CAUTION!

Wow! It has definitely been a long time since I have wrote anything on here.... But with the recent circumstances, I felt that this was a good time to update everyone since I know there have been lots of questions and inquiring minds. It will be lengthy, but please read! If you don't have the time to read it all just skip to the bottom for the lesson of it all.

As some of you may know, I have been having some pretty crazy medical problems this past month. Why you may ask? Well, here's the story! At the end of March I had went to my doctor to ask for some medicine for an issue that I had been dealing with. We talked about what was going on and I decided to take the medicine without doing any further research (mistake #1). Within 5 days of taking this medicine, I had very very severe reaction to a medication that was considered to be one of the best on the market ( I will be keeping the name of it withheld for personal reasons) and wound up in the hospital.

My symptoms? Many of them were listed on the form that shows all possible side effects. But I, like most people now a days didn't bother to fully read that informative packet (mistake #2). Luckily, I have parents who pay a lot of attention to those sort of things! So when my parents were talking with the doctors, we knew the medicine was the cause of it. Strangely enough, every doctor we had met with during this past month had all said that they had never seen or heard of a reaction like mine.

Unfortunately, my reaction so severe that for a little over three weeks I was unable to walk and had to resort to using a wheelchair to get around.

Walking normally was definitely something I took for granted considering I was used to moving around and dancing like crazy... so this was definitely a struggle! What was even more difficult and hard to deal with however, was how inaccessible so many places were for me! Lots of locations didn't have a wheel chair button, an elevator or a wheelchair accessible bathroom stall. Something I never bothered to think about because it didn't have anything to do with me (mistake #3).

Now over a month later, I am very happy to say that I am walking again!! Praise the Lord! 

I am so thankful for everyone that had prayed for me and had been thinking of me this month because without your support and faith I could still be in a wheelchair! Am I completely better? No. Will I still need the wheelchair? Possibly, on days when it gets hard and my legs start to hurt badly. Will I give up? Absolutely not! 

Before I end telling you all my story, its important that I go over those 3 mistakes that I had pointed out earlier. And this is probably the most valuable and important section of this blog post.

Mistake #1- I agreed to take a brand new medicine that I had never heard of without doing any research! Why is this a mistake? This isn't to say don't trust your doctors, because you most definitely should! But what it is saying, is before you decide to start taking something, look it up! Make sure you are okay with all of the possible side effects, read what others have said about the medicine and make sure it is the best fit for you! There are tons of different variations of medications out there, its just a matter of finding what you are most comfortable with and what will benefit you the most.

Mistake #2- Read the packet that comes with your medicine! Most people just throw it away, I know I have been guilty of that time after time. But not any more! Its amazing what you will find out if you actually take the time to read it. It will give you warning signs, normal, severe, and rare side effects ( in my case I had the rare and severe). So the next time you get a new medicine that you are comfortable taking after doing the research, take 5-10 minutes out of your day and read what the pharmacy has to say. If I would have done this, I probably would have realized something was wrong sooner and gotten medical attention much quicker. Which may or may not have shortened my symptoms. 

Mistake #3- Next time you go somewhere, look around and see how accessible it is for handicapped people. Would they have a difficult time getting around, opening doors or navigating the location. If you answer yes to any of those help them! From my experience  it will not offend them! They will appreciate it more than you know and it could possibly make their entire day.

I know this was long, but if at least 1 person reads this entire blog post then I know that I will have done my job! I wanted to take this scary experience and hopefully be able to prevent it from happening to someone else. Because they will be smarter about their next medicine choice and will be aware of what could happen to them before it does!

Post Pageant Bliss

Contestant number 8!

Those were the words that came out of the announcers mouth as I was announced as the first-runner up in the Miss Auburn Scholarship Program! This is the second year in a row that I received this honor. Along with that, I also was the recipient of the Four Points of the Crown Scholarship and the Empowering Young Women Through Community Service Scholarship.

Congratulations to the new Miss Auburn 2013 Victoria Knight! I know that you will do such great things with this new title and am so excited to see what is in store for you. If you want to keep up with her year, check out her blog at
http://victoriaknightblog.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/miss-auburn-first-update/

I have always said that the times when I have not won, whether that be in pageants, dance competitions etc. are the times when I have been able to learn the most about myself! I take not winning, as an opportunity to improve even more. Because if we aren't improving then we aren't changing... and that's pretty boring! (:

I gained so many new friend along the way, received thousands of scholarship dollars to put towards my tuition, improved my interview skills and became much more mentally and physically fit! This was my third year competing in this program and each year I learn more and more about myself on ways that I can improve. I highly suggest that if you have ever thought about competing in a pageant within the Miss America system to take a leap of faith and just do it! You will truly amaze yourself and those around you with the amount of growth you achieve.

