Miss Minnesota Week

 Hello again!! I'm sorry for the delay on this post, it has taken me a little while to get back into the swing of things and have time to sit down and write it all out!! I also want to apologize that I don't have the official Miss Minnesota pictures so I will just be sharing the ones that I have.

Miss Minnesota week was one of the best times of my life! It's hard to sum up such an amazing week and still do it justice! One of the highlights to start off the week was our first trip to the Mall of America to ride some rides and also tour Barbie's Dreamhouse! I have to admit that I wasn't too thrilled about the Barbie exhibit before we went in but it turns out that it is truly incredible. Although I was seeing everything with a tint of pink after we left, it was amazing to see so many unique Barbie's and how they made the iconic toy and her dream house, into a real life thing. The exhibit included making a virtual cupcake with Barbie, touring her house, and having a mini fashion show at the end!! Although it is usually a thing for little girls to enjoy, us pageant girls had some fun in it too!! On the other hand....what would a trip to the Mall of America be like without going on the Log Ride?! That's right, Miss Winona (Jenna Magadanz), my roommate (Chelsea Swiggum) and I went on the log ride! I promised them we wouldn't get wet but I ended up just about drenched!! After all of that, we went to Sky Deck for some food, arcade games and bowling! Funny story, Chelsea's game card wasn't working so I just swiped her in the whole night....turns out she was using the hotel room key instead, what an idiot :P (but I still love her)!

Another highlight during the week was touring the Gillette Children's Hospital. As part of the Miss America Organization we advocate and raise money for the Children's Miracle Network and Gillette happens to be a part of that system. It was interesting to learn more about the program and everything the hospital has to offer the patients and their families! We even got to help the kids decorate cookies :)

Later that night, we attended the St. Paul Saints game. What happens when you put 26 queens in front of a baseball team?...well I'm sure you can guess. Yes, we were quite happy that this event was part of our schedule for the week. At the game, we got to meet Miss Adventure (just one of the many characters at the game) and she couldn't have been more excited to hang out with a bunch of queens! She was more excited than a kid in a candy store :) Just to add a bonus to our fun night at the game....the Saints won!!!

One of the most meaningful events during the week was visiting the Veteran's Home. It was so amazing to spend time talking with them one-on-one to hear their stories about serving our country. We even got to sing patriotic songs with them including the National Anthem. As we were singing, I couldn't help but get emotional. Thinking about what that song means to them and what they have done for our country was so touching. We thanked each and everyone of them for serving our country but it will never be enough for what they gave for our freedom.

Next we went to Open Arms. Open Arms is an organization that prepares nutritious food for those that are sick with various types of illnesses. My job was to take basil leaves off of their stems...boy did I smell good after hours of that!! The staff at Open Arms made this a great experience and I was honored to be a part of their organization for a night!!

Every night we had a "fun activity" at the hotel before we went to our rooms. One of my personal favorites was Miss Minnesota Minute to Win It!! Our team was team yellow (Team Suns!!) and it included Julia, Hope, Chelsea, Maren and myself. We were....absolutely terrible! Despite our poor efforts to win the individual games, we somehow pulled off third place and got a cool trophy!!

Wednesday was our busiest day!! We left the hotel bright and early for the high school for a day of interviews, talent rehearsal, pageant rehearsal, and our first preliminary competition night! I felt that my interview went great! It was the best interview I ever had and the judges were so nice and I really felt that they just wanted to get to know me and I was very happy with how it went. The first competition night I competed in Talent and On-Stage question. Again, I felt very confident about my performance in both of these areas. I also have to talk about the energy of the audience, Wow!! I was told that the audience goes crazy and people have signs and lights but I couldn't have prepared for it! Every time we walked out on stage the entire audience went wild and it was truly the best feeling I have ever had while performing on stage :)

The next day we went to the Minnesota Autism Center School to get to know a little bit more about Rebecca's platform (Miss MN 2013). This was one of my favorite events during the week. Just like the Veteran's Home, we got to spend one-on-one time with the students of the school and get to know them. One-on-one interaction is one of my favorite things to do during an event because it gives that person the opportunity to feel like they have been individually helped by the Miss Minnesota Organization rather than their organization being helped in general. I had the pleasure of meeting a young boy named Jake and he was the sweetest little boy I have ever met. We talked about science, tv shows, movies, traveling, and the zoo. They just went on a field trip to the Minnesota Zoo and I asked him if he saw the giant bugs but he didn't believe me that there were any at the zoo! I was really sad to leave him but I hope to return there soon! Besides meeting the students, we also played lightning (which I wasn't very good at) and relay races during their gym classes. It was a wonderful opportunity to visit the MAC school and I am so glad that we have places like that to help these students grow!

Thursday night was our second preliminary competition night!! I competed in swimsuit and evening gown! Even though it can be scary walking out on stage in just a swimsuit, I felt like a supermodel! I may not have looked like one but with all of my hard work I felt so confident in my swimsuit and evening gown and that is a feeling that I will never forget!

