Tag Archive | kate lynne duncan

She Thinks She Can

This year, 16 incredible women will compete to become Miss Nebraska 2017. 18 hope to become Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen. Every one of them is already making an impact on people and the world around them and for decades, visiting schools has been a constant thread linking generations of contestants.

Classrooms are hotbeds for knowledge and learning; about the 3 R’s, about social skills, about the arts and more. It’s no different when Miss Nebraska titleholders visit schools and share their messages.. but how do you talk to a first grader about the serious issues these women are trying to impact? How do you write a lesson plan about sexual assault, cancer, or in one teen’s case, a chronic health diagnosis?

It’s a challenge Sheridan Blanco has eagerly accepted.

Photo courtesy Jenn Cady Photography

Miss Old West Balloon Fest’s Outstanding Teen 2017 Sheridan Blanco

“One challenge I face everyday is Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis,” Sheridan told me recently. “I have not let this affect or limit what I accomplish.”

Sheridan served as Miss Harvest Moon Festival’s Outstanding Teen last year and competed for Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen. Almost immediately, she jumped back in to try again, winning the title of Miss Old West Balloon Fest’s Outstanding Teen over the summer.

Sheridan crowning

(Side note: Old West Balloon Fest is a huge, annual event in Mitchell, Nebraska. 16+ hot air balloons go up simultaneously to coincide with the historic Old West weekend!)

Sheridan balloon

After the annual ride into the clouds, Sheridan got back to work sharing her story. She focuses on the bigger picture, calling her platform ‘Conquering Challenges.’

“Many challenges people face can be unknown to others,” said Sheridan. “Since we do not know what people are going through, we need to show empathy and be kind to everyone around us to help them through their challenges. I have taken this opportunity to overcome my own challenge and turn it into an opportunity to strive to be a positive role model and an inspiration to others.”

Sheridan National Night Out

Sheridan, a Gering High student and Gering native, volunteers throughout her community at events. Often times, she joins forces with her sister queens in Western Nebraska to make an even bigger impact.

“Pageants bring out the strengths of the young women involved,” said Sheridan. “We may not know each other when we first arrive, but by the end of the competition many of us become very close. Some of my best friendships came from doing pageants. [They] give young ladies an opportunity to present a platform and to represent the values, integrity and scholarship that is an integral part of the pageant process.”

Sheridan and girls

And terrific attributes for a maturing young woman learning more about the world around her. Sheridan has been selected for All-State Band, Doane Honor Band and Chadron Honor Band. She’s a state speech qualifier, and a national DECA qualifier. She has been selected for the All-State Academic Team for Tennis two years running, and is a dancer on the Gering High POMS team. She’s an Honor Roll student, a member of the National Honor Society, and a Best Actress Award recipient.

Sheridan final

“This organization helps young women gain confidence, poise, and public speaking,” said Sheridan. “These are important skills to have for the future no matter what occupational path is taken. The benefits are for a lifetime and provide a remarkable experience.”

One that’s taking Sheridan to Omaha next weekend to once again compete for the state title. No doubt she’ll stop at a few classrooms along the way… which brings us back to that challenge about the message. How do you help children understand the deeper meaning behind the sparkly crown?

“When I go to schools I read ‘The Little Engine That Could’,” said Sheridan. “This way the younger kids can see the challenge that the train faces and how friends around him help him to conquer his challenge of getting up the hill. I usually tell kids that the best way to get through the day is to wake up and be positive!”

Sheridan christmas

She thinks she can, she thinks she can, she thinks she can… and Sheridan Blanco plans to show everyone at Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen.

“The main goal is to do the best you can, have fun, and hopefully win,” said Sheridan. “My mission is to be the best representative for the Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen Organization. It would be a terrific honor to promote this organization and its high standards to other teens across the state.”

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WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SHERIDAN?

CLICK HERE * 2016 * Let’s Dance

For more information about the Miss Old West Balloon Fest Outstanding Teen Pageant or to become a contestant, CLICK HERE to visit their website, or CLICK HERE to visit their site on Facebook! You can also contact Director Cheryl Engelhaupt by email at cengelhaupt@fnbnp.com or by phone at 308-783-2940.

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The Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen Pageant takes place April 21-22 in Omaha, Nebraska.

CLICK HERE for more details, HERE to follow on Twitter, HERE to follow on Facebook. For more information about becoming a contestant, email Director Heather Edwards at heatheraloseke@gmail.com.

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PREVIOUS.. Miss Twin Rivers’ Outstanding Teen 2017 Katy Greene

NEXT.. Miss Twin Rivers 2017 Emma Wilkinson

To read more about this year’s contestants, or the Miss Nebraska/Miss Nebraska’s OT classes of 2014-2016 click the THERE SHE IS link at the top of the page!

