It's not "Farewell" it's a "See ya later!"

A few months ago I passed on the title of Miss California Teen to the beautiful Kirsten Bangs. Now that I finally have a chance to look through all of the photos, I realized how completely lucky I was this past year. Not only did my dream of representing National American Miss come true, but I got to experience this year with the best people in the world by my side. My sister queens, friends, NAM staff, and of course, my family, made this year one for the books. I have grown so much this year, and I had such wonderful opportunities that would not have been possible without the blessing of my National American Miss title. Thank you to everyone who has followed this blog- I have had so so much fun keeping y'all updated on my amazing and crazy year! In fact, I enjoyed writing this so much that I will continue on my personal blog launching in early 2015! Feel free to check in and see what I've been up to... recently I've put on a new kind of tiara (; And of course, connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

My Farewell

Crowning my successor!

For all of you who are considering competing in NAM, I am always here to answer any questions! I may have passed on my title, but my love for this organization and those who are competing in it will never fade.

For the final time- thanks for reading!
Xoxo,
Jane Kennedy
NAM Miss California Teen 2013

Relay for Life San Ramon

Relay for Life has been a huge part of my life for the past 17 years. I had the privilege of speaking at Relay for Life San Ramon this year- and of course I took the opportunity to walk a few laps as well! The beautiful Miss East Bay Cities, Felicia Stiles, joined me and even though it was sooo hot, we still had a great time! Thank you to the Relay committee for putting so much time and effort into such a wonderful event!

Walking laps with Felicia!

Saw my beautiful friend Jessie volunteering at Relay!

Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory

One of my favorite things to do is go camping- and through my Honors seminar this quarter at UCSB I got to do just that! With eleven other students, two professors, and fourteen grad students, we set off for the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory. We spent the weekend hiking around, doing water tests, and learning about how water is transported to Los Angeles. It was an amazing trip and I was so lucky to get to go!

Tree Huggers!

In front of Half Dome in Yosemite.

Waterfalls in Yosemite!

Is that snow?!

End of the Year Desk Attendant Dinner

This year I had the opportunity to work at the front desk of my residence hall at UCSB. It was an amazing job and I loved getting to know the residents of the building as well as work with an awesome group of students! Last night we enjoyed a celebratory dinner at Jane Restaurant in Downtown Santa Barbara- great name right? The food was amazing and I had such a nice time with all of my coworkers!

Thanks for reading!

Xoxo,

Jane Kennedy

NAM Miss California Teen 2013

Dance Marathon 2015

Hi everyone!
As you may have read about in March, I had a blast at the first ever UCSB Dance Marathon Event. In fact, I had so much fun that I applied to be a part of the Executive Board to get involved with planning for next year! I am so excited to be the Co-Director of Greek Relations for 2015! I am stoked to get the Greek community involved with this amazing organization and work with this team of incredible, passionate, and fabulous board members! Check out this video to meet the Dance Marathon Executive Board for 2015:

Thanks for reading!

Xoxo,
Jane Kennedy
NAM Miss California Teen 2013

Questions for NAM State Contestants

Are you competing in a National American Miss pageant this summer? The Northern California queens have answered some of the most common questions that we have received during open calls for you! Thank you Lilyanna McCurdy, Lyndsey Tillinghast, Taylor Longbrake, and Marissa Monahan for all of your great advice!

As Open Call season is in full swing, I'm getting asked a lot of questions about my preparations for NAM state competition. So I enlisted my sisters, and we're here to answer the most frequently asked questions that we get. Here we go!

Answering questions are Lilyana McCurdy (Junior Pre-Teen), Lyndsey Tillinghast (Pre-Teen), Taylor Longbrake (Jr. Teen), Jane Kennedy (Teen), and Marissa Monohan (Miss).


How long have you been competing in pageants?

Lily:  I have been competing for 5 years in the National American Miss pageant system. It is the only pageant I have ever done and I LOVE it, I will compete until I age out!
Lyndsey: Three years!
Taylor: My mom put me in my first pageant when I was 18 months old! She was a pageant girl herself, a former Miss Garden Grove, so when she found out she was having a girl she couldn’t wait to put me in pageants. I competed in NAM for the first time when I was 10 years old as a Jr. Pre Teen, and I instantly fell in love with the organization! 
Jane: I started competing in 2012- so 2 years!
Marissa: I've been competing in pageants for 9 years.

All of the NorCal sister queens!

How did you prepare for NAM?

Lyndsey: I spent a lot of time with my sister practicing my walk and going over questions. We'd practice so much that wearing heels started feeling normal.

