My Many Firsts

Dear Friends,

Life as Miss Iowa is officially off to full speed! The past few weeks have kept me quite busy, but they have also been filled with many great experiences and “firsts” for me as Miss Iowa.

In June, I traveled to Phoenix, Arizona to visit a good friend of mine, Cathy Herd, who has also been involved with the Miss America Organization. She shared her personal experiences of competing in the Miss America pageant, which made me even more excited for the opportunity to compete at the national level. The two of us were also able to attend the Miss Arizona Pageant, which was my first time watching another state pageant. I will have to admit it was kind of nice sitting on the other side of the stage – a lot less stressful that’s for sure! All the girls did a great job and it was fun to watch Nicole Turner get crowned Miss Arizona. Congratulations Nicole! You did a great job and I’m excited to meet you later in the year.

From Arizona, I flew to Minneapolis where I got to spend a day with my family and coach shopping at the Mall of America. After being gone for two weeks, it was great to see my mom, sister, and Jan. Plus, I’m always up for a day of shopping! I have to give my sister a lot of credit for the success of this trip. Despite her extreme dislike for shopping, she was a great sport during the entire shopping extravaganza. Thanks sis, I owe you!

The following weekend I was able to take my first road trip with several members of my board. Paula, Jenny, Katie, Anne and I headed to the suburbs of Chicago to watch the Miss Illinois Pageant. I was very excited to attend this pageant as I knew several of the contestants competing for the title. Meganne, Christy, Julianne, and Tana, I was cheering loud for all of you. Each one of you looked beautiful and did a wonderful job on stage. I wanted so badly to say hello after the show, but unfortunately, we had to leave afterwards. However, I enjoyed talking with your family and friends during intermission. I also want to congratulate Ashley Hatfield for being crowned Miss Illinois and Nicole Rash, Miss Indiana, who I met after the show. I’m sure we will have many memories to come this year as state titleholders!

I must admit that my trip to Chicago was a much needed break from the extensive paperwork I had been working on for the past three weeks for Miss America. The trip was a blast, but then again, I wouldn’t have expected anything less with the four women who kept me company. Whether it was making a U turn for the third time or watching Paula tap dance in the hotel room, there was never a boring moment. Thank you ladies for taking me along for this unforgettable adventure!

This past week, I also had my first official parade as Miss Iowa 2007. My hometown of Norwalk sponsored me for its “Hometown Pride” Fourth of July Parade. My twirling coach, Jan Stivers, was named Grand Marshal after 25 years of service to the community and I was proud to ride right behind her in the parade. While riding in the parade, it was great to see so many familiar faces that I hadn’t seen in years. From former teachers and classmates to family friends and community leaders, it was nice to catch up with those individuals that I grew up with. I also want to thank those individuals who organized the celebration reception for me in the park. It was a very thoughtful gesture and I appreciate the time and effort you put in on my behalf. Thank you to everyone in Norwalk for the warm welcome and many words of congratulations. It was good to be home for the Fourth!

After my morning in Norwalk, my sister and I zipped down I-80 for my second appearance in Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa State Bank and Trust and Diana’s Golden Twirlers sponsored me for an afternoon in the Coralville park. Here, I was proud to emcee the performance of my twirling students and had a chance to meet other members of the community. Despite the extreme heat, all of my students did an excellent job twirling and I also did my first official talent performance as Miss Iowa. Overall, it was a fun filled day and a Fourth I will never forget. Thanks to everyone who helped make it so special!

It is amazing how fast the first month has gone by, but I also know there is so much more to come. July will remain busy for me as I have several appearances as Miss Iowa and many new ideas are underway. Despite all my “firsts” as Miss Iowa, I will also be experiencing a last this coming month. Next week, I will be competing for my final time at the NBTA National Twirling Championships at Notre Dame University. After 16 years of competing at AYOP, it will be hard to say goodbye as a competitive twirler. Although this may be my last twirling competition, I’m thrilled that my twirling career will continue as I look forward to performing at the 2008 Miss America Pageant!

Please continue to visit the Miss Iowa website as we will have many new features, photos, links, and updates added within the next month!

Best Wishes,

Diana