Miss Idaho 2013 || Week Two
I have the best news! My Miss America paperwork is finally turned in! After many days of filling out every question you could possibly think of, filming videos, and taking photos, it's finally turned in.
My focus is now shifting to making appearances and getting all of my preparations ready for Miss America (which might be more work than all of those forms!) I also get the pleasure of attending local pageants, and Miss Magic Valley was this past Saturday. I had a great time meeting all of the contestants and watching Emma Humphries and Sierra Sandison win the titles of Miss Canyon Rim and Miss Magic Valley. The teen winners were Mariah Thornquest and Sarah Christensen as Miss Canyon Rim and Miss Magic Valley's Outstanding Teens. This program is truly amazing - I was able to attend last year and it just keeps getting better. The set was amazing and so was the production. And a big congratulations to their director, RoseAnna Holliday, for her 20 year anniversary of being crowned Miss Idaho 1993!
I am so proud of the outgoing titleholders for their incredible year of service - thank you Kalie Wright, Emily Hosman, Sierra Norman, and Macy Urrutia! This Thursday I will be heading to Idaho Falls for the Miss Idaho Falls program where Kaitlyn Anderson, Kayli Schwendiman, and Aubrey Campbell will be passing on their titles. The show starts at 7pm; be sure to come out and support our contestants!
Now that I've had some time to reflect on Miss Idaho week and what lies ahead, I feel grateful and joyful. My goal for my year as Miss Idaho as a few parts. First comes Miss America. I am putting my whole heart into preparing so I will be the best Sarah I can be in Atlantic City. I want to make friends, have the time of my life, and take time to soak in all the events that take place. If I do not win, I will come back to Idaho and spend the year reaching out to the community, promoting my platform, and revving up our local programs. If you know young women who are looking for scholarship, recommend them to our program!
I'm looking forward to working with the board on wardrobe, interview, walking, talent, and all of the small details it takes to go to nationals. I also get to see Abby Bitzenberg, our Miss Idaho's Outstanding Teen, compete in just a few weeks in Orlando. Be sure to keep an eye out for a detailed post the following week that talks about Miss America Orientation. Thank you to some of our sponsors I've worked with so far:
- Taralynn Pugmire -photo shoot and headshots
- Andrea Greenwood - hair for photo shoot and shampoo donation
- Annita from the Edge Counter at Dillards -make up for photo shoot
- Katilyn at Planet Beach Contempo Spa - full year spa membership! Thanks Deidre Edmunds for the connection!
Miss Idaho LOVES her sponsors!!!
Until Next Time,
Sarah Downs Miss Idaho 2013
Miss Idaho 2013 || Week One
I seriously cannot believe it's already been a week since I was crowned Miss Idaho 2013! If time keeps flying this fast, I'll be crowning a new Miss Idaho before I can even blink. After the gathering at Nampa Civic Center after the pageant on Saturday, I went out to IHOP for my "last meal" with my family and friends before starting Miss America preparation. I had a Sierra Mist, fruit cup, and mozzarella sticks...delicious! I was running off so much excitement that I didn't get to bed until about 2am, and the next day was spent transporting my pageant belongings from my mom's house back to my house.
I made a comment on Facebook before I left to Miss Idaho that "Packing for Miss Idaho is equivalent to moving out of my house!" and it's true. So unpacking was like putting my house back together. It was nice to take time to organize and get everything settled, but I ended up having meetings before I could get everything put away, so it took quite a few days!
The first step as Miss Idaho is to meet with the board and set up a plan of all your appearances and
expectations for the year. With Miss America being so close, my paperwork and wardrobe are my main focus for the next few weeks, and I will be heading to Orlando, Florida to see our Miss Idaho Outstanding Teen, Abby Bitzenberg, compete for the national title. While I'm there I will also have Miss America orientation and a meeting with Regalia to see about my competition gown. I have only been to Florida once for about a day, so I am very excited to have the chance to be there for an entire week!
My first official appearance was on Channel 6 News with Bri Eggers, the emcee at Miss Idaho and former Miss Meridian. I was much less nervous than I thought I would be, and the news station was a very relaxed atmosphere. The crew talks and jokes until about one second before the broadcasting starts. I should also give props to the crew because not only do they have to look camera ready everyday, but they have to do it by the wee hours of the morning! That's impressive!
My next appearance was at the Miss Western Idaho Pageant in Weiser on Thursday night. I was the emcee and was able to perform my talent onstage. Abby was there, as well as the reigning queens: Miss Western Idaho Taylor Foote, Miss Three Rivers Bailey Wilson, Miss Western Idaho's Outstanding Teen Sarah Jensen, and Miss Three Rivers' Outstanding Teen Sarah Foote. I was so impressed with all 17 contestants. Congratulations to the new titleholders: Miss Western Idaho Paige Jensen, Miss Three Rivers Laura Haun, Miss Western Idaho's Outstanding Teen Lauren Doty, and Miss Three Rivers Outstanding Teen Marissa Goodwin!