I also believe that everything happens for a reason. So even though this door has closed for the moment I know that God has a plan for me and will use me for something greater. I am going to be taking a break from the world of pageantry for the time being (but I will be back, don't you worry!) and focus my efforts on school and hopefully working more in depth with my platform (human sex trafficking). I have a meeting with the National Awareness Director from Compassion2One that will be occurring within the next few weeks. So lets pray some great opportunities come out of that meeting!

Lastly, since today is the Superbowl, I have one last tid-bit I want to add in. Today should be full of excitement and fun but there is also a very unfortunate dark side that occurs during this time. The Superbowl is one of the largest events for human sex trafficking. Pimps migrate to this city and bring extra girls along with them because they know that prostitutes will be in high demand. They have set ups in all the local hotels and have even placed camouflaged adds in the papers and online. If you are interested in learning more about this from a  rescued victim, please check out this article.

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/02/former_sex_trafficking_victim.html



And remember, if we aren't aware then we can't make a change so I urge you all to spread the word and lets Enslave The Trade!

Pageant Week

PAGEANT WEEK

This is easily one of the most stressful weeks of the year! We rehearse everyday up until the pageant from about 5-10. That makes for a very long day for all of us ladies especially when you add school into that mix!

Whats so great about this week is that we all get so close! In my opinion, nothing brings a group of people closer together than going through the same stressful situation together! Since we all are there for the same reasons, we can all relate and help calm each other down when times get tough (:

I can guarantee that there will be a complete mixture of emotions throughout the week. There will be many laughs and tears but there will also be many great memories made. For the past three years that I have competed with this organization, this week is one that always stands out the most to me. I always end up make friends and memories that will last a life time! 

I hope that I get to see you all there this weekend! The teens will be competing Friday night and the Miss (my division) will be competing Saturday night. If you have any more questions about tickets or showtimes go to: missauburn.org

And to check out my contestant profile go to: http://missauburn.org/salinaellison.html

If you would like to help me pay for school, there is a donation button right below my picture. Any amount would be appreciated! PLU is a very spendy school and any assistance is great(:

Here are some pictures that are from the Sneak Peek that we had the other week.

Interview Time!!

ITS GO TIME!!

I cannot believe that my final interview for Miss Auburn is in a matter of hours! Needless to say, the excitement and anticipation is killing me! 

Months of preparation, hours and hours of watching nothing but the news and focusing on my platform are all going to be discussed in a mater of 8 short minutes! I have 8 minutes to say something that makes me stand out to the judges among 16 other very amazing and qualified young women. 

Its so crazy to think back on the very first year I competed and my interview that year. The amount of progress I have made in this area of  competition is amazing. And there is only one group of people I can attribute that success to, the dedicated volunteers of the Miss Auburn program. They take time out of their days to help young girls like myself gain so much confidence when it comes to public speaking. It is not every day that you meet such wonderful people who are so kind and so giving.

So here we go! Wish me luck!

Amazing Businesses

SPONSORS SPONSORS SPONSORS! 

This is a key ingredient in the world of pageantry! Competing most definitely comes at a price! Having different businesses and organization that are willing to support you during the competition is amazing! In my past three years of competing, there are two businesses that have stood out the most to me, simply through their dedication to this organization and for their amazing support! 

The first business I want to highlight is my current sponsor for the 2012-2013 year! 

Don Small and Sons Oil Company. 

They were my sponsor the very first year I competed and they are my sponsor once again! There is a $500 fee that contestants are required to pay each year to compete,  but what is so great about the Miss Auburn Program and the city of Auburn, is that each contestant is assigned a sponsor who covers this cost for them! Don Small and Sons is the longest sponsor of the Miss Auburn Program! How awesome is that?! WAHOO!!

Aside from their generous contribution, what made them stand out to me so much was how caring and supportive this family was and still is today! The first year I competed, I was able to share with Jeff and Michele (pictured above) about my platform (Human Sex Trafficking: Here in the US). With such an interesting platform, it instantly sparked conversation and I was able to inspire them to also care about this issue. The next year, I was assigned a different sponsor but at the annual sponsors reception Michele came up to me and said that she still remembered me and is always telling people about my platform! Needless to say, I was in complete shock. I really did not think they would remember me, let alone my platform! Awesome right? It gets better! Due to the connection we made my first year, they sent me flowers with a letter of encouragement on the night of the pageant. This small action meant so much to me and makes me smile every time I think about it. 

I am so blessed to have them be my sponsors again this year and am so excited to continue to build a relationship with them! Jeff and Michele are such amazing people and I consider myself very lucky to have them in my lives! As I said before, they and their family are one of the most support group of people I have come across. 

