Hey everyone! Thank you for coming to my blog to follow me along my journey to Miss Teen USA, which will be held on July 24th from Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. I am a recently graduated High School student. I attended Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School to study Business Law and Ethics, Management, and Advertising. Throughout the course of my studies, whether it was in my vocational shop or my advanced placement classes, I have been able to discover what it is that I am strong in and what I would later like to pursue. I will be attending Quinnipiac University, in Connecticut, to major in Legal Studies and Public Relations. I hope one day to become an Entertainment Lawyer.

Throughout high school I was a member of both the Varsity Basketball and Varsity Track and Field teams. I always had a love for sports, especially basketball. I played on the varsity team at my high school all four years and this year was the Captain of the team. Being on a team with girls who each have their own unique personalities taught me so much. You learn how to deal with people and become diverse, you learn how to be a team player as well as a leader, and you learn how to properly communicate. Our team always tried to get involved in the community by raising money for the American Cancer Society and holding annual "Think Pink" games. We raised a total of $10,000.00. In addition to playing on the Varsity Basketball team, I also played on town leagues as well as AAU teams to help me condition and stay in shape for the regular season. I put my love of sports to use at The Grafton Youth Basketball Camps hoping to inspire fitness and sportsmanship to aspiring athletes. I volunteered with these camps in the Winter as well as the Summer all four years to better individual basketball skills, improve team building and leadership skills, and provide them with the fundamentals of the sport.

Considering I was studying Business throughout my four years in High School, I took part in many different organizations to further my knowledge in the field of business. I was the President of Future Business Leaders of America, Vice President of DECA, and Director of Marketing for our Entrepreneurship Team of our school's SkillsUSA Chapter. The Entrepreneurship Team that I was for was called EN-V, which was a school based company that myself and three other students created in hopes of improving our environment. Our biodegradable products were sold throughout the school, local community, and other towns throughout Massachusetts. Our tag line was "Teens for Green", and we sold a variety of hand soaps, lotions, cleaners that were eco-friendly. After receiving a Gold Medal at the State competition, we were sent to Kansas City to compete in the SkillsUSA National Champions at Work Competition, where we later earned a bronze medal. The accomplishments I have had in these business leadership and entrepreneurship competitions have rewarded me with scholarships, letters of recommendations, certificates of accomplishment, letters of recognition, and medals. They are ones that have furthered my knowledge not only in the field of business but in life skills.

SkillsUSA also gave me the opportunity to become the ambassador of the Massachusetts Community Service Team "Together We CAN (Cancer Awareness Network)" With this team I have been able to visit Children's Hospitals, donate children's books to hospitals, work with and volunteer with Dana Farber and the American Cancer Society, and work with members of the State House. It has been an opportunity of a lifetime and became a very important part of a my life. It is a cause that I feel strongly about and support with all of my heart. It is about early detection when it comes to cancer and awareness.

I also was a member of the following organizations: Leo Club, Fashion Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Student Environmental Awareness Club, Yearbook Committee, and Aviation Club. I enjoyed being involved in so much because you are able to meet so many different people with different interests. I think it helps shape you as a person when you are able to get involved in many different activities and manage to communicate with everyone on the same level. It says a lot about who you are as a person.

In addition to my involvement within the school, I also was pursuing a career in modeling. My modeling credits include Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City and Couture Fashion Week. I also modeling in Dubai Fashion Week and the Dominican Republic Couture Fashion Week.

I realized you have to make the most out of every opportunity given. I think it is so important to be involved in extra-curricular activities, athletics, academics, and hobbies. I truly believe it helps shape you as an individual and from each activity or sport you're involved in, you are able to learn so much about yourself and what you believe in. You learn morals, life lessons, facts, communication skills, writing skills, and health and fitness advice. Each activity is an adventure and a challenge. But have fun with it and enjoy yourself, so I recommend anyone reading this, to go on out there and do what you love!