PageantLIVE Red Carpet Award of the Week Tykeisha Finney Today's American Woman Elegant Miss

By Tykeisha Finney: I am a fun, intelligent, funny, smart and super friendly 19 years old. I live in Severn, Maryland with my parents Robert (Jr), Shellette, my older brother, sister in law and puppy. I love to go to church, play sports and go shopping. I also love to sing and dance. My goal is to make a difference in our world by ending bullying and spreading my message to be yourself never let go of your dreams...your beautiful inside and out! Never let anyone bully you!  

I started high school at Fort Meade Senior High School. While attending,I was bullied by some kids. The bullies even call me some very mean names and the bullies even went so far as to throwing my lunch away and steal my property!? My mom was not happy and decided to do something about it. I joined a cool club called, Key club where bullying was not accepted. My high school life started to look up and I made a lot of friends. 

Smart and Cool ~ Fort Meade Key Club

I have also enjoyed volunteering, so I began volunteering at a cool community service called Happy Helpers for the Homeless. There I was met the founder, Amber Coffman (she established Happy Helpers at age 10!!)!! 

Tykeisha and Founder of Happy Helpers for the Homeless Amber Coffman

Amber once competed in pageants and I met so many pageant queens I told them about my story they told me I should be in a pageant. Pageantry is real cool sisterhood of caring and accepting young people where bullying is NOT okay. While volunteering, I met Paige Clark of Pageantlive. I became their biggest fan even was given the honorary title of Pageantlive princess for being such a devoted fan. 

Tykeisha and Founder of PageantLIVE Paige Clark

Things were really going well for me and I was very happy until I was beat up in the girls bathroom, was chased down the hallway being called awful names. My senior year I was assaulted in front of everyone by being choked and sent to the hospital. 

If you are a victim of bullying go to stopbullying.gov   There is help!!

Even though I was experience all the bullying in high school I continued to volunteer at Happy Helpers for the Homeless where I met Maryland's Governor Martin O'Malley! What an honor. I was awarded the Governors Volunteer service award, Presidential award for having many community service hours. And so many other awards and Aja Owens Humanitarian Award. Just like me , Aja was a volunteer at Happy Helpers for the Homeless than stopped before end of my senior year.

I had never competed in a pageant. I was invited to compete in today's American Woman National Pageant and after much thought decided to give it a try. I knew people in pageantry were fun, easy to get along with and that is where I wanted to be. I did the necessary admissions paperwork, but had not heard anything official form the pageant until!! I received a special graduation gift from the Today's American Women National Pageant in the mail. Everyone had kept it a secret from me that I being crowned Today's American Women National Teen Ambassador for Invisible and Visible Disability 2014!!!

Today's American Woman Elegant Miss

My whole life in 2014 was better wearing my crown and sash & representing my pageant system. And in year of 2015 in June I went on my very first plane ride that was fun I landed to south Carolina to my first pageant. I met so many awesome fabulous ladies there. I also met my amazing and beautiful Executive Director, Jera Lynn Anders! She's the one who inspired me to come join the Today's American Women National Pageant. She's a very sweet woman ever and I met Michelle Heston of Iowa; Rebekah Bowne Hughes of South Carolina; Amber Marie of Florida; Trinity Nicole Miller of Texas; Alexandra Faith Tyler of Texas and so many more wonderful people.







I have enjoyed myself at my first pageant it was awesome & amazing spending time with my mother & my sister queens and going fun places and being crowned your 2015 Today's American Woman National Elegant Miss. And also in a part of my pageant life ,I have also met Stephanie Mcgrane she visited me from Minnesota to take me out to lunch. I also volunteer at a nursing home with my mom also. Thank you!!

http://www.todaysamericanwoman.com/

Editors Note:  In 2015, Today's American Woman listed as the fastest growing pageant in the World!!

PageantLIVE's Red Carpet Award of the Week goes to National American Miss Pre-Teen Shayla Montgomery

National American Miss Pre-Teen

by Shayla Montgomery

I am a fun, intelligent and super friendly 13 year old. I live in Portland, Oregon with my parents, Chris & Sheila and our two dogs. I love to go to church and play volleyball. My goal is to make a difference in our world by ending bullying and spreading my message to "Be Brave and Be Yourself"!