Taylor:  Try not to over-prepare because NAM is all about having fun and being yourself! I start by saying my Personal Introduction as much as possible, by myself and with my family and friends. I also practice walking in my gown and heels to make sure that everything fits right and that the shoes are easy for me to walk in! I downloaded the Formal Wear music to my phone so I could really imagine myself walking on the NAM stage. 

Jane: I started looking for my wardrobe early, because looking great can do wonders for self-confidence on pageant weekend. I spent hours on the internet looking for interview questions, and then practicing with my mom, my dad, and my friends. It took me hours to write my personal introduction, because I wanted to create something that showcased my personality while outlining my accomplishments. Finally, I practiced walking in my heels to perfect a smooth and elegant walk!
Marissa: I use my driveway as a stage and cones/trash cans as the judges. I practice formal wear for about an hour, than start thinking of the three things I will go into interview with and prepare myself for interview

Taylor Longbrake's Crowning Moment

Do you have a good luck charm for pageant weekend?

Lily: I do, I have two, I have a diamond bracelet, and for some reason it loses a diamond every year during pageant, and I have a gold ring that my Mom and Dad bought me on our vacation at Disneyland. It has my initial "L" on it in cursive. I pinned it to my dress under my contestant number so it wouldn't show and my parents and I would be the only ones who knew I had it. It worked because I won Jr. Pre-Teen Queen!

Lyndsey: My good luck charm has always been my family. No matter what I'm competing in, just having them there boosts my confidence. 

Taylor: My dad always gives me a silver dollar before the competition, and I hide it in my shoe! It is a little uncomfortable, but it is a constant reminder of the support and love of my family. 
Jane: I was so blessed because I had a bunch of my friends come out and support me at the state pageant. For all of them to drive so far to cheer me on made me even happier than winning! When I competed at Nationals I got tons of text messages and photos from my friends and family watching on the U-Stream back home, so that was a huge highlight of the experience. Support really is everything!
Marissa: I used to where I was younger, which was a white and pink stuffed dog, but no, not anymore.

 It takes a village to make a queen

How did you find the "perfect" dress?

Lily: How I finally found a dress was, my Mom and I looked online for a really long time, I looked at colors and designs and picked the ones I thought were the prettiest, finally I had 4 dresses that I wanted and I wrote them down, put them all in my Dads hat and I picked one out. I picked the one I wanted the most, it was called cotton candy!

Lyndsey: Finding my dress took a long time but when came across the perfect one it was my dad who called it. He said " that Is the winner!", so we chose the one and here I am! (:

Jane: Finding my dress for Miss California Teen 2013 was quite the journey. I spent months searching for the perfect dress, but I couldn't find anything that I loved. In early June, my mom and I went to Australia to visit our friends and family, and we found a dress shop in Sydney that looked promising. As soon as I saw my white dress, I was in love. (I think I might have even teared up a little bit when I put it on.) We brought it back home and now not only do I have a unique dress, but there's also a great story behind it as well!
Marissa: I take my dad with me, and you know it's the gown when his face lights up. (He hasn't proven me wrong yet)

NorCal Queens in their winning dresses

How did you raise the money to compete?

Lily: I didn't do any fundraising, we just paid the fees on our own.

Lyndsey: To help compete this year I started raising money by having garage sales and asking family for support.

Taylor: My family members have been my biggest sponsors for NAM. They see how much I love the program, and they all pitch in to support my dreams. 

Jane: I spent time going around to friends and family and letting them know how important NAM is to me. I've been blessed with an incredibly supportive family, and they made it possible to compete!
Marissa: I go to local businesses, explain what I'm there for, and explain about the pageant.

Taylor and Lilyanna celebrate after Taylor's crowning

What is your favorite part about pageant weekend?

Lily: My favorite part about pageant weekend is getting to meet new friends and seeing my friends from when I was a Princess, also the pajama party on the first night, because we can act silly and play and dance on the stage.

Lyndsey: My favorite part of pageant weekend is always rehearsals because making friends during pageant weekend is always the best! Just knowing that you have other people to support you, and you support them in return is great.

Taylor: I absolutely love meeting all of my fellow contestants! We have so much fun at the party and the rehearsals, and we end up walking away from pageant weekend as best friends! It is great being able to meet girls from all over the state, and then keeping in touch with them even after the competition is over. 

Jane: I love meeting all of the girls! NAM brings together some of the most accomplished girls in the state, so being in one place with all of them is inspiring. I have made some incredible friends through NAM!
Marissa: Meeting new friends! Meeting the judges, and making new friends (:

Making friends is the best part of the NAM experience

Who inspires you the most?

Lily: My Attah and PaPa, because they take care of me when my Mom and Dad are working, and they cheer me on pageant weekend and my cheer competitions, they always tell me great job and how well I did even if I I stumble on my introduction or if I fall at cheer! I love them so much!!!!!

