On March 1st, I traveled to Eclectic for Read Across America! The school, students, and parents welcomed me with such warmth and I was honored to serve as a celebrity reader. It was so refreshing to see parents, teachers, and students so committed to fostering an atmosphere where the importance of reading is never lost! I read to students and got to watch the 6th grade play based on famous literary characters that recently had been making cameos in films. Throughout the production the chorus would reiterate the motto “BOOKS ARE BETTER THAN MOVIES!”
The first weekend in March was very exciting and eventful! This is the traditional time for the Miss Alabama Contestant Orientation. On March 5th, 48 women converged on Samford University’s Campus in Birmingham to kick-off the Miss Alabama Pageant Season. It was surreal to not be sitting among them, but exciting to see their eagerness and focus. We began the morning with contestant orientation, were treated to an orientation to the Miss America Duke of Edinburgh Awards Partnership by Josh Randall, and ate lunch with influential women from around the state at the Alabama Federation of Women’s Club Headquarters. The coming months will be filled with countless honors of preparation, selfless platform work, and a stream of deadlines. All of these women have a great love for this organization and represent it well and in June, one of them will become Miss Alabama 2011!
That weekend was also filled with another exciting Miss Alabama event-the Miss Alabama’s Outstanding Teen Pageant! Now, the young ladies that compete in the MAOT Pageant in Sylacauga are truly remarkable and I can remember sitting in the audience as a local titleholder among the other Miss Alabama contestants and knowing that the general consensus among us was “Thank Goodness these girls aren’t old enough for the Miss Program yet!” They are so talented, beautiful, and intelligent and are wonderful role models. I have been incredibly proud to serve alongside Scarlett Walker, Miss Alabama’s Outstanding Teen 2010 and am continually amazed by her spirit. We began as friends and have grown to love each other! Our new MAOT, Mi’a Callens is yet another amazing young lady who is wise and talented beyond her years and I cannot wait to see what she does for this program.
Another exciting adventure was modeling in a fashion show benefiting The Foundry and The Lovelady Center, two worthy community programs. The show was hosted by Christopher from Project Runway! It was a fabulous day and all of the models showcased consignment fashions. I modeled a series of vintage looks, a brown sundress with white polka dots (very Pretty Woman) and a black sequined cocktail look that could have easily been worn during the Roaring 20s!
Also last month, I traveled to Montgomery for the FCCLA State Conference. There I spoke to Alabama high school students about the importance of their work with Children’s Miracle Network and stressed the value of leading a life of service. I was honored to attend the Annual Center Point Mayer’s Prayer Breakfast, where our very own Miss Alabama local director, Mr. Tim Gann, is a pillar of the community. I sang one of my favorite Nat King Cole classics that morning, “Paper Moon,” a song that basically says that faith is what gives life meaning!
The UAB March for Babies Committee, the flagship of my platform Marching Toward a Brighter Future for Babies, was also very busy during March. The committee has been meeting to recruit volunteers for the March for Babies, has been publicizing the March on campus, and has been raising money for the March of Dimes. We hosted the Bake Sale for Babies on UAB’s campus on the 10th-a great success!
On a personal note, one of my best friends got married at the end of last month. My dear Alice Watts is now Alice Watts Myers. It was such a wonderful weekend and Alice was absolutely stunning. She and Paul were married in Central Presbyterian Church in Huntsville and then we all proceeded to the Huntsville Country Club. To see Alice and Paul so happy and to have the chance to stand up there as a member of her bridal party gave me such great joy!
March was, for lack of a better word, FABULOUS! This is all going so fast, but I have been blessed during every second of it!
See you all next time!
Ashley
Hi Ashley Davis how are you doing. My name is Sean Opalenik and it's nice to meet you. Oh wow what was it like being Miss Alabama 2010 was like? Ashley i would love to be your friend and hope you add me as a Facebook friend as well and go to www.Facebook.com/sopalenik and hope you accept me as a Facebook friend and i'll add you as my Facebook friend as well. E-mail me privately at sopalenik3@hotmail.com right away. I hope that you'll be a future Miss Alabama USA in your future. Love to hear from you Ashley. Thanks very much.
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