Final Farewell from Miss Maryland 2010

As a young girl growing up, I always watched the Miss America Pageant every year with my parents and sister.  Curled up around the television in awe and admiration, I was fascinated by these beautiful and talented women.  Little did I know, I would one day have the opportunity to compete on that very same stage.  Little did I know, I would be able to travel my beautiful home state of Maryland for twelve months, meeting inspirational people along the way and inspiring others in return.  Little did I know that in a single year, my life would forever be changed.  At that early age, I knew I was different.  What I didn’t realize was that each good decision I made, each time I stood for the values instilled in me by my parents, each time I followed my passions to pursue a goal, each time I pushed forward despite a setback or challenge, I was developing my strong character, paving my way to the esteemed honor of becoming Miss Maryland 2010.

It’s hard to believe my journey as Miss Maryland is coming to an end.  Not only have I accomplished one of my long-time dreams, but I feel as if I have earned the confidence, communication skills and composure to go anywhere, do anything and speak and learn from anyone with whom I may cross paths with in the future.  The Miss Maryland crown has blessed me with opportunities to use my voice, my talents and my passion for inspiring others, and for this, I will forever be grateful.  The work I have done with the Children’s Miracle Network, the USO, the Girl Scouts, the Confidence Coalition, schools across Maryland and so many other charitable organizations has allowed me to realize the power of one person.  One person, one voice, one passionate heart can touch the lives of others, positively affecting their life forever.

The work I have done with my platform, Beyond Beauty: Building Self-Esteem and Inspiring Confidence in Girls, has touched me in ways I never thought possible.  Throughout my travels speaking to young women about the beauty of uniqueness, the power each of us holds to make a difference and the importance in finding confidence in our own talents and attributes, I have learned that young women are in need of positive role models in their life daily.  Hundreds of girls have opened up and reached out to me, and through my work, I realized that my voice has inspired these young women to redefine beauty, from the inside out.

My year as Miss Maryland would not have been possible without the support of so many of my amazing sponsors, and thank each of you for providing me with services, support and friendship.  Each sponsor has become a dear friend, and I will never forget the love you have shown me throughout my reign.  Thank you, especially, to Robin Fleming, Grace Gordy, Dr. Jo, Marcus Rincon, and Kami Robinson–to each of you, I am extremely grateful for all you’ve done and for entering my life!

To Sherry Rush, my Executive Director, and the Miss Maryland Board, thank you for supporting me along my journey and giving me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

To Mary Teal Mulligan, Miss Maryland’s Outstanding Teen 2010, my sister queen, you are truly a star.  It was an honor to share in this year’s memories with you.  You always will be a little sister to me!

To Bonnie and Scott Durham, Alan Zemla, Barb Witowski and Kevin Mohorn, you have helped to make my dream come true.  Thank you for guiding me along on this incredible journey.

To the Allen Family, I know God brought you into my life for a special reason.  I now have another family to call my own.  Katie and Carson, I am so proud to have you as Godchildren.  You are both very special to me and make me so proud.

To my friends, family, fans and supporters, thank you for being by my side, for believing in me, encouraging me and being the best cheerleaders a girl could ask for.  To Leah, thank you for being the best friend a girl could ask for.  You have been by my side during this whole journey, and I cannot wait to share in more of life’s adventures with you!  To Kayla, Brittany, Lauren, Kathryn, Brittany, Gabby, Jessica…. we have so many more memories ahead.  Love you all with all my heart.

To Kasey, you are more than a sister, you are my best friend.  Thank you for being there through all of the ups, downs, tears of disappointment and tears of joy.  You are an inspiration to me, and I don’t know what I’d do without you!  I know, together, we will accomplish all of our dreams.  Get ready for the ride!  I love you.

To my Mom and Dad, thank you for shaping me into the woman I am today.  You are my everything.  You have sacrificed so much to bring Kasey and me the utmost success, and I will forever be grateful for your never-ending love and support.  You have helped to make all of my dreams come true… and there a still a few more! ;)  Daddy, thanks for being my biggest fan.  Mommy, you are my angel.  I love you both.

To all young women with dreams, remember that being the best version of you is the key to all success.  Never give up, follow your heart, and know that with hard work, confidence and passion, you can accomplish anything.

Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  I will forever live by this quote, and I hope that my legacy as Miss Maryland 2010 will be felt in the hearts of each and every individual who I have touched along the way.

XOXO,

Lindsay A. Staniszewski

Miss Maryland 2010