EOT article (early debut)...This message can't wait for more than a week!

Greetings Perham,

            This week has seemed a bit more usual as I’ve been back at school. It’s always great to be back into the “groove” again after returning home from several fabulous weekends traveling the country. I want to personally congratulate the girl’s gymnastic team for taking fourth place at State! Way to represent our community. 

            I want to focus this weeks article on the importance of safe driving. In the last week, many deaths have taken place in North Dakota.  As a Jamestown College student I have witnessed the effects it has brought to the state. Right now many individuals are mourning the loss of loved ones.

Many of us know how to drive in interesting weather conditions. Growing up in Minnesota was the perfect place to learn road conditions from dry, wet, icy, or full of snow. I don’t doubt many of you feel confident in these conditions. However, our judgment of choosing when and when not to drive is our most crucial decision. Sometimes deciding not to drive may mean postponing an errand, being a few minutes late to work, or simply choosing to stay home. The situation can often be frustrating, but could potentially save our lives.

I would like to challenge all of you who are parents. Discuss safe driving skills with your children, take their keys if need be, or offer to take them places yourself if necessary. Teen drivers, be sure to take extra caution on the roads, and don’t stretch your limits. If you have to wait until another weekend to go out to eat with friends, it will be ok. I would also encourage every driver to keep a winter survival kit in your car. Let’s be safe drivers, so we all see our summer days that are fast approaching.  

I was in Washington DC! (as told in the EOT focus)

Hello Perham,

            My greetings come to you from a busy past couple of weeks. This afternoon I arrived home from Washington, D.C. from a packed weekend of pageant preparations for Miss Minnesota. I had a wonderful time working hard, and making more progress to being the best Paige I can be on the Miss Minnesota stage this June. The pageant will be held in Eden Prairie on June 14-16^th! Mark you calendars if you are interested. I’ll be keeping all of you posted on ticket information as soon as it comes out.

            Congratulations to the girl’s gymnastics team and boy’s wrestling team as they will be heading to state tournaments very shortly. Once again I am so proud of the wonderful work kids are doing in our community. I wish them the best of luck as they prepare for state and the experience they have while at the competitions. I’m anxious to discover the results.

            These past few weeks have made me think a lot about goals. It’s really interesting to look back and see all of the wonderful goals we have and can accomplish. Goals and choices people make are the key in how dreams become reality. The most important thing I’ve learned is that goals need to be realistic. With realistic goals and inspirations people can do anything they set their mind to. Can you think of a goal you have for yourself this next week and put it into action? I dare you to dream! Dream as our sports teams in Perham have. Let’s see what we can do. Have a wonderful week!

Nothing but SADD in NYC! (as told in the EOT focus)

Hey guys!

I recently wrote an article for the EOT focus recapping my trip to New York City with my SADD National     Student Leadership Council.

I had such a phenomenal time! Lot's of hard work, and play. Enjoy the pictures as they tell a great story.

This weekend I will be heading to Washington D.C. to work on some pageant preparation for Miss Minnesota. I can't wait!

Much love,
Paige

Hello Perham, 
        Wow! I feel as though I’ve been around the world and back in the last few weeks. I am so excited to tell all of you about my trip to New York City. I work closely with an organization called Students Against Destructive Decisions, serving on at the National level on the Student Leadership Council. With this wonderful position, fabulous opportunities have been gained. One of these opportunities took place last weekend as I spent time in NYC. 
        I arrived in New York City on Thursday afternoon and was greeted by the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Student Leadership Council and the SADD National staff.  We immediately started our meeting at suppertime in our wonderful hotel discussing our schedule for and ending the evening in the vibrant, ever famous, Times Square. Friday my council, staff, and I spent the day with the National Road Safety Foundation working on a video contest project to be revealed in the beginning of March. Friday evening we spent time relaxing at a local Mexican restaurant, and experiencing the best chocolate in NY. Saturday we were able to spend more time in the heart of the city. We enjoyed lunch at Planet Hollywood, and witnessed the 10,000th show of “The Phantom of the Opera.” We also spent some time discussing the National SADD Conference and making further preparations. Sunday was followed by more reflections and of course flights home. It felt incredible to get back to my campus in Jamestown and think about the memories made on this trip to New York City. 
        If you have never been to New York City I highly encourage you to do so. If NYC is out of reach for you consider a little fun family adventure. I also want to thank everyone for their wonderful support to the Johnson family last week at the Wild Goose. I am continually amazed by the love in our community! This weekend I will be heading to Washington D.C. to work on some preparations for the Miss Minnesota Pageant in June. Have an incredible week

Congrats to Miss Coon Rapids

I had a wonderful time at Miss Coon Rapids this weekend! I always enjoying visiting with my sister queens and cheering on fellow ladies who are competing for different titles.

Congratulations to Samantha Phillippi, Miss Coon Rapids 2012. You have a wonderful year ahead of you. A huge congrats also goes out to all the young women who competed for the title. :)

I'm heading to New York City on Thursday morning for my SADD National meeting. I am so excited!