Until Next Time,
Sarah
I made a comment on Facebook before I left to Miss Idaho that "Packing for Miss Idaho is equivalent to moving out of my house!" and it's true. So unpacking was like putting my house back together. It was nice to take time to organize and get everything settled, but I ended up having meetings before I could get everything put away, so it took quite a few days!The first step as Miss Idaho is to meet with the board and set up a plan of all your appearances and
expectations for the year. With Miss America being so close, my paperwork and wardrobe are my main focus for the next few weeks, and I will be heading to Orlando, Florida to see our Miss Idaho Outstanding Teen, Abby Bitzenberg, compete for the national title. While I'm there I will also have Miss America orientation and a meeting with Regalia to see about my competition gown. I have only been to Florida once for about a day, so I am very excited to have the chance to be there for an entire week!
My next appearance was at the Miss Western Idaho Pageant in Weiser on Thursday night. I was the emcee and was able to perform my talent onstage. Abby was there, as well as the reigning queens: Miss Western Idaho Taylor Foote, Miss Three Rivers Bailey Wilson, Miss Western Idaho's Outstanding Teen Sarah Jensen, and Miss Three Rivers' Outstanding Teen Sarah Foote. I was so impressed with all 17 contestants. Congratulations to the new titleholders: Miss Western Idaho Paige Jensen, Miss Three Rivers Laura Haun, Miss Western Idaho's Outstanding Teen Lauren Doty, and Miss Three Rivers Outstanding Teen Marissa Goodwin!
Until Next Time,
Sarah
Miss Idaho 2013 is...
- Miss Idaho 2013, Sarah Downs
2013 Awards and Scholarship
| Sarah Downs: Miss Nampa - Miss Idaho 2013 | |
| Miss Idaho 2013 | $4,500 |
| Bert Parks Award | $350 |
| Lifestyle and Fitness Preliminary Winner | $200 |
| Talent Preliminary Winner | $200 |
| Kaitlyn Anderson: Miss Idaho Falls | |
| 1st Runner Up | $2,400 |
| Best Musician Award | $250 |
| Laura Hampikian: Miss Tri Counties | |
| 2nd Runner Up | $1,400 |
| Lifestyle and Fitness Preliminary Winner | $200 |
| Boise Hunter Homes Business Women of Tomorrow Award | $1,000 |
| State Community Service Award | $1,000 |
| Emily Hosman: Miss Canyon Rim | |
| 3rd Runner Up | $1,200 |
| Talent Preliminary Winner | $200 |
| Kayli Schwendamin: Miss Southeastern Idaho | |
| 4th Runner Up | $1,000 |
| Meg Rowe: Miss Meridian | |
| Top Eleven Semi-Finalist | $300 |
| Fourpoints Award | $300 |
| Interview Award | $300 |
| Kalie Wright: Miss Magic Valley | |
| Top Eleven Semi-Finalist | $300 |
| Boise Hunter Homes Idaho Outdoor Heritage Award | $1,000 |
| Jennah Coray: Miss Rexburg | |
| Top Eleven Semi-Finalist | $300 |
| Bailey Wilson: Miss Three Rivers | |
| Top Eleven Semi-Finalist | $300 |
| Kacie Bitzenburg: Miss Canyon County | |
| Top Eleven Semi-Finalist | $300 |
| Dani Beckstrom: Miss Boise | |
| Top Eleven Semi-Finalist | $300 |
| Sierra Sandison: Miss Pocatello | |
| State Academic Award | $1,000 |
| Rookie Interview Award | $300 |
| Megan Wilson: Miss Gem County | |
| Miracle Maker Award | $300 |
| Shaneka Bono: Miss East Valley | |
| Rookie Talent Award | $300 |
| Tierney Warren: Miss Riverview | |
| Candid Onstage Answer | $250 |
Miss Idaho 2008
Meet Elise Davis,
Miss Idaho 2008!
Talent: Vocal Performance of “O Mio Babbino Caro” by Puccini
Platform: Sharing Strength, Creating Character: Women Mentoring Girls
Favorite memory from competing at Miss Idaho: There are so many memories I cherish from competing at Miss Idaho, so it’s impossible to pick just one! I loved all the girls in my class, and we all had such a good time goofing around back stage during rehearsals. There was also the moment right after I won when I realized my then-boyfriend had driven up to the pageant last-minute to surprise me and was in the audience to see me win.
But my favorite memory from Miss Idaho was the night before the competition when I was alone in the gym at our hotel. I remember working out in the quiet and feeling an overwhelming sense of calm and confidence that I’d never felt before and that I’ve never really felt since. I knew in that moment that I was there for a reason, and that the Miss Idaho Pageant was going to be the beginning of something truly special in my life.