Around February of 2014, I received a postcard in the mail, it was an invitation to an open call for National American Miss. I remember my dad saying, "Shay, do you want to try pageants?" I wasn't interested. A few weeks later, my dad said "Shay they are having the open call this weekend for the pageant do you want to check it out?" I said sure. I remember my mom being totally against me getting involved, however, she went with me and my dad to the open call. I received a letter in the mail from my state director, Matt Leverton inviting me to the state competition. I didn't take it seriously and did not prepare for my very first pageant. I

had fun. I loved meeting girls and doing casual wear. I placed in photogenic and casual wear and was in the top 10. I was so upset that I didn't win. I know crazy for it being my first pageant and me not practicing. I said I would never do pageants again as we drove home. My parents told me that they were super proud of me and I remember my dad saying to me what do you expect you didn't take it seriously and you didn't practice. The next day I told my dad I am going to go back next year and win. I loved everything about NAM. I loved the staff and I loved the girls that I had build relationships with during the weekend. My dad went crazy and signed me up for several pageants to give me practice. All I could think about was getting back to National American Miss.

Over the next year, I practiced with my dad a lot. Some days I would get frustrated with him because I didn't want to practice. He would remind me of my goal and I would do what he was asking me to do. My dad found another person who could also coach me Netty McKenzie. I worked hard over the year. I won the High Point Queen at my very next pageant which was Regal Majesty. I then went on to another pageant system and not understanding how you compete at Nationals went up an age division to Jr Teen and won state! We thought if we won at state and I turned 13 that I would have to compete at Nationals as a junior teen so my dad wanted me to compete with girls in the next age division. We met Andrea Walters there and I had a few coaching sessions with her. I lived, ate and slept pageants the past year. I worked with all three coaches my dad, Chris Montgomery, Netty and Andrea. Right before state we purchased another dress and I love that the owner, Aaron of Simply Grand by Aaron Michaels says to me "you won state in a David's Bridal gown". Which is true. I laugh at that now. We didn't know anything about pageants let alone where to buy a dress.

My hard work paid off and I remember when I was on stage and they were calling the runner ups and it got down to who they were going to call to be the queen and seeing some amazing girls still standing out of the top 10 and thinking either I got the same place as I did last year which was top 10 or I am about to be queen. When they called my name as the Miss Oregon Pre-Teen tears filled my eyes. I was so excited to represent my state.

My mom obviously came to love NAM. She loved that they had an emphasis on volunteering, that there was not a swimsuit competition and that they believe girls need to dress age appropriately including no makeup in my division. She also loved that I was being able to express myself individually and developing my speaking. I went from being a shy girl last year into a girl who is confident and able to talk to anyone this year.

Winning state I knew I would be going to Nationals and my goal was to win nationals. NAM was all I talked about. I watched Bralyns video of being queen every night before I went to bed. I stopped playing volleyball so I could focus on NAM. Life revolved around volunteering and practicing for nationals. I spent countless hours practicing with my dad. In September, we found Greg Solomon and I began having interview coaching online every week. It was so tiring to be asked question after question after question for an hour straight. There were days I would say do I have to do interviewing today and would be reminded of my goal and gladly I would face-time my coach. Thankfully, I was able to work with Andrea the month before going to Nationals too as she helped me fine tune what I had wrote for my introduction and my spokes-model.

Arriving at Nationals I was excited. I did not feel anxious. I felt I was prepared. I just wanted to have fun and build life long friendships with girls from around the United States. I had a lot of fun touring Hollywood, going to Disneyland, spending Thanksgiving with my family and participating in casual wear and spokes-model as well.

I will never forget the moment I looked on the wall to see who made top 5 in optionals. When I saw my name listed for Spokes-model tears filled my eyes and I fell to the ground. My speech was a personal story in which I was very vulnerable. We were not sure if it was going to be age appropriate for NAM yet I made the decision that I wanted to share for nothing else than to possibly help another girl. We re-competed and then when they called out the runner ups and then said my name as the National Spokes-model I was elated.

The life long memory didn't end there. I continued bonding with some amazing girls and then it came to our finale. I was sad that the week was ending. I had a lot of fun doing our opening numbers. Top 10 was called and I was excited when they called my name. Next they called out the top 5. I began to cry. I was in shock and walking around crying with such joy. I was ecstatic that out of all the girls in our country I was in the top 5. I will never forget the next moments. It was down to Miss Nebraska and me. I reached to hug her and then we held hands. When they called first runner up Nebraska. All I could do was thank God. I held on tight to my crown (my crown fell at state and I didn't want it to happen again) as I walked around thanking the judges and looking out at all of my family who came to watch me from Oregon and all around California.

There have been many who have been against "pageants" and often times it is due to a lack of understanding and thinking it is like toddlers and tiaras. I love to get to explain to them what pageants are all about and that a part of my score comes from volunteer service and then the rest is from my interview score, formal wear and personal introduction. These are core skills that we all need to be successful in life whether it is public speaking or interviewing for a school or a job.

