Make A Wish Recognition Dinner

Last Thursday my Mom, Dad, and I went to the Essex Resort and Spa for a Make A Wish dinner where sponsors would be recognized for their donations to the foundation. My father was being recognized for his contributions, so I decided this was my opportunity to support him for his accomplishments as he has always supported me with mine. As his name was called I clapped excitedly and was so proud of him! One of the most rewarding parts of the evening was watching a slide show of all of the wishes that had been granted throughout the year with the help of all of the people sitting in the room with me. I was blown away by the generosity of all of these kind people. As the slide show went on I was reminded of how lucky I am to have my health. It is one thing that many people take for granted, but I know that you have nothing without it. I was so proud of my father and the other contributors because they all made a difference in the life of a sick child. I commend Make A Wish for their efforts in bringing light into the lives a children who are suffering. While viewing the slide, seeing the smiles on the faces of the children who werereceiving their wishes was by far the most amazing thing that I saw throughout the evening.

I was also happy to be at this event because it introduced me to the many opportunities there are to become involved in Make A Wish. Although my family has been involved with the organization, I would like to become involved on a more personal level. I hope to be doing more events and volunteering with them in the near future!

Penguin Plunge

On February 6th, I got up bright and early to travel to Burlington to meet Nydelis at the Penguin Plunge on the waterfront by Lake Champlain. It was a bitter morning, but over 1,000 dedicated plungers came to support the Special Olympics of Vermont. I had a great time walking through the crowds and meeting people I otherwise may never have met. I enjoyed talking with some of the Special Olympic athletes, as well as getting to know some of the cadets that attend Norwich. I also had the opportunity to be interviewed on the radio by Mark from CHAMP 101.3. Nydelis and I were also introduced to the crowd and were able to say a few words about ourselves which was a fun way to break the ice and show people that even though we are beauty queens, we are still normal, every day girls too!

As I looked around the waterfront it was amazing to see how many people had come

out to support this organization. With the combined efforts of sponsors, plungers, and the volunteers that made this event possible, the Penguin Plunge raised $325, 289.00 for the 850 athletes they serve. I am so proud of this accomplishment, which was made possible because of the help of dedicated Vermonters!

Standout Retreat in Virginia

As I boarded my plane, I wondered what my weekend was going to be like. I was excited to get to the Master's Inn retreat and meet the girls who would be going to Miss Teen USA with me. I expected to do some team building activities, have a ton of fun with the girls, and leave with some new friends. I never could have expected to take away what I did from my weekend. Although all of those things happened, I learned so much about myself that I had never realized. I came away from the weekend more confident in my abilities and was more confident in the person I have become. I would recommend these retreats to anyone because although you do so many fun things, there is also a deeper benefit to going.

As we unloaded our stuff into camp, I looked around the area and felt at home. Virginia in January looked a lot like Vermont in October. Everywhere I looked there were tall trees, rocks and you guessed it, dirt! Some girls weren't keen on the rustic area at first, but I loved it. I was comfortable in this setting, and that level of familiarity pushed me to do some crazy things! Team building and bonding with the other girls was a huge part of the weekend. We raced up a 40 foot rock wall, only to walk on a skinny board to the other side of the wall to be attached to a zip line. It was so invigorating once I was finally

flying through the air and thought, " wow, I can't

believe

I am doing this!" Next we traveled a little ways into the woods to an activity called "The Leap of Faith." Wow. I was strapped into a harness then climbed up the tiny pegs on the side of a telephone pole ( it was inactive of course!) and stood over 40 feet in the air on the top of the telephone pole. It was the most exciting yet terrifying thing I had ever done. Once I had stood up, my next goal was to jump like Superwoman to grab onto a trapeze located in the front of the pole. On the count of three I jumped and caught the trapeze! As I dangled 50 feet in the air I had never felt so confident in my strengths as a person. Although it sounds crazy, these were some of the best activities I have ever participated in. After this, we went horseback riding. I love to ride horseback, so this was the thing for me. Since I have experience as a rider, the ranch owners gave me one of the more "temper mental" horses. Oh boy was that an interesting ride! After that, we had the opportunity to try lassoing and riding a fake bull. The bull was such a fun thing to try! I stayed on for quite some time before tumbling off. I have to say, I had a great time at the ranch!

The next evening came, and many of the girls from the weekend had caught their flights home. Some of us however had one more activity to try. We went to the Snowflex which is the only snowboarding and skiing place in the country right now that has no real snow and uses turf instead. I was skeptical at first because I am a Vermont snow bunny, but was quickly proven wrong. I was able to inner tube down the mountain and it was incredible! There was no snow, yet I was zooming down the hill like if I had been back in Vermont. It wasn't cold, and you never got wet! Chelsea Cooley, Miss USA 2005, and AT Dunn definitely made sure we all had a fun-filled weekend! I am never going to forget all of the crazy things we did!