The Sound Of Music

Mar2

Right now, I’m writing this blog listening to the film score from The Lone Ranger.

Perhaps you’re asking.. Umm.. what?!?!

You read that right. John Williams radio on Pandora is my go-to when I need to drown out the world.. whether it’s my own thoughts, chatter, or negativity clouding my mind. The violins, the drums, the SERENITY of these symphonic masterpieces help me focus and block out all the distractions trying to make their way in. From this Hans Zimmer soundtrack piping through my earbuds, to Williams’ iconic (and for me, BELOVED) movie soundtracks.. music is my rock in these moments.

CLICK HERE if you need a zen moment.. and check out KETV’s feature on future violinists at the Omaha Conservatory of Music! WARNING–you may DIE of cuteness overload!

Music represents even more for Kate Lynne Duncan, a UNK student and future music teacher. In the soundtrack of her life, there’s a song for every milestone moment and she’s usually working on what will play next. Music is her past, present and future.

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Photo courtesy Jenn Cady Photography

“Music has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Kate told me recently. “I can’t imagine my education, or life, without music and I hope that my future students never have to.”

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It’s that love of performing that led Kate to the Miss Nebraska Organization; she’ll compete for the title in June as Miss Alliance 2016. This is Kate’s third local title within the Miss America Organization, and she also competed as a teenager starting at the age of 14.

“I could not have paid for my first semester of college without the money I received from Miss Nebraska that fall,” said Kate. “More recently, the scholarship money has helped pay off part of my student loan. I have increased my self-confidence, poise, sharpened my interview skills and gained communication skills. I really feel that I can tackle any job interview I encounter.”

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But neither pageants, nor college have just been about building to a final crescendo. When I spoke with Kate last year as she served as Miss Sandhills (click here to read more!) she described the last few years as a metamorphosis in way because of all of her personal growth. Kate is currently in her fourth year at the University of Nebraska Kearney where she is also a member of Alpha Omicron Pi, the Nebraska Association for Music Educators, the Thompson Scholar Learning Community and the National Association for Residence Hall Honorary (Kate is a third year Resident Assistant).

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“I have enthusiasm, positivity, zeal and I encourage those around me,” said Kate. “It may take a little coffee to wake me up, but I strive to put a smile on someone’s face each day.”

Kate credits that drive to a support network including her family, sorority sisters, and her boyfriend, Andrew.

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“I consider my mother to both my role model and one of my closest friends,” added Kate. ” I would not stay sane with my hectic daily lifestyle if it wasn’t for her love, support and guidance. She is always a phone call away and makes frequent 5+ hour drives to see me when I haven’t been able to make it home for a few months.”

Kate also has a close relationship with her father, nurtured by, of course, music.

“Editing my pageant music has become a bonding activity for my father and I,” said Kate. “He knows the technological aspects of the software program, and I just sing through our cutting and help with the fine tuning of the audio.”

But Kate was to spread her music far beyond the Miss Nebraska Pageant; she’s devoted this to her personal platform called ‘Please Don’t Stop The Music: the importance of fine arts education in schools.’

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“I’ve built many connections in my hometown, college town and across the state that will enable me to participate in events and reach out to schools,” said Kate.

So back to John Williams (and by the way, the score from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is now playing).. for anyone who’s never followed it, the Miss Nebraska Pageant is truly MUSIC in a way.. it’s the union of different sounds and styles to create one symphonic masterpiece. This organization highlights women with various backgrounds, talents and visions that when brought together, empower and inspire everyone who witnesses it.

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These women make MUSIC together. And Kate Duncan is on a mission to remind all of us how much the world needs that.

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CLICK EACH LINK to follow Miss Alliance 2016 Kate Lynne Duncan

on FACEBOOK, on TWITTER, on INSTAGRAM

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KATE?

CLICK HERE * 2015 * Madame Butterfly

For more information about the Miss Alliance Pageant, visit FACEBOOK PAGE. For information on becoming a contestant, contact Director Riki Cornish Hunter by email at riki.hunter@farmcoop.com or by phone at 308-430-4355.

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The 2016 Miss Nebraska Scholarship Pageant takes place June 8-11 in North Platte, Nebraska. Learn more on THEIR WEBSITE, FACEBOOK PAGE, or follow ON TWITTER and ON INSTAGRAM.

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PREVIOUS.. Miss Douglas County 2016 Savannah Rave!

NEXT.. Miss Omaha’s Outstanding Teen 2016 Hannah Miller!

