Stand Up! Stay Strong! Got the Gown! Surprise!
The weekend of April 27th proved to be a
productive and fun one filled with appearances, surprises and friends! On
Saturday morning I headed to Clove Lake Park in Staten Island to meet up with
Amanda Rae Davis, a Miss Staten Island Contestant and Anti-Bullying Advocate,
who has been doing remarkable things with her platform. I had the chance to sit for an interview for
the Stand Up, Stay Strong campaign against bullying and talk about what
bullying means to me, how it can be handled, along with the personal experiences
I have encountered growing up. Bullying
has become an epidemic among our generation and in order to combat it we must
not be afraid to speak up, share your stories and most importantly ask for
help. Do not be troubled by your
emotional battle wounds, they are a part of you and in an odd way have helped
to shape your character.
As someone who was bullied as a child, I was so proud to
take part in this initiative and have my voice heard. I am a 23-year-old adult, but the memories I
have from being bullied for years haven’t gone away. I very distinctly remember
feeling lost at times, alone, targeted because of my size (I was a peanut
growing up), for being quiet, for being me. I didn’t understand why and part of me
never will, but I do know I now embrace the “reasons” I was bullied. I am a 5’1” peanut and proud of it!
Small, but mighty! And quiet? Quiet no more, as I now have this amazing voice that
is being heard across the country!
(My allergies had kicked in, so excuse the puff ball eyes below)
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| STAND UP! STAY STRONG! Photo Credit: AJD Photography |
Following the interview I was lucky enough to have an impromptu
photoshoot with AJD Photography (make sure to “LIKE” them on Facebook), then
headed to look for my Miss NY gown. I
had no intention of purchasing one, was just doing some browsing, BUT I ended
up trying on a gown that I didn’t want to take off and I knew (after a lot of
anxiety driven debating) that this was the one! Can’t wait to wear it in July!
After a fun afternoon I headed back to Brooklyn to get ready for my best friends surprise birthday party in the city. A bunch of my friends and I took my oldest and best friend in the world Michael out for what he thought was a simple dinner. Little did he know I was in communication all week with his bosses (they planned the party, how great is that?) and he was about to walk in to a grand fiesta! Needless to say it went off without a hitch! Mike was completely surprised and we all had a fantastic time!
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| SURPRISE! |
What an awesome Saturday!
Until next time :)
~Christina