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2010 American Woman (Ms Classic Division) Elaine Roecklein Aug. 1, 2010 Story by: Betty Hemby
Four national pageants were held the weekend of July 30-August 1 at the Gaylord National Resort located in National Harbor, Maryland. I had the opportunity to be behind the scene to witness the preparation, camaraderie, comedic antics, which lead up to the suspense and the thrill of victory with the announcement of the new titleholders Alicia Marie Blanks, Rebecca Kellogg, Octavia Lake, and Elaine Roecklein. The Miss Teen of the Nation, Ms. American Woman, Ms. Lady of America, and the Ms. Classic American Woman featured contestants that were focused, accomplished, and high spirited. Alicia Marie Blanks, the new Miss Teen of the Nation is a student at Georgian Court University who received the Presidential Award for Physical Fitness six times. Her ambition is to be an interior designer and eventually create and publish her own magazine. Miss Northern Virginia, Amanda Maher was one of several local contenders at the pageant. The recent Stone Bridge High School graduate was a runner-up for the Teen of the Nation title. Amanda's outlook on life and for the future was optimistic as well as genuine which made her a crowd favorite. The golden state of California teen candidate was Miss San Francisco, Mary-Kate Fitzpatrick, a Mount St. Mary's student and aspiring film editor, producer, and screen writer. Mary-Kate was the overall photogenic winner at the pageant. Rebecca Kellogg, Ms. American Woman attends California State University at Bakersfield and is a young woman on the move. She already has her own non-profit organization called "Random Acts of Kindness and wants to promote the organization in addition to helping others become more compassionate about those around them. Future attorney and humanitarian was runner up Julya Vekstein, Ms. Bethesda, MD. Julya is a law student at the Catholic University of America who believes in inspiring young people to use education to achieve their dreams. From the land of 1000 lakes, Sandy Hang, Ms. Eastern Minnesota works as an optician and is attending St. Paul College. Her plans are to be a successful business women which I think she will very successfull based on her numerous customer service awards. The saying if at first you don't succeed, try try again holds true for the new Ms. Lady of America, Octavia Lake. This was her 6th try at the title and in her remarks; she indicated it was worth the wait. Octavia holds a Masters Degree in Human Resource Management and is currently an Account Executive. The Wisconsin resident wants to show other young women that determination and hard work do pay off. Making up Octavia's Court of Honor were 1st runner up, Ms. Eastern Wisconsin, Coral Dawn Hildebrandt, a Dermatology Nurse who as well as marathon runner. She has run 17 marathons and 14 half marathons. Second runner-up, Carole Clay, Ms. Northern Virginia is a graduate of the University of Memphis and is employed as a CPA. The McLean resident enjoys volunteering in her spare time and spending time with her beautiful daughter. Cynthia Tombros, Ms. SE New York is currently working on her biography while she is performs as an actress. She feels one of her greatest accomplishments has been raising her 10 year old daughter who just happened to be the new Miss Pre-Teen of the Nation. Another sports enthusiast among this group is Ms. So. Wisconsin, Lynn Weilbrenner. She is a teacher and runs 20 miles everyday. Her athletic family is involved in soccer 350 out of 365 days a year. Elaine Roecklein, Ms. Classic American Woman could easily be cast as a beloved character from one of your favorite shows. The Financial Advisor from Silver Spring, MD in addition to promoting her title will keep active and raise awareness of the Polaris Project. First runner-up Doreen Luke, Ms. Central Ohio is very active in her community and has been recognized twice by the Ohio House of Representatives on her community service and advocacy work. She holds a Masters in Electrical Engineering and is the recipient of several achievement, community service, and leadership awards. The Sunshine State brought brightness to the show with second runner-up Rebecca Chandler, Ms. SW Florida. She was the 2004 recipient of the Faith and Courage Award for her work to end domestic violence. Artleen Atwell, Ms. Yonkers, NY is an actress who has traveled extensively in Europe, Africa and the many islands in the Caribbean and enjoys snorkeling. She considers her children and grandchildren her prized accomplishments. Ms. Southern California, Christy Passoth is a Teacher of Seventh Grade Language Arts and Reading who earned her Masters with a 4.0 G.P.A. while working at the same time. She has received countless accolades for her community service involvement and beating some challenges. A small business owner that enjoys living life to the fullest is how to describe Ms. Greater Houston, Sheila Berthelsen. Sheila resides in Katy, TX and is a former Katy Volunteer of the Year. An unusual fact about Ms. Greater Houston is that she is distantly related to Princess Anastacia of Greece and Denmark. Rhonda Howdyshell, Ms. NW Virginia is the Executive Director of the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Habitat for Humanity chapter. Rhonda is also a seasoned photographer. Her photos have been selected to appear in publications that include USA Today, Southern Living Magazine, and the Washington Post. It was indeed an honor to get to know these very accomplished young women, some of whom are beginning their careers and others that are on their second careers. They showed professionalism through the technical glitches, the hurry up and wait moments, and dispelled many of the negative stereotypes you hear about pageant contestants which is what the National Director John Marmas enjoyed. |
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