Lyndsey: Many people inspire me to always try my best, but when I'm competing I prefer not to compare myself to other successful women in the past and to think about my self and how everything I've done has led to this moment and what I will do to achieve my own personal greatness.

Taylor: My little sister, Maddie, inspires me every day! She had a seizure disorder, but continually overcame every obstacle she faced. She is going on almost 3 months seizure free, and I am so proud to call her my sister! 
Marissa: Who inspires you the most? Dani Walker and my dad. Without them, I don't know where I would be.

What have you gained from competing in pageants?

Lily: What I have gained competing at NAM was, even if you don't get what you really want, you should never give up on trying, they make me feel confident even if I lose a competition.

Lyndsey: Through competing in pageants I have gained a lot of confidence and more experience in my speaking skills.

Taylor: I have gained so much from pageants! They have given me the confidence to pursue my dreams, the poise and skills that I will need later in life for job or college interviews, hundreds of friends from all across the country, and they have truly made me the young woman that I am today. 

Jane: I have gained valuable communication skills, and as a freshman in college I have two jobs that I couldn't have gotten without the interview practice that NAM gave me. I have also been able to meet people from all over the country and help in a variety of service projects. This year has been absolutely phenomenal and I am so lucky to represent NAM!

Marissa: SO MUCH! Where do I start?! From my poise, to talking in front of an audience. I think being in pageants has shaped me into the girl I am today.

Jane and Lyndsey- "California Girls"

What is the best advice you have been given?

Lily: To always do my best and never give up, and keep dreaming because anything is possible. That's why I have my favorite quote on my bedroom wall above my bed. "A successful journey is a dream out of your reach, but not impossible to grab." My Mom and Dad tell me, if you can't reach your dream now, don't give up, keep working hard, and one day I'll be able to reach all of my dreams and make them come true!

Lyndsey:  The best advice I have received is to never doubt myself because if I rethink what I'm capable of I tend to psych myself out. By believing in myself I automatically do better.

Taylor: My dad constantly says, “water off a duck’s back”, whenever I feel sad or stressed out. Ducks have this oil in their feathers that keeps the water from sticking to them. Right when they come up from underwater, the water just slides off their back. So, when my dad says that it is a reminder for me to let go of all the things that are holding me back. 

Jane: Be the best you! It can be so easy to look around and compare yourself to other people, but your real competition is yourself. Knowing that no one else is "Jane Kennedy" makes it easier for me to be my genuine self and let my personality shine! 
Marissa: Just be yourself, it takes you further than you know.

UCSB Dance Marathon 2014: Dancing for Those Who Can't

Last night we made history as the first ever Dance Marathoners at UCSB! It was a night full of music, live entertainment, games, crafts, food, and of course dancing!

Dance Marathon is a nationwide charity dance event, where university students stay on their feet for a specific amount of time and dance "for the kids." It takes place at over 150 schools, and has raised over $100,000,000.00 for children's hospitals across the nation! I was so excited to hear that UCSB would be starting a marathon of their own this year, and I joined the "Real G.T.A" team with a bunch of other UCSB tour guides. Our team actually raised the most money at the event, so way to go G.T.A!

Jess and I before DM began!

Repping DG and APhi at Dance Marathon!

Amanda and I won South Coast Deli gift cards in a game wooo! 

My dance buddy, Jess and I! 

Check out those fluffies... Haha!

THE REAL G.TA. DOMINATED DANCE MARATHON

Dancing the night away!

Two hours left and the dance floor was hopping 

Me, Jess, and Irene taking a breather

We raised $12,791- more than doubling our goal and the
 average of first time Dance Marathons on College Campuses!

Nope... I'm not getting up.

Thank you to everyone who planned the event. You pulled off an incredible feat and it was an amazing experience! I can't wait for next year(:

If you want to learn more about Dance Marathon or Children's Miracle Network, visit their websites:
http://dancemarathon.com/
http://childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org/

And of course, be sure to connect with me on social media!
Twitter @janekennedyy
Instagram @janekennedyy

Thanks for reading!!
Jane Kennedy
NAM Miss California Teen 2013

Oxnard Open Call

On February 25, I had the opportunity to attend the Oxnard Open Call. I had such a great time meeting girls from the Santa Barbara and Oxnard area, and sharing my National American Miss experience with them.

During the Open Call, I had the opportunity to talk to many of the girls who were interested in the program. I got a lot of questions about NAM and competition tips, so I put together some "FAQs" and sent them out to my sister queens! Be on the lookout for an article in the next few weeks with answers to the most common questions we get as State Queens!

Thanks for reading!

Xoxo,
Jane Kennedy
NAM Miss California Teen 2013

Back to the Bay!