Favorite portion of the competition: The talent portion was the whole reason I started competing in pageants. I grew up taking classical voice lessons and figured I might be able to win a little scholarship money if I could win the talent portion of the competition at Miss Idaho Falls…but I won the whole thing! I always felt like talent was the moment when I really shined and got to show the audience and judges who I was and what I was all about.
Did you meet any great friends at Miss America? From where? I was closest with South Dakota and Wisconsin (we all referred to each other by our state names, as opposed to our real names). We were roommates and teammates on the green team during the “Countdown to the Crown” reality show on TLC.
How has being Miss Idaho influenced your life now? There’s nothing like the confidence that comes from being a Miss American titleholder, and that confidence benefits me both personally and professionally every day! I currently work as brand strategist for Ogilvy & Mather, a worldwide advertising agency with over 450 offices around the globe. I spend the majority of my time building client relationships, leading agency meetings and presenting research and strategy, so the poise, passion and public speaking experience I gained as Miss Idaho has definitely impacted my life for the better!
What lessons did you learn from competing? The two most important things I learned from competing were:
1. When you look the part, you can play the part. I found that looking your best and having the right outfit can make all the difference in feeling confident – whether that’s for an important business meeting or just working out!
2. Never underestimate the importance of preparation. Competing requires you to prepare for a lot of different events at one time: public speaking, performing, physical fitness, etc. I spent more time preparing for some events than others, and I always did best on the events where I put in more time.
What part of Miss America do you look forward to today? Evening gown is my favorite! Onstage question and talent stress me out because not all the contestants perform well during those segments, but competing in evening gown at Miss America is the kind of experience that makes every contestant feel absolutely beautiful, and it shows!
What was it like being Miss Idaho? It sounds cliché, but being Miss Idaho was a 365-day emotional rollercoaster. I experienced some of the highest highs and lowest lows of my life during my year of service. There were definitely days and weeks when I felt lonely and a little lost, but those moments were always followed by a once-in-a-lifetime experience like making a difference with my platform, performing at events around the state, and competing at Miss America that made the whole ride worth it.
What is one story that you love to tell people about your year as Miss Idaho? I love telling people that I was on a reality show! It’s such a ridiculous, random experience. The show was called “Countdown to the Crown,” and it aired on TLC. We lived on the Queen Mary boat in Long Beach Harbor for a month and competed in a series of team and personal competitions. There was a scavenger hunt, obstacle course, dress design challenge, and talent show. If you won a challenge, you got a “golden sash” and were then eligable to be voted into the top 15 at Miss America. My team won two of the challenges and we were all awarded with golden sashes on the final episode.
How has being Miss Idaho influenced your life now? There’s nothing like the confidence that comes from being a Miss American titleholder, and that confidence benefits me both personally and professionally every day! I currently work as brand strategist for Ogilvy & Mather, a worldwide advertising agency with over 450 offices around the globe. I spend the majority of my time building client relationships, leading agency meetings and presenting research and strategy, so the poise, passion and public speaking experience I gained as Miss Idaho has definitely impacted my life for the better!
What lessons did you learn from competing? The two most important things I learned from competing were:
1. When you look the part, you can play the part. I found that looking your best and having the right outfit can make all the difference in feeling confident – whether that’s for an important business meeting or just working out!
2. Never underestimate the importance of preparation. Competing requires you to prepare for a lot of different events at one time: public speaking, performing, physical fitness, etc. I spent more time preparing for some events than others, and I always did best on the events where I put in more time.
What part of Miss America do you look forward to today? Evening gown is my favorite! Onstage question and talent stress me out because not all the contestants perform well during those segments, but competing in evening gown at Miss America is the kind of experience that makes every contestant feel absolutely beautiful, and it shows!
What was it like being Miss Idaho? It sounds cliché, but being Miss Idaho was a 365-day emotional rollercoaster. I experienced some of the highest highs and lowest lows of my life during my year of service. There were definitely days and weeks when I felt lonely and a little lost, but those moments were always followed by a once-in-a-lifetime experience like making a difference with my platform, performing at events around the state, and competing at Miss America that made the whole ride worth it.What is one story that you love to tell people about your year as Miss Idaho? I love telling people that I was on a reality show! It’s such a ridiculous, random experience. The show was called “Countdown to the Crown,” and it aired on TLC. We lived on the Queen Mary boat in Long Beach Harbor for a month and competed in a series of team and personal competitions. There was a scavenger hunt, obstacle course, dress design challenge, and talent show. If you won a challenge, you got a “golden sash” and were then eligable to be voted into the top 15 at Miss America. My team won two of the challenges and we were all awarded with golden sashes on the final episode.