To read more about this year’s contestants, or the Miss Nebraska/Miss Nebraska’s OT classes of 2015 & 2014, click the THERE SHE IS link at the top of the page!

Special Feature, Miss Iowa 2014 Aly Olson

Apr23

It’s human nature, picking favorites. We naturally gravitate towards a choice flower, a soda we’ll always buy at the grocery store, the character you follow on that great show (coughcough, Grey’s Anatomy.. Alex Karev..coughcough). For decades now as I’ve watched from home, I’ve chosen favorites on the Miss America stage, too. This year, when the Top 15 names and states were called, this young lady quickly became my FAV.

MISS IOWA 2014 ALY OLSON

(Photo courtesy the Miss Iowa Pageant)

There was just something GLOWING about Miss Iowa on that stage. Her sheer excitement, how genuinely elated she was to represent her state and be chosen in the Top 15, and just simply how stunning she was; that red hair and gorgeous smile just RADIATED into my living room.

(Photos courtesy the Miss America Pageant)

I don’t think I was alone; during preliminary competition, the Twitterverse was all ‘atweet’ about Aly’s vocal performance during talent and she quickly emerged as a social media favorite. Pageant Junkies predicted Aly would be among the Top 5 contestants who could be crowned Miss America. And in the end, when the Top 10 were named and Aly’s name was not among them, pretty sure my moan was echoed by several others watching at my house.

For Aly, the Miss America experience was more than she ever expected.

“I was called 14th of 15 on Sunday night’s broadcast of Miss America. I was shocked when at last I heard ‘Iowa’,” Aly told me recently. “My fellow contestants (I prefer to think of them as sisters) are so intelligent, kind, funny, NORMAL, beautiful and driven. Support from my sisters is an enduring highlight from my Miss America experience, although making it into the Top 12 at Miss America was also more insane than I could have imagined!”

So what next?? Often, I think people (and sometimes titleholders themselves) forget that these young women hold their crowns for a full year, whether they win that next level or not. Aly Olson came home and figured out who she was as Miss Iowa AFTER Miss America.

“I began to say yes to as many opportunities as possible, which blossomed into a remarkable year as Miss Iowa,” said Aly. “I have traveled over 30,000 miles, spoken with thirty schools about my platform of Do One Thing: Diversity Everyday, and performed for hundreds of thousands of Iowans.”

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF IOWANS. Let that sink in for a moment. Hundreds of thousands of Iowans now know there’s a Miss Iowa, who she is, and what she stands for. On November 1 alone, Aly sang the national anthem at the Iowa vs Northwestern football game in front of 67,000 people.

Aly’s been interviewed by television, radio and print reporters across the state and beyond. (Including me! Click here to watch my interview with Aly before she left for Miss America!) She’s been recognized by Iowa’s elected officials as well as businesses, institutions and organizations. All of these things make our program RELEVANT; it shows people why the Miss America Organization MATTERS. It drives publicity not just for Aly and what matters to her, but for every Miss Iowa and local titleholder who follows in her footsteps.

Still, Aly says her proudest accomplishments are more than numbers.

“I have been able to connect with people in special moments, such as visiting a child in a hospital, eating a meal with a family that is hosting me in their community, being welcomed into a variety of cultural organizations, and listening to the incredible stories of life,” said Aly. “The resulting relationships are more inspiring and beautiful than I could have ever expected. I feel lucky to have been touched by so many people in my year as Miss Iowa.”

That time will soon come to a close for Aly as she ends not just one year but a legacy with the Miss Iowa program. Aly also spent a year as Miss Iowa’s Outstanding Teen. That’s at least five years of her life as a teenager and woman devoted to serving others and bettering herself.

“Being Miss Iowa had been a dream of mine for a long time, so it is definitely more sad than I had anticipated to see it nearing the end,” said Aly. “However, I know that there will be many more exciting chapters in my life. I will return to the University of Iowa in the fall to finish my Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and then graduate in December 2015.”

As Aly told me last fall, she’ll do that debt free thanks to all of the scholarships she’s received competing in the Miss Iowa Program. DEBT FREE. Just one of the lifelong benefits she’ll take with her when she passes on her title.

“[My fellow Miss America contestants] continue to support each other as well as find ways to connect across the country. Our class truly is an example of sisterhood,” said Aly. “I want every girl from the Midwest to know that her state and background do prepare her for success in life; that is one of the main sentiments I took home from Miss America.”

And Aly herself will continue to mentor those future titleholders; she wants to be a Miss Iowa volunteer.

“I can help other women discover how much grace, poise, compassion and love they have within themselves through the Miss America Organization,” said Aly.

