Hey!! My name is Lonna and I am your new Miss Thousand Islands!!

This past Saturday, August 11, 2012, I was honored to compete with six other amazing and talented young ladies at the Miss Thousand Islands 2013 pageant.  I feel honored to have been chosen as the recipient of the Deltra Willis Talent award as well as actually winning the title of Miss Thousand Islands 2013 and a chance to journey to Miss New York 2013.  But before I tell you any more about the pageant, let me tell you a little bit about myself...

My name is Lonna, and I was born on October 29, 1989 in Norfolk, Virginia where my dad was stationed with the U.S. Navy.  Very soon after that I moved to a place I call home, Irving, NY.  Irving is about 45 minutes south of Buffalo, right on Lake Erie.  I have spent most of my childhood playing on the beach on the Lake, taking dance classes and singing in any choir that would take me.

My childhood was fairly normal except for a couple things:

1.  My parents were separated when I was a baby (which really is not abnormal to me, I just got extra presents and I also got to travel more)

2.  I watched my mother be involved in a domestically violent relationship

Now I do not mean to tell you the second part for you to feel bad for me or to make this blog sad or very serious but whether I like it or not this event truly shaped who I am.

Later on when I was in high school I found myself in a relationship with a boy who seemed almost perfect except for the fact that he wanted to control everything I did.  At the time, being 15, I didn't see a problem with someone wanting to know who I was with, where I was going, when I would be back and always making me if what I was wearing was "inappropriate." 

I had witnessed physical dating violence but wasn't aware of what verbal and emotional violence was until after I had finally escaped the grip it had on me and was only left with the scars it left on my soul.

For a long time I was very insecure with myself.  I loved singing, dancing, being on stage and just entertaining people in general but I found myself hiding in a crowd; no chance of me trying out for a solo or a role in a musical.  It wasn't until I finally decided to compete in a local pageant that I finally started finding my courage again.  I have been competing ever since, for eight years now, and each time I improve and become more comfortable in my own skin. 

I competed in my first Miss America local in 2010.  I finished as second runner up to Miss Buffalo 2011, Desiree Wiley.  I had such an amazing time that year that I decided to come back and compete again the next year, and it just so happened to be my time.  I won the title of Miss Buffalo 2012 and represented upstate in the 2012 Miss New York pageant this past June.  I had an amazing journey that culminated with Miss New York week.  During that week I met amazing women from throughout the state, was pushed to my physical emotional limits, did my personal best and grew as an individual more than I could have imagined.

It wasn't easy to not make the top ten but I don't give up that easily.  I knew I wanted to go back to Miss New York and I knew I had to start working on it right away.  During pageant week I one of the young ladies I was fortunate to grow close to was Miss Thousand Islands 2011, Allison Carlos.  In getting to know Allie I realized how passionate her local was to making her be the best she could be and on top of that, they simply treated her like royalty!  I knew that if I was going to be successful during my last eligible year of pageantry, it would be with a nurturing and passionate organization like this one.

That brings me to my current story; Miss Thousand Islands 2013.  I feel so blessed to be representing the upstate region at state yet again and I cannot wait to see what this year brings.  I will soon be touring Clayton and the surrounding areas to learn more about my new territory.  I am hoping I can go scuba diving in the Golden Crescent, take a boat tour and go to the zoo.  I will make sure to fill you in when I do all or any of those things!  Until then here are some pictures from this years show!

Me and some girls from In Motion dance studio, where Allison teaches

Me, Katelyn Smith (Miss Empire Rose) and Jesse Ladoue (Miss Western NY)

For more pictures check out our facebook at Miss TI Facebook 

I will leave it at that because all my other blogs are going to look incredibly short compared to this =)  Have a wonderful night!!

Love,

Your Miss TI, 

 

Lonna McCary