Thursday, July 28, 2022

Committing to Confidence - a Blog Series by Katelyn Andrist

M e t a n o i a 


[meh-ta-noy-ah] : Greek 


(n.) The journey of changing one’s mind, heart, self, or way of life. 


“And then she realized that a fresh start was hers for the taking. That she could be the woman she’s always seen on the distant horizon - her future self. One step at a time. Starting today. 


Today I will choose…..me, love, life, and accept my journey for what is in front of me. For the past couple of months I have been changing my life for the better. I am a completely different person for the better. This is because I took a step back and brought some self-reflection / self- awareness to my mind. I saw areas where I was lacking and started to improve them. Improvement is the best form of positive self-care. It was not easy but in the long run was the best decision I made for myself. Change is scary but comes with the best reward. That reward is creating the life you have always wanted. You are the prize and will forever be the prize! Do not ever forget that (“: 


Now, understanding my journey is meant for me. I have unlocked a new beautiful mind, heart, self, and way of life. I have cracked the code for my journey. The answer is my journey. No one will walk through my shoes, have my experiences, nor heart. But at the end of the day I have the power to be vulnerable and open up about my life. Sharing is truly caring. When we share what is going on with our lives and journey we create a powerful conversation. Which creates change. 


Today I will choose my future and write the rules as I go with creating powerful and magical change to the world around me. 


Cheers to change! 


Katelyn Andrist 

Thursday, July 21, 2022

Committing to Confidence - a Blog Series by Katelyn Andrist

 Role Models should have….


  1. Passion and Ability to Inspire

  2. Clear Set of Values

  3. Commitment to Community

  4. Selflessness and Acceptance of Others

  5. Ability to Overcome Obstacles

 

As a role model it is our responsibility to invest in our youth and elders. When we invest in the people and communities around us we create a greater good. Being a role model allows someone to look up to you and inspire them a better future. You are a leader when you are a role model. Everyday we should wake up and have the mindset to lead our communities. Lead them with love, power, and compassion. By being a leader in communities you are bringing back love, trust, hope, faith, and so much more. 

 

Leadership can be defined as the ability of an individual or a group of individuals to influence and guide followers or other members of an organization. 

 

Leadership includes….

 

  1. Empowering People 

  2. Inspiring People 

  3. Leading Change

  4. Sharing Visions 

 

You are a leader. I truly believe everyone has the power to lead and create good around them. It is up to you to see your own potential. 

 

You are a leader. 


Katelyn Andrist 

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

My MAO Journey with the Bandana Project - A Guest Blog by Chloee Kline

Hello all! It is truly an honor to be able to write this post for Section 36 and its fans.

My name is Chloee Kline. I hold the title of Miss Hoosier Hills 2022 within the Miss America Organization. I’m here to share my MAO journey and my social impact initiative!

The first Miss Indiana local of the season is a closed pageant which takes place at my high school. My hometown has recently been dubbed “Crown Town” as we are home to numerous former Miss Indiana and Miss Indiana’s Outstanding Teens. I grew up watching many friends and family member compete and win this local pageant. I followed their journey to the Miss Indiana stage in Zionsville on social media for years. I secretly yearned to make it to that stage someday. I never wanted to be Miss Indiana, necessarily, I just wanted the chance to be a part of the experience. At the age of 15, I competed for the teen title as two of my show choir friends talked me into it. It wasn’t really my thing but I still admired the organization and dreamed of getting involved once I got older.

After aging out of the teen category, I attended Purdue University where the Miss Purdue University Scholarship Competition was huge! One of my high school friends won the title in 2018. Her sister actually won the title of Miss Indiana 2018 and I took the 12 hour road trip to watch her compete in Atlantic City.

To dip my foot back in the pageant water, I competed at the 2019 Miss Purdue competition as a junior.


I was hooked! I only competed at three other local that season, taking home a few spirit (congeniality) awards. My senior year of college, I competed at five locals before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. One year without pageants felt like an eternity. I was itching to get back on stage with a new social impact initiative and goal of making it to the Miss Indiana stage. 

Just prior to the pandemic, I was a part of a selective committee within Purdue Student Government that organized a campus-wide Mental Health Awareness Week. On top of numerous free events daily, we organized The Bandana Project which spread rapidly on campus. This initiative is a silent solidarity movement where student sport a green bandana on their backpack, purse or totebag signifying that they are a safe space and open to talk about mental health. With this movement comes resource education. We worked with the on campus student health center and Purdue faculty to education Boilermakers of the free on campus resources available. This project started at the Univertsity of Wisconsin in 2016 and has made its way across multiple Big Ten campuses. After the impact I saw this project have on my college campus, with a population of about 30,000 students, I felt that this needed to be shared across the state. I aspire to implement The Bandana Project at Indiana college campuses, high school and even within communities. 

2021 brought us a COVID vaccine and the chance to compete again! I’m bad with numbers, but I believe I competed in about eight pageant this past season before winning a title. The pageant I won was my 15th competition. 15! I have never won a title before Miss Hoosier Hills and only placed one time before winning. I have truly been an unofficial poster child for perseverance. 

The last competition of the season is called our “Sweeps” pageant (as it is called in most states in the MAO). Out of 15 girls, I got fourth runner-up. I was so excited that I finally placed!
I thought I would have to wait yet another season to head to Zionsville, until I heard about a new development from MAO. Many states were participating in a virtual competition, and Indiana had organized one at the very last minute. The following weekend after Sweeps, all of our paperwork was due. The next weekend would host live Zoom interviews and a virtual crowning. I was signed up to take the LSAT for the third time and thought I would not be able to participate. I am so thankful that the competition is spread out over two weekends!
To enter this virtual competition, you had to submit a 30-second introduction video and a 90-second talent video. All of the typical paperwork was submitted as well, like resume, platform statement, headshot, etc.