Being queen to me is more than just a crown and a sash to sit upon my shelf. Being queen means that I am a role model to other girls and I am a servant shed my light and love to my community. I strongly feel that if you bring a smile to others or help those in need that you are also bettering your own life. My favorite quote is kind words are short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless by Mother Theresa.

I plan to help spread the message of Continue to Find Kindness across the country to Stop the mean girl phenomenon and revolutionize kindness! Not only is this personally important to me as I was once a victim of bullying it also goes along with my career goal to become a psychologist for children!

You may contact Shayla for appearances at:

shaylamontgomery2015nampreteen@gmail.com

And follow her reign at :

https://m.facebook.com/pages/NAM-Oregon-Pre-Teen/1687451931484837

PageantLIVE's Note:

National American Miss is rated the #1 Pageant System in the United States.  Find out more information at:

http://www.namiss.com/
Unleash Your Potential

Today's American Queen of Queens 2013 Kim Poulin's

Kim Poulin, the reigning Today's American Woman Queen of Queens 2013, joined Stephanie to discuss the challenges she has had to overcome, and how pageantry provided her the inspiration to become the woman she is today.

Kim is a wife, mother, teacher and founder of “TA-DA” Totally Accepting Different Abilities. She lives her platform and uses it to teach others to never stop reaching for their goals. At the age of two, Kim fell into a lawnmower leaving her with serve injuries  For the next three years she lived at the Shriner’s Hospital where she had her left arm reattached (it was mostly pins and plastic under her skin) and her left leg fused straight...causing the left side of her body to grow 1.5 inches shorter than her right side. To this day, she walks with a limp and lives with scaring on both knees and hips from all the painful surgeries and skin grafts.

Skin graft on Kim's left knee

 Even with what Kim went through as a small child things even become more challenging.  When she began school the outside scaring also became inside scaring. Kim was abused by her peers on a daily bases, it went was pushed further than your typical name calling bullying.  Kim remembers one event during Christmas, a few of the bullies started a lawnmower in her front yard and sang “Kimmy got ran over by a lawnmower”. She was called “peg leg”, “gimp”, and “lamer”.  Kim even had a gym teacher who told her not to even bother to dress down if she was not going to run right!!

To complicate matters more, when she was entering middle school at the tender age of 12,  her mother forced her to have reconstructive surgery to her knees. For the next four months she would have to go to school with tissue expander's that looked like breast implants on her knees.The physical pain was nothing compared to the abuse from her peers who would tease her about the “boobs that should be put where she really needed them”.

Kim today scars from the colostomy bag

The challenges did not stop there, at age 14 Kim had two bowel obstructions and a colostomy bag for a period of time.  Just another thing for her peers to tease her about. People would hold their nose and move away from her as if she were a germ.  

One day a new girl at school was talking about different pageants she had won. Hoping to find a friend , Kim attempted to talk to her to hear more about pageants. Instead the girl said “Why do you ask? You could never do a pageant…. You limp”.  Those words went straight to Kim's soul filled with so many other things she had endured. 

Telling her father the story, he decided to put her in the Massachusetts Most Beautiful Teen pageant.  Guess what, Dad was right - Kim finished 1^st runner up.  He was the diamond in the rough and was going to polish it!!  An amazing accomplishment for anyone, and with that, Kim caught the pageant bug.  She FINALLY found a positive outlet that would allow her to go and flourish as a young woman. The more crowns she won, the less the words of her bullies hurt her.  She was finally surround by accepting, caring group of people where age who had the smarts and heart to know real beauty is on the inside not out.

As Kim matured she realized she had to give back.  Pageantry had changed her life and she wanted to help other who are being bullied or have been bullied like her.  At that time, she developed and founded “TA-DA”, Totally Accepting Different Abilities. 

To get her story out, Kim started speaking at schools, hospitals, and support groups about her experiences.  Her platform has now been adopted into part of the Community of Caring lesson as a months worth of anti-bullying lesson every October. October is also Anti-Bullying Awareness Month.  

One person can make the difference and so can you!  If you would like to have Kim make an appearance as a titleholder at your function or be a speaker guest at your event to discuss Anti-Bullying, please contact her:

Kim on Facebook search AllieMay PageantPower or email at PageantPower@yahoo.com or SCPageants@hotmail.com.  

Questions for Kim?  Post them in the comments section of this blog and she will answer them! 

The successful and beautiful, Kim Poulin
Today's American Woman Queen of Queens 2013

Watch the entire interview!