The other business I wanted to highlight is 

Turning Point Studio

Turning Point Studio is a personal training fitness center located in down town Auburn! Each year, they host a "pageant boot camp" which is open to all contestants. Last year, I was the winner of this boot camp and was the recipient of a $100 scholarship! 

As I mentioned in my first blog post, I was Miss Liberty and in my preparation to becoming Miss Liberty I was fortunate enough to get to work with Jon! He helped me get in great swimsuit shape! An element of competition, that is most definitely not my favorite!

Now what made TPS stand out to me, was that their support did not stop once I became Miss Liberty! I worked with them up until Miss Washington where I was in tip-top shape, the healthiest I have ever been! Jon pushed me to my limits and helped me get "chiseled!" Some days, I hated him because the next day I could barely move! Haha, but in the end it all paid off! 

If you have any fitness goals that you wish to accomplish with the best support team by your side, I highly encourage you to work with any of the trainers at Turning Point Studios. They will make sure that your dreams become a reality!

World Peace and Puppies!

Before I continue with more posts, I need to tell you about a very important aspect of pageantry. My platform!! For those of you who have no idea what this is, it is an issue or topic of our choosing that we want to support. My platform is no where near the typical pageant platform, but it is most definitely one that needs to be addressed.

Human Sex Trafficking: Here in the US

Human Sex Trafficking is the buying and selling of people for the sex trade, and often times the people who are being sold are not involved by choice.

No, this is not a glamours topic nor a very happy one. But the sad truth, is that this horrid lifestyle is the reality for over 10 million children world wide! 

I chose this topic because the Miss America Organization is all about women empowerment. I couldn't think of a better place to bring this issue. The first few years I competed, I discussed just human sex trafficking in general, but as I went out and spoke with different groups I realized how uninformed citizens of the United States were. I realized that this is something that the people need to be educated on because this crime is happening right here right now!

Sadly, worldwide human sex trafficking generates $32 billion a year, and over 1/3 of that (9.5 billion) comes from the United States alone! The Emancipation Proclamation was created in 1863 and that was supposed to bring an end to slavery, and it is 2013 and this is still an issue. I find it so sad and so sickening that a country that is supposed to be the land of the free has such a presence in this crime.

The city of Seattle is ranked 3rd highest in the nation with anywhere from 500-700 minors being trafficked through the streets on a weekly basis. Seattle is only 30-45 minutes away from where I live and it is so scary to think that something so horrible is occurring in my state! 

However, there is a light at the end of this very dark tunnel, the state of Washington is leading the way in combating this fight! We currently have the strongest laws and punishment in place and the government has set aside millions of dollars to properly train our police force on this issue.

On a happier note, I am please to announce that if I am fortunate enough to receive the title of Miss Auburn that I will be partnering with Compassion2One!

They are a national organization that is located in Seattle who are dedicated to helping end the fight against modern day slavery. There mission statement says the following: 

"To rescue children from around the world from slavery exploitation and provide rescued victims the life of safety and joy every child deserves."

I am so excited about this partnership and the things to come. Check out their website for more information!

www.compassion2one.org

Here we go....

I have been thinking about creating this blog for a while but have been hesitant, simply because I really have no idea what I am doing....But I have decided to give blogging a try, so here we go! Achieve the Dream is about my journey to becoming Miss Auburn and to give you the inside scoop on what it's all about! 

If I had to choose between Miss Auburn and being Miss America, I would choose Miss Auburn time and time again! I first became involved in Miss Auburn when I was 8 years old. I was a little sister for two years and that is when i decided that I wanted to become Miss Auburn. It is now 11 years later and I want to achieve this dream more than ever!

Last year I was fortunate enough to be the first-runner up in the Miss Auburn program which helped me qualify to compete in a sweeper pageant (all runner-ups and past title holders are able to compete here). It was at that pageant where I won my very first local title! I was Miss Liberty!!!!

With this title, I was able to compete at Miss Washington! It was during this journey that I was able to experience the true spirit of the city of Auburn first hand. They supported me completely throughout my reign  by welcoming me with arms wide open at different events and appearances that I attended with the current Miss Auburn and Miss Auburns Outstanding Teen! 

What truly surprised me was that not only did they support me at events,  but that they also supported me financially which was a huge blessing! The path to Miss Washington is not a cheap one, and I will never be able to express my gratitude to this city for their kindness.  With the generous contributions of many people, I was able to get my dream dress! In fact.... I am even going to be wearing it at Miss Auburn this year to show my appreciation! 

It is without a doubt, that the City of Auburns slogan rings true, because they really are "more than you imagined!" And it is my hope, to be able to represent this amazing city as your next Miss Auburn 2013! I hope you all enjoyed my very first blog post and will check back soon for some updates!