Much love,
Paige 

Update:) and the Lessons of Learning

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to give you a quick update. All is well in Jamestown. I'm staying very busy with my 19 credit semester and preparations for Miss Minnesota. This weekend I will be on my way to Coon Rapids to represent Perham as visiting royalty. I'm very excited to spend time with my royal sisters. 

Next week I will be traveling to New York City for my meeting with the National SADD Student Leadership Council. I'm really excited to spend time in the Big Apple! It's been two years since I was there, it's going to be a great reunion! I'll be sure to keep you guys posted as to how things go these next few weeks. 

Loving the lesson of the article this week. :) Check it out. 

Blessings, 

Paige 

Hello friends,

            Oh my goodness, we practically said hello and goodbye to January 2012. I hope you had a fabulous start to the New Year.  With the month of February comes Valentine’s Day, even more exciting high school basketball games, I love to read month, and the Freeze Your Face 5-K.  February is going to be a very exciting and busy time for me as I will be traveling to New York City and Washington D.C. in two consecutive weekends, not to mention ending February with mid-terms. The busy life is challenging, but very rewarding. 

            I have to share a story from this past week. Being a music education major can be quite a challenge at times. Don’t get me wrong challenges help you learn, but I also grasped a valuable lesson this past week while completing an ear training dictation assignment; patience in the key to learning. I admit to not always having patience while studying. I often want to understand every concept right now. However, I am discovering the importance for patience in the learning process. We have our entire lives to continue learning, why not make it wonderful? In the celebration of learning, I want to encourage parents to do an at-home activity with their children for Valentine’s Day. Maybe it’s setting a side a weekend to make cookies, emphasizing the importance of math in measuring, and patience while the cookies bake. Maybe it’s making Valentine’s Day cards for the grandparents and teaching your child how to send a letter. Get creative! These are just ideas. Encourage the learning process in your home and happy learning!

            I’m heading to the Cities this weekend to represent Perham at the Miss Coon Rapids Scholarship Program. I will be cheering for several young women competing for the title. I’ll be sure to spread the joy of Perham in Coon Rapids. So excited to be in the community this weekend. I’ve missed it! Blessings to you all. 

Friendships. EOT Article!

Each and every week I write these articles I am amazed at how quickly a week has already gone by. To be honest this article snuck up on me. I mentioned to my roommate “Oh goodness, I still need to write my article for this week.” Out of slight panic I asked her for suggestions. I had thought during the week of several topics including, peace and friendship. I was hoping her answer would lead me in some direction. She smiled and responded “Paige, you should write about friendship.”  I was sold and hear I am.

            Since arriving back at Jamestown College my friendships have grown tremendously. I am so thankful for my “family” at college; my great friends. I could go on and on about the wonderful friends and how they inspire and challenge me. However, I want you to think about your friendships. Who means the most to you?  Are some of the best friendships that you have in your family?  People and the relations we have are one of the most precious gifts in life. With a great friendships comes ups and down; how are you dealing with the downs? My hope is that the friendships you have in your life encourage you each and every day. I know mine surely have. I also want to challenge you to thank the people in your life who have challenged, and inspired you. Thank them for their friendship. It may be calling a friend who you haven't spoken with in quite some time. It’s never to late to get back in touch. Keep your friends and family close to your heart.
            I think winter finally has arrived. Be sure to stay warm. Don’t let your kids run out of the house without their hats and mittens. May the friendships you have warm your heart. My blessings to you throughout this week. 

EOT article. The crowing of Miss America!

Greetings Perham!

            What an exciting weekend it was for America last Saturday. For all of you who didn’t have the opportunity to catch Miss America Live on ABC I’ll fill you in. Wisconsin’s 23 year old, Laura Kaeppeler was crowned as the 91^st Miss America! 52 beautiful and talented young women competed for the title and I’m happy to say the Midwest was well represented. I’m thrilled to see the new perspectives and dynamics Laura will bring to our country during her year of service.

            With the recent crowning of Miss America I find it a perfect time to explain the journey that I myselft, as Miss Perham, am on. The Miss America Organization was created over 90 years ago for young women to earn scholarship money to pursue their education goals.  The journey to Miss America is a three-fold process. Each state has local programs in which young women between the ages of 17 and 24 compete. If she wins a local title she then competes at her state level. If she is crowned in her state she then competes for the title of Miss America.  This June I will continue my journey as I compete for the title of Miss Minnesota. If crowned, I will head to Las Vegas to compete for Miss America. The Miss Perham Scholarship Organization is a fabulous opportunity for young women who live in Perham to begin a journey to their dreams. I am forever thankful for the doors it has opened. My hope is that our community will continue to support the young women crowned as Miss Perham.

            May the warm weather continue to speed up the winter. Much love and many blessings from Jamestown, ND to my family and friends in Perham!