A Warning to Teenagers Before They Start Dating
"Start Strong Idaho, a program of the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, works with experts in health and youth programming. It also enlists students who have overcome abusive relationships — an umbrella term for emotional, physical or sexual violence.
They include Laura Hampikian and Sara Hope Leonard. Each girl longed to escape family turmoil by creating what she imagined would be a stable romance.
Ms. Hampikian is now 20 and a confident college sophomore. But in the eighth grade she turned her life over to the bottomless neediness of her boyfriend, who threatened suicide if she left him, began cutting himself, and told her about his family’s violence. She did not realize she was slipping into a fog, detaching from her friends. Pleading with him on the phone nightly until 3 a.m., she believed it was her responsibility to keep him alive.
Ms. Leonard, 17, is a vibrant high school senior. But a few years ago, when her family was living in California, she did anything to please her bristling, possessive, ninth-grade boyfriend.
When her family moved to Boise, Ms. Leonard was so desperate to hold onto her boyfriend that she had them split a set of handcuffs and each wear half, symbolizing their attachment. She obeyed his rules: no giving out her number to boys; no group dates. She completely isolated herself in her new city.
It took both girls a year to extricate themselves from the relationships. When Ms. Leonard graduates from college, she plans to counsel sex-trafficking victims. Ms. Hampikian has been speaking out about healthy teenage relationships as a contestant in the Miss Idaho pageant."
You can read the full post here.
They include Laura Hampikian and Sara Hope Leonard. Each girl longed to escape family turmoil by creating what she imagined would be a stable romance.
Ms. Hampikian is now 20 and a confident college sophomore. But in the eighth grade she turned her life over to the bottomless neediness of her boyfriend, who threatened suicide if she left him, began cutting himself, and told her about his family’s violence. She did not realize she was slipping into a fog, detaching from her friends. Pleading with him on the phone nightly until 3 a.m., she believed it was her responsibility to keep him alive.
Ms. Leonard, 17, is a vibrant high school senior. But a few years ago, when her family was living in California, she did anything to please her bristling, possessive, ninth-grade boyfriend.
When her family moved to Boise, Ms. Leonard was so desperate to hold onto her boyfriend that she had them split a set of handcuffs and each wear half, symbolizing their attachment. She obeyed his rules: no giving out her number to boys; no group dates. She completely isolated herself in her new city.
It took both girls a year to extricate themselves from the relationships. When Ms. Leonard graduates from college, she plans to counsel sex-trafficking victims. Ms. Hampikian has been speaking out about healthy teenage relationships as a contestant in the Miss Idaho pageant."
You can read the full post here.
Miss Magic Valley Teaches Kids About Bullying Awareness
Deidre Edmunds, Miss Magic Valley 2011 spoke to Sawtooth Elementary School students on Friday morning. She's teaching the importance of standing up and stamping out bullying.
Edmunds chose bullying as her platform for the Miss Magic Valley competition. A lot of it is based on personal experience. "When I was younger, I was bullied a little bit, but I didn't really realize what it was, I didn't feel the need to tell anyone and bullying has increased hugely in Idaho," says Deidre Edmunds, Miss Magic Valley 2011. Edmunds' goal is do a presentation in each of the schools within the Twin Falls School District.
To see more, click here.
To see more, click here.
10-3-2011
The Miss Idaho Organization announced today that Tami Urquhart has been named the Executive Director of the Miss Idaho Organization.
Urquhart has been involved with the Miss Idaho Organization since 2002 and has worked in multiple positions on the board ranging from a parent volunteer to serving as the Co-Executive Director of the Miss Idaho Outstanding Teen Program.
In addition to serving on the Miss Idaho Board Urquhart has judged local and state pageants in Oregon and Washington(winner went on to be 3rd RU in the Miss America Outstanding Teen Pageant).
Urquhart was named the volunteer of the year for the state of Idaho in 2010.
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9-28-2011
The Miss Idaho Outstanding Teen Scholarship Program announced today that the 2012 Miss Idaho Outstanding Teen Pageant will move to Idaho Falls for a week of activities and preliminary competitions, culminating in the final pageant night held at the Civic Auditorium on Saturday, March 31, 2012.
In 2005 the Miss America Organization created the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Program to encourage positive achievement by helping to nurture and build the scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement of our nation’s youth. This also made it possible for girls ages 13-17 to begin earning scholarship money for college. In those 7 years the Miss Idaho Outstanding Teen Program has been able to award over $25,000 in scholarships at the state level and Idaho representatives have been awarded over $47,000 at the national level.
"We are so excited to be having the pageant in Idaho Falls this year," said Jaylee Patterson, Executive Director for the Miss Idaho Outstanding Teen program. "We have seen firsthand the community support for young ladies that have represented Eastern Idaho over the past 7 years and feel that Idaho Falls will be a welcoming community to have us."
Competitions include interview, talent, evening gown/on stage question, fitness and scholastic. If you are interested in competing for scholarship money in the Miss Idaho Outstanding Teen Pageant please see www.idahooutstandingteen.com for more information.
The winner will go on to represent Idaho at the Miss America Outstanding Teen pageant in Orlando Florida in August of 2012. Previous representatives are 2005 Amanda Workman from American Falls, 2006 Genevieve Nutting from Boise, 2007 Cassidy Bronson from Ammon, 2008 Dani Beckstrom from Eagle, 2009 Carley Campbell from Meridian, 2010 Katy Lootens from Marsing and 2011 Melanie Ross from Idaho Falls.
A component that sets the Miss America Outstanding Teen Program apart is the personal platform that each contestant works with in her community. Each year thousands of hours of community service and dollars are raised to benefit organizations and programs by teen participating in the Miss America Outstanding Teen pageant.
Full list of pageant activities and ticket information will be forthcoming.
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