As the weekend came to a close and I boarded my plane back to Vermont, I sat and thought about what I had just experienced. Not only did I meet some amazing girls that I will be able to keep in touch with, but I experienced things I may never have experienced if I hadn't been crowned Miss Vermont Teen USA 2010. I am constantly reminded of how lucky I am to have been given this year full of opportunity. I am thankful to everyone who helped me get here, and can't wait to see what comes next.

Thank you to all the people who made my weekend possible- I will remember this weekend and what it taught me for the rest of my life.

Love always, Shelby Gregoire.

I'm headed to Virginia!

I have a very exciting weekend ahead of me. I will be attending a contestant retreat with many of the other state titleholders in Virginia. It is let by led by former Miss USA, Chelsea Cooley. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to meet the girls I will be going to nationals with, and am grateful to have the chance to improve my skills with Chelsea's expertise. Although we will participating in seminars, we will also have time to relax. We will be horseback riding and doing a ropes course. As a Vermonter, I can't wait to do something outside!

I must admit that I am a little nervous because this is the first time I will be flying alone. I am very independent and will be able to handle it with ease, but it is a little nerve-wracking to know I will be totally alone! I am excited though, and can't wait until tomorrow afternoon when the weekend will begin!

I will let everyone know how it went and post lots of pictures!

Best Wishes, Shelby.

Official Photo Shoot!

Going to my official photo shoot was awesome! I traveled to Massachusetts with my parents to meet up with the rest of the queens. Neil transformed me with beautiful hair and gorgeous make-up. It felt great to be in that type of setting, and I couldn't wait to put on some of my gowns and pose for the camera. Between shots I got to talk with Lacey, Ashley, Brooke, Alyssa, and Nydelis and it was fun to have everyone together for the first time.

I took photos for my autograph cards ( soon to come!) and photos for the website. At the end of the day, we were also able to get some great group shots

with all six Clemente girls.

Right when the shoot was done, we were swept off to a wonderful dinner with our directors, Laurie and Anthony Clemente. They treated us like royalty and I had an amazing time getting to know them, my sister queens, and their families. I left that meal thinking, "Wow, how can this be happening to me?" I am still on cloud nine, and I am so thankful to have been given this opportunity. I am optimistic that this is going to be the

best year of my life, and I can only imagine what tomorrow will bring! : )

Miss Connecticut USA

At the end of November it was time to go to Miss Connecticut USA to meet the last two ladies who would become part of the Clemente family, and become my sister queens. I could not wait to find out who was going to win, and I had my bags packed a week early because I was so excited for the weekend. Throughout the weekend I was able to get to know the contes

tants and knew from the beginning that it was going to be a tough competition!

I was so exciting to be rooming with Nydelis again because we always make our time together something to remember. I also started getting to know Mass Teen, Brooke, and we hit it off from the start! After only spending a few hours together we were finishing each others sentences and laughing together like we had known each other for years. It felt great to have been blessed with sister queens that I loved spending time with.

During the night of crowning I was nervous, but excited for all of the girls. You could tell they all had put in the time and really wanted the title. I knew that only two could win, but I also knew that each and every girl wanted to walk away with the crown. I've always believed that you will win some and lose some, but a true test of your character comes when you can go up to the girl who has just placed ahead of you and give her a "congratulations" from the heart. I've been in that position before and I know that it can be hard. In the end though, hard work and dedication pay off and the girls who walk away with the crowns set out on a new journey that will change their lives forever.

As the music began to boom and the contestants c

ame out on the stage for opening number I was in heaven. I could remember the feeling of being on stage, ready to see what the the competition would bring. After all of the phases of competition and the call of top 5, I was ecstatic because I knew I would soon be finding out who I would be spending my year with.

I was thrilled when Alyssa won. I was literally jumping up and down because I love her! I had competed with her in the past and we had connected from the first time we met. I knew from the moment she won that we were going to enjoy out year together! Soon, the Miss winner was being called. When Ashley won I knew the Clemente family was finally perfect! I could not be more proud of the Connecticut girls and I am excited to be in the USA Class

of 2010 with them as well!I had an amazing weekend with all of my sisters and I know that I will never have to carry out this new journey I am on alone!

Christmas Tree Lighting on Church Street

Nydelis and I had an appearance for the Christmas Tree Lighting on Church Street in Burlington early this winter. I must say, we had a blast! Even though it was snowing, pouring rain, and extremely cold we still had a good time together. We were able to take pictures with many of our supporters and were interviewed on WPTZ. Nydelis and I were the first people to donate toys to a local holiday drive called " Toys for Kids" and our contribution was recognized on the evening news. It felt great to trek out into Vermont's unpredictable weather to give back to a community that has given me so much support. After the lighting, Nydelis and I decided to have even more fun by going to get some of Church Street's famous kettle corn popcorn, and shop in one of our all-time favorite stores.

I am loving my year and can't wait to see what is to come!