherishing every moment of the next 12 months as I know it will go by fast.

I want to thank everyone who has been so supportive of me during this exciting time of my life! I have received a flood of emails and messages from many of you and it means so much to know that I have many people rooting for me. I will do my best to represent the program to its fullest and make a positive impact on our state. I can’t wait to start traveling the state and meeting so many new people. Also, I hope to write on this blog frequently to keep you up to date on my Miss Iowa journey! Please feel free to contact me if you ever have any questions. I would love to hear from you!

Take Care,

Diana