(Photo courtesy Miss Iowa Pageant and Say Uncle! Photography)

Was it what she expected? When she imagined this moment for so many years, did Aly Olson every think this year of her life would be HER favorite?

“This year has been so much more than what I had expected; more exhilarating, more beautiful, more tiring, more demanding, and more important.” IMPORTANT. That one word from Aly is MY favorite part of our interview. Aly Olson MADE her reign matter, for both herself and for her state. Iowa’s never had a Miss America, but Aly put her state BACK on the Miss America map, showing the country what Hawkeyes are made up, and laying the groundwork for those who follow in her footsteps.

A warning to whomever that young lady may be in 2015; Aly Olson is leaving you with VERY big shoes to fill.

To learn more about Miss Iowa 2014 Aly Olson,

follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Tumblr. To book Aly for appearances and events, email businessmanager@missiowa.com. Aly was also recently profiled by Pageant Junkies; click here to listen to the podcast interview with Aly!

The next MISS IOWA will be crowned June 13, 2015 in Davenport, Iowa. For more information about the pageant, the Class of 2015 contestants, and how to compete in the Miss Iowa Scholarship Program, click here to visit the organization’s website, and click here to follow the organization on Facebook.

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PREVIOUS.. Miss Sandhills 2015 Kate Lynne Duncan

NEXT.. Miss Northwest 2015 LaRissa McKean

To read more about the Miss Nebraska Class of 2014 and more special features, click on the ‘There She Is’ link at the top of the page.

Madame Butterfly

Apr19

Think back to where you were in 2012.. what you did, the places you traveled, the person who were. My husband and I took a long awaited trip to Hawaii… as parents of ONE, not two. I can’t imagine life without my two little boys.. and can hardly remember a time before I was a momma of two, even though it was just a few years ago.

Now, imagine how much your life changed between when you were, say, 17 years old.. and 20 years old. The music you sang along with in the car.. the stages in life those songs represented. For this young woman, those ages and times could arguably be represented by two records, two Miss Nebraska pageants, and two very different points in her life.

MISS SANDHILLS 2015 KATE LYNNE DUNCAN

(Photo courtesy Jenn Cady Photography)

“The last time I competed at Miss Nebraska was in 2012 as Miss Scottsbluff. I was only eligible for the Miss division because I graduated from Gering High School less than one month before Miss Nebraska, I was only 17 at the time,” Kate told me recently. “I am absolutely elated to have the opportunity to compete on the Miss Nebraska stage again! Three years later, I’ve experienced a lot of personal growth.”

2012 to 2015, sister queens Jessica Littlejohn and Kate Lynne Duncan

That maturation is what inspires Kate’s platform of service: ‘True Beauty: It Shines From The Inside.’ She’s promoting the DOVE Beauty Project, in addition to her own message to women to see their own beauty as others do.

“[Reveal] your attitude, outlook, confidence, intelligence and passion,” said Kate. “It is all too easy to be absorbed in the body shaming negativity seen in the media. Young women often feel inadequate if they fail to fit the picture-perfect, highly photo-shopped and airbrushed mold. I strive to inspire young women to inspire and create a world where beauty is a source of self-confidence, not anxiety.”

As Miss Sandhills, Kate created a self-esteem workshop, including varied activities for elementary, middle and high school students. Schools are familiar environments for Kate; she’s studying K-12 Music Education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney focusing on vocal music and a 7-12 English endorsement. She’s also a Resident Assistant on campus, is active with the Loper Activities Program Counsel, the collegiate chapter of the National Association for Music Educators and the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority.

“I would have not been able to afford my first year at UNK wthout the scholarships I received from competing in the 2012 Miss Nebraska pageant,” said Kate. “With the funds I have received from competing, I will pay off my only student loan this fall and graduate in May 2017 debt free.”

Kate has also spent the last three years perfecting her passion, music.

“With three years of private vocal study under my belt, my voice has grown tremendously since the last time I competed on the Miss Nebraska stage,” said Kate. “This June I will be performing Carrie Underwood’s ‘Something In The Water’. She has a powerhouse voice and I’m definitely up for the challenge. The first time I heard that song it gave me goosebumps and I knew I had to sing it.”

And arguably, a fitting choice. The song is all about evolution within faith, growth in spirit and as a person. Kate Lynne Duncan, 2015. Flashback to 2012 when she sang Blessings by Laura Story. From a promising high school graduate testing the waters of independence, to a driven woman achieving her academic goals as a leader among her peers. Two songs, two stages, transformation. Kate Lynne Duncan is a butterfly, ready to return to North Platte and poised to reveal HER inner beauty.