Hi everyone!

I got back recently from a wonderful weekend in the Bay Area!

After a wonderful drive home with my favorite people, I was so excited to be back home for the first time in 6 weeks! I made it home on Valentine's Day, so it was so nice to be reunited with the people I love back home!

Saturday was a busy day. I got to enjoy a delicious breakfast with my family before running around Walnut Creek to complete a myriad of errands. Later that afternoon, my grandma (Nomi) and I drove out to the Oakland Airport to pick up my Jr. Teen sister, Taylor Longbrake, for a very eventful weekend!

We went straight to the Miss East Bay Cities 2014 pageant, where one of my closest friends, Felicia Stiles, was competing. The pageant is a prelim to Miss California and eventually Miss America, so it was really exciting to watch! I got to see many of my favorite "pageant land" people there, which was wonderful.

I love running into Heidi- she's so fabulous!

Always lovely to see Beezie!

Then it was showtime! We watched 28 beautiful, talented young women compete in talent, swim wear, formal wear, and onstage question. My favorite part of Miss America is the talent competition, and there were a fantastic variety of talents at Miss East Bay Cities. We saw everything from ballet, to jazz, to monologues, to tae kwon do, to breathtaking vocal performances. Felicia was amazing and it was exciting to watch her "do her thing" onstage.

Finally it was time for crowning, and our fabulous Felicia came away with Top Talent, Top Swimwear, Top Formal Wear, and Top Interview awards (if you're counting, that's every competition). We were ecstatic when she was announced as the new Miss East Bay Cities 2014! Congratulations Felicia- I am so proud of you!! I can't wait to watch you at Miss California this summer!

Felicia Stiles is Miss East Bay Cities 2014!

Celebrating with the new queen!!

We were up bright and early the next morning to get ready for our photo shoot at the Castello di Amorosa in Napa, California. When we drove up the driveway, I was stunned by the beauty of this castle in the middle of wine country. Sidney Ricks was our fantastic photographer. (Side note, Sidney is completely awesome. He did a beyond stellar job photographing us and we were so lucky to work with him!)

Exploring the castle!

My first location was at the bottom of a wooded gulch. Yes, that entailed hiking down a muddy hill and climbing over mossy rocks to get to the "perfect shot" as photographer Myckle put it. I can't wait to see how the photos turn out!

We took some group photos in our sundresses, and then we all changed into formal gowns for more photos. Since there was a bit of downtime between our individual photos, we got to explore and spend time taking our own "fashion shots." Shout out to Lyndsey- she's practically a professional haha!

I love my Lily!

Cheez-its = Life

Aww it's a sister sandwich!

Taking photos- look at that castle!! So beautiful! 

Thank you Sidney Ricks- you rock!

Sister sisters!

I love making new friends!

I love taking photos in formal gowns because I love how elegant all of my sisters looked!

Love this photo!! One of my favorites!

Stepping it up in our formal gowns!

After 5 straight hours of shooting, with only a box of Cheez-its to sustain us, everyone was ready for some lunch. We got delicious hamburgers at Gott's Roadside in Calistoga- so so yummy! After that it was time to say goodbye to Lily and Lyndsey. I love these girls and spending time with them is always so much fun, so saying goodbye is a struggle.

Until next time!

Then Taylor, Nomi, and I headed back home with high hopes of making cookies and watching the ice skating competition. Taylor and I made scrumptious chocolate chip cookies, and enjoyed eating them as we watching Olympic Ice Dancing. Taylor is so fab, and it was so much fun spending the weekend with her!

Mmmm cookies!

Early early early the next morning, we packed up the car and took Taylor to the airport. Last weekend when we said goodbye, I knew that I would be seeing her literally 6 days later, but this weekend was different because I don't know when we'll be together again!! I hope it's soon because I love spending time with my sister!

I went back home to pack up by bags and prepare to return to school. While I'll miss the homemade meals and showering without flip flops, I always love returning to school because it truly has become a second home to me.

Well that sums up my weekend! I had the time of my life with my sisters and hopefully I'll be seeing them at open calls coming up soon!

Speaking of Open Calls... If you want to compete in National American Miss, an Open Call is the best place to start! Open Calls give potential contestants the opportunity to get to know NAM, see a presentation, meet current titleholders, and practice interview! I'll be at the Oxnard Open Call on February 26. I hope to see you there!

The dates for NorCal Open Calls have not been released yet- but as soon as they are I will let you know which ones I will be attending! I'm hoping to make it to at least a few of them!

Okay so that's all for today! Be sure to follow my social media: Instagram @janekennedyy and Twitter @janekennedyy.

Thanks for reading!!

Xoxo,
Jane Kennedy
NAM Miss California Teen 2013