Published: March 31, 2008 03:26 pm            

Miss America tea

DUNCAN — For Duncan elementary and high school age girls, a chance to meet 2007’s Miss America Thursday at a special tea party was probably a wish come true.

All the young girls needed to do to attend was submit a 50- to 100-word essay on “Dreams Do Come True” to their schools. An independent board of teachers then chose the winning submissions.

When the winners, who were each dressed in their finest and most elegant clothing, arrived with their mothers, they waited in line patiently to be escorted up to the dais.

On the dais, standing next to a throne, Lauren Nelson of Lawton, Miss America 2007, awaited them with a warm smile and outstretched arms.

After receiving a signature and posing for a picture, the girls and their mothers were directed to sit down at a banquet-sized table where Earl Grey tea was served. The tea is said to be a favorite of Queen Elizabeth II.

While the winners drank their tea, Nelson talked to them about achieving dreams and achieving one’s goals in life.

She did this by sharing her own personal experience in reaching her dream.

“I’ve wanted to be Miss America ever since at least 16 years of age,” Nelson said. “You first win a local pageant, then you move up to the Miss Oklahoma pageant. If you win that, you then move on to the Miss America pageant.”

While she was working to achieve her dream, she had the help of 2006’s Miss America winner, Jennifer Berry, who is also from Oklahoma.

“I learned much from her,” Nelson said.

The young girls wanted to know what it was like to be Miss America. Nelson said it was busy.

“We traveled 20,000 miles per month within the country,” Nelson said. “I packed two suitcases in January of 2007 and did not unpack them ’til February.”

She was also asked whether she met any celebrities. Nelson said that at the Oklahoma Centennial, celebration she met celebrities from Oklahoma, including Toby Keith and Garth Brooks.

As soon as she mentioned those names, a gasp of delight went up from the audience.

Nelson also helped the girls understand how she was able to achieve her longtime goal of becoming Miss America. She did this by dissecting the word “dreams,” talking about the meanings of each of the individual letters.

“D stands for determination and drive,” Nelson said. “It takes a lot of desire and work to study and reach for your dream.”

Along the pathway of achieving one’s dream, there will be plenty of obstacles and challenges, she said.

So, the letter R stands for reaching for one’s goal no matter what the opposition. “My dream was to be Miss America,” Nelson said. “I never thought it would happen, but I pushed past each obstacle and achieved it.”

The letter E, she said, stands for energy and enthusiasm.

“Who here is excited for summer?” Nelson asked the young girls. They all raised their hands. “It takes that energy and enthusiasm to be able to reach one’s dreams.”

The letter A stands for attitude.

“Attitude is everything,” Nelson said. “Do you ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed and you’re grouchy all day because of it? Whether you have a good or bad day will largely depend on your attitude. It’s a choice.”

M stands for making responsible and healthy decisions.

“You make decisions each and every day, what friends you hang out with, what food you eat, etc.,” she said. “Even the smallest choice you make can make a huge difference in your life.”

Nelson then shared with the girls some of her choices she made in her life to get her to where she is today, such as going to school, studying hard and choosing good friends.

“Make sure you do what is right,” Nelson said.

The final letter in the word “dreams” stands for support system.

“Your family and good friends will help you and are a great support system in helping you achieve your dreams,” she said. But in order to reap the full benefits of this support system, Nelson said, one needs to live the Golden Rule. “You have to be a good friend to those around you,” she said. “You will then be able to support each other.”

The Dreams Do Come True essay winners are Mackenzie Cook for grades one through three, Brittany Daniels for grades four through six, Samantha Thomas for grades seven through nine and Sasha Shelton for grades 10 through 12.

        

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