A few days before the pageant interviews, two titles were added on the the Miss Hoosier Hills virial competition due to the amount of candidates. I started to sike myself out. Thankfully, I had an afternoon Zoom interview on “pageant day” and gave myself plenty of time to prepare.
I found out right before the virtual crowning that there were 19 Miss candidates and I had interviewed last. I didn’t think I would even place, let alone win! 

At the crowning Zoom meeting, they quickly announced a first runner-up and winner for the teen category. Just Miss Hoosier Hill’s OT was crowned as only five teen candidates had entered. 

Then Miss first runner-up was announced, and I saw all of the girls who had competed that day on my screen. Unlike a typical pageant day, I had no idea who had competed. I saw some girls who had placed at numerous locals that season. I was sure that I didn’t place since they had only called a first runner-up prior to announcing three winners. The last title to be called was Miss Hoosier Hills. I heard Miss Indiana 2021, Braxton Hiser say my name. I was shocked!

I didn’t really believe she actually said it, until I saw three friends in the zoom meeting start to silently cry (since they were on mute). The meeting quickly ended and my phone was flooded with calls and text messages, truly sealing the deal that I had won. 

This is was all at the end of March and Miss Indiana is always the second week of June. I knew I had a quick turn around and was in for a wild ride. Since Miss Indiana has come and gone, I feel like I can finally be Miss Hoosier Hills and start to get more involved in my community. I had little time to complete service, let alone actually prepare for state in two and a half months. 

The 2023 local season has already started here in Indiana, but I’m not diving in just yet. I am soaking in my time as Miss Hoosier Hills after three years and 15 competitions later. I’ve connected with former Miss Hoosier Hills’ who have go on to become Miss Indiana, primarily in the 1980’s before this title was archived. I’ve meet so many incredible volunteers within the Miss Indiana Organization, and I got the best teen ever! We have been on quite a ride thus far and we still have eight months left on the job!

You can support my pageant journey, follow my social media and find mental health resources here https://linktr.ee/chloeekline

All my love,

Chloee Kline

Miss Hoosier Hills 2022

Thursday, July 14, 2022

Committing to Confidence - a Guest Blog Series by Katelyn Andrist

This is a guest blog from Katelyn Andrist, embracing her SII: Commit to Confidence: Envisioning A More Confident You! I hope you enjoy it.

Unfortunately, people in this world will be mad at you because you are not suffering the way they expected you to. They want to see you fail because they are jealous of your accomplishments. 

Let them be jealous. Let them hate. Let them show their true colors. Let them be fake to this world because people can see through fakeness. 

Let them talk about you behind your back. Let them treat you differently. They are just lost and insecure. They do not understand their purpose like you do. Keep your head up and keep changing lives. You deserve this moment because you have worked so hard. Do not let anyone take this away from you. True friends will always be by your side through the good and bad. Let people walk away from your life because God heard conversations you did not. When you lose something God will replace it with something even better.

Let me make you think for a second……When you are winning how many people are actually in your corner? Hmmm or are they silent with jealousy and envy? Whoever is jealous and full of envy just pray to the Lord for them. Our Lord will always know our hearts and pure intentions. He will reward you for staying true to yourself and making this world a better place. 

“Never retaliate when people say unkind things about you. Pay them back with a blessing….and God will bless you.” -1 Peter 3:9 

It can be very easy to get wrapped up into gossip and conversations. But remember you are in control of your thoughts, words, and actions. 

Remember some people only dislike you because of the way other people love you. Please never give up, just keep going! Some people will come and go in your life. People are either a blessing or a lesson. You stay focused on you because God will remove the people who are not meant to be in your life. He will find a way for you to have small reminders or situations to allow yourself to see people's true intentions and hearts. Let it be known this is NOT a reflection on you only them. 

Stay true to you and lead with love.

-Katelyn Andrist 

Thursday, July 7, 2022

Committing to Confidence - a Guest Blog Series by Katelyn Andrist

This is a guest blog from Katelyn Andrist, embracing her SII: Commit to Confidence: Envisioning A More Confident You! I hope you enjoy it.

Mindset : Noun

The driving force in the quest for success and achievement.


A mindset that combines discipline, strength, confidence, and ambition is a powerful mindset. This can achieve anything it sets its sights on. 


You have the power to create your mindset in life. Your mindset will allow yourself to set free and explore this world with no regrets. The mind is a powerful tool which can create a healthy happiness which depends on your mindset and attitude. Please remember, “The mind is like a muscle-the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it can expand. The mind has a powerful way of attracting things that are in harmony with it, good and bad.”- unknow 


Let this be a new start for you and your mindset. Once you create the mindset you want you will have full control of your life. This is one of the things you can control. Start believing you deserve better because once you believe it… you will attract it! 


Change can be hard and very scary. I completely understand but it's time to create the driving force to allow success in your life. You are a successful person, I believe in you!!


Your mindset is your confidence!! I am confident and I believe in myself! In this picture I am the driving force of discipline, strength, confidence, and ambition for advocating at the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka, Kansas!


It’s time to commit to ourselves and grow our mindset! 


-Katelyn Andrist 


Perseverance, Dedication, and Authenticity – Lessons & Life After the Crown

It’s almost impossible to encompass a decade-long journey into a few paragraphs in a world as complex as pageant land. But there are a few n...