The Jacq-Pack

Friday morning was our Princess Party at Mall of America with Radio Disney! This is when I finally got to meet my Princess, Molly! She was an absolute joy and a true light in everything that she does. We spent time getting to know each other while we decorated a crown box, had a dance party, and made a princess wand! I couldn't have asked for a better princess and I hope that I see her on the Miss Minnesota stage in the future!

Friday night was the Crowns and Gowns Gala! This was red carpet event were former queens, current contestants, current and former board members, families, and supporters of the Miss MN Organization get together for dinner, entertainment, and inspirational speeches. So many emotions were felt that night. At one point I couldn't stop laughing when I was listening to a speech on "Men in Pageants". It's true, men play a huge role in the pageant world and it was interesting to hear that point of view without holding anything back. On the other hand, I was humbled and even teared up when a past Miss Minnesota shared her thoughts on everything this program does for young women and that no matter what, I will be the best version of myself because of this program. As Miss South Central, I am surrounded by so many fantastic women who all share the same passion for service and success. I walked out of the Gala with an even bigger appreciation for this program and a greater excitement for what my future in the Miss Minnesota Organization has in store!

Saturday was the big day!! At this point, emotions were all over the place. I was nervous, excited, anxious, sad (that it was ending), and grateful for the experience. I was able to spend some time with my mom when she came to move me out, and it was much needed mom-time! 

At the beginning of the show they announced the People's Choice Award recipient and the top ten candidates. These 11 young ladies would then compete in swimsuit, talent, and evening gown one last time. As I stood on stage in line with the rest of the contestants I didn't know what to expect. Sure, I felt confident about how I performed throughout the week but I also knew that each and every one of the other contestants was there for a reason and they were all so talented. 7 names were called and then finally.....Lauren Fellows!! I couldn't believe it! My dream of becoming Miss Minnesota was getting so much closer! I then competed in swimsuit, talent and evening gown to the best of my abilities and then waited to hear if I made top 5. Before going out on stage, I knew that no matter what, I accomplished far more than I expected and I should be proud of myself, which I am. Unfortunately, I didn't make top 5 but I couldn't have asked for a better week! I want to congratulate Savannah Cole, the new Miss Minnesota and the rest of the Miss Minnesota contestants on a fabulous week!

And now I have a few thank you's to make:

Thank you to the Miss Minnesota Board and Committee! This week was one I will never forget and it wouldn't have happened without your dedication and kind hearts. We wouldn't have survived without all of your generosity and love!

Thank you to Jacquie Jenkins for being an amazing chaperone! The Jacq-Pack could not have survived the week without your guidance. As a former Miss South Central director, you offered me the kind words and loving support that I needed. I will never forget what you told me when I came off stage after doing my evening gown walk for the last time. Thank you so much for believing in me and having my back!

Thank you to Elizabeth Scipioni! Even when I was feeling defeated after not winning any of the preliminary awards, you quickly stepped in and gave me the pep talk I needed to finish strong. Without your advice, I wouldn't have been able to believe in myself and my abilities. I love that I have your support to fall back on, you will forever be a Team Waseca member.

Thank you to all of the Miss Minnesota contestants but especially Katie S., Katie B., Hope, Maren and Chelsea. I have gotten to know you all the best and I hope that we can stay in touch once our pageant lives are all over. Hope, I really miss our pre-pageant dance :(

A big thank you to Chelsea Swiggum..again! You were the best roommate I could have ever asked for. We had so many laughs and made so many fantastic memories. You were my goofball, my dance partner, my alarm clock (kind of), my best friend and my rock. Without your support and our friendship, my Miss Minnesota week would not have been nearly as great! You are the best and I'm so glad that we work for the same place so we can see each other every now and then!

Thank you to Team Waseca! You are the best committee I could have ever asked for! Without your dedication to my preparation, I wouldn't have been able to enter this competition as prepared as I did. You all have spent hours and hours getting me ready and being there for me whenever I had questions or needed something. I know I can always count on you for anything and you will always be my second family!

Thank you to my Outstanding Teen, Alyssa Crum! We started off as strangers then became friends....and now we are truly sisters. I don't know where I would be without your encouragement and love throughout this year. I was so excited to see you in the crowd cheering me on and I couldn't be more honored and blessed to have you as my sister queen!!

Thank you to all of my friends and family! Without your support I wouldn't have believed that I could do this. You have always kept me going and doing everything you could to show me that you believed in me. There is no way that I could ever repay you for all of your love and support. You are all my support system and I wouldn't be who I am today without all of you!

A special thank you to my mom! You have been by my side through thick and thin and have always been my #1 Cheerleader. You have been my coach, my trainer, my counselor, my hero, my biggest fan, and my best friend. I don't know where I would be without you, I would be lost. Thank you for always believing in me, and pushing me to be the best that I can be but also being there for me when I fall. I am blessed to have you as my mom. I love you!

To wrap up this post I just have one more thing to say. This past Miss Minnesota pageant has showed me that I belong here, and I can promise you that I am not done, you will hopefully see me on that stage again soon :)

Love Always, 

Lauren