Miss California Teen Crowning Video

I still get nervous watching this! Miracles Happen! 

American Cancer Society Jewel Ball 2013

Happy 100th Birthday to the American Cancer Society! It's only fitting that we celebrate, considering that the ACS is the "official sponsor of birthdays." In the 14 years that I have been involved with the American Cancer Society, I have always been impressed with the caliber of services they offer to cancer patients and their families. A diagnosis of cancer can be bleak for the patient and their loved ones, so the role that the American Cancer Society plays is invaluable.

On September 7, I was invited to the American Cancer Society's 4th Annual East Bay Jewel Ball to hand out cupcakes after dinner. It was amazing to see how many people came out for the event and how much they were supporting the ACS. I even ran into one of my good friends, Miss San Francisco 2013, Heidi Cheung, whose Miss America Platform was the American Cancer Society! It was a fantastic night and I'm so honored to have been a part of it. 

Be sure to check out the American Cancer Society's efforts at www.cancer.org!

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

LEAP into Literacy!

"Literacy Empowers all People"

It has been just over one month since I was crowned Miss California and my title blesses my life every day. I am so excited to unveil my fall project, the LEAP into Literacy Book Drive! The goal is to collect 1,000 books for the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco, which serves 1,000 kids every day all over the city. So take a few minutes to clear off your shelves and bring your extra books to a drop-off point this month!

Our first collection is taking place at:

St. Isidore Elementary School Library from September 12-13

More drop-off times to be announced soon!

If you're interested in hosting a collection, or have a donation please email me at janekennedymisscateen@gmail.com

Marina Labor Day Parade

This morning I had the opportunity to ride in the Marina Labor Day Celebration Parade with my Pre-Teen sister queen, Lyndsey. Since I have always wanted to be in a parade I was super excited- it was even more exciting that I got to represent National American Miss! A huge "Thank You" goes out to Marina mayor, Bruce Delgado, who welcomed us so warmly to his town and even gave us certificates for participating! Thank you also to my mom and Lyndsey's family who all drove out to Marina to support us and cheer us on. After the parade, we attended the festival and got to meet lots of adorable young girls who asked us millions of questions, including "Do you live in a castle?" "Are those real diamonds in your tiara?" and my favorite "Are you real princesses?"

After the festival (and some delicious Marianne's Ice Cream) we headed to my favorite place in the world, the Ocean Avenue beach in Carmel. Lyndsey and I had a blast taking photos in the waves (even though I got soaked). I loved bonding with my sister queen- she is one of the most genuine, intelligent, and kindhearted young girls I have ever met. I am so excited to share this year with her!

Thanks for reading! 

Xoxo,

Jane Kennedy

NAM Miss California Teen 2013

Super Stars Literacy Book Delivery

Today, we delivered more than 350 books to Super Stars Literacy in Oakland. This organization sends volunteers into city schools to encourage literacy and a love of reading in elementary school students. I was first introduced to Super Stars six years ago, when my mom invited me to volunteer at one of their after school events. I fell in love with their mission of service, and I love working with their friendly and enthusiastic volunteers.

We dropped off the books during training week, where 30 volunteers are getting ready to spend the year as advocates for Super Stars in schools all over the city. They were so grateful to receive our donations and were overwhelmed with how many books we had brought in. They even showed me their team cheer! I felt so welcome by their staff and I was more than happy to have chosen them as the recipient for the book donations. 

I hope to return to Super Stars soon and serve as an advocate for their mission of promoting literacy!

For more information on Super Stars, including how to get involved, check out: http://www.superstarsliteracy.org/

Thanks for reading!

Xoxo,

Jane Kennedy

NAM Miss California Teen 2013

See Jane Get Artsy

Today I finally put my Pinterest boards to good use and made dorm decorations. It was partly because I loved the ideas that have been building up on my "College Bound" board, and partly because most of my friends have left for school and I wanted to feel productive.

So... tada!

To make the chevron paintings I used masking tape to make lines across the canvases. Then, I used scissors to cut off the unnecessary tape. I painted two layers over each chevron canvas. As soon as the paint dried, I pulled off the tape and voila!

If you know me, you know how much I love a little sparkle! So the sparkly canvas was a necessity. First, I painted the canvas "Tahiti Blue." Then, I tried to use tacky glue to make the glitter stay, but it was pretty ineffective. So I pulled out the old modge-podge glue and painted a layer above and below the glitter and now the sparkles stay in place and don't get all over the place!

Finally, I saw the "You gotta love..." idea on Pinterest and I thought it was just too cute to not try. I used a pencil to trace the "Love" and then pulled out my sharpies to decorate. There are over 150 words on that canvas, all of them things that I absolutely love.

So there you go- I might still have a month before I leave but I'm already in the college spirit!

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

Month 1 Update!

Well, it's officially been one month since I was crowned Miss California Teen and I am still on cloud 9! It's crazy to wake up every morning and realize that you're living your dreams. I've spent a lot of time this month communicating with different philanthropies and organizations, and planning future projects and events. There are so many cool things coming up and I can't wait to share them all!

Over the past month, I worked at Diablo Day Camp and got to spend one week doing what I love- working with young girls and inspiring them to reach for their dreams. I also organized and donated all of the school supplies collected at the NAM Miss California pageant. I even had the opportunity to return to Foster-A-Dream and help distribute the backpacks to foster children from all around the state!

The month of September is going to be crazy- along with all of my Miss California duties I also have to prepare, plan, and pack for college! I'm also announcing a HUGE project that I can't wait to get to work on! Stay tuned to see where my next adventures take me!

For more updates, follow me on Instagram @janekennedyy and Twitter @janekennedyy

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