Beyond the crown with Miss North Carolina USA 2016
Posted: Sunday, February 7, 2016 6:30 am
-
-
Posted on Feb 7, 2016
Allison Dunn, a
junior at Appalachian State University, was the guest speaker at the
Harvest House in Boone on Jan. 31, sharing how her faith carries her
through life — especially since being crowned Miss North Carolina USA
2016 last October.
A junior
hospitality and tourism management major in the Walker College of
Business at ASU and a straight A student from Matthews, Dunn, 21, is
taking the semester off to fulfill obligations related to her new role.
“There is a lot of traveling and public
appearances required of me now,” she said. “I knew I couldn’t
concentrate on school and do this at the same time.”
Aspiring to become an event planner, Dunn said she hopes to work in New York “to get my feet wet and start my own company,” before returning South.
Although she had a hectic schedule while preparing to compete in the Miss USA 2016 pageant in June, Dunn said she is never too busy to talk about her faith.
Invited to speak at the Boone church by David Blust, a close family friend, Dunn said it was an honor to share how she was raised in a Christian home — and that attending church her entire life “was as natural as breathing.”
It meant not only being in services on Sundays, but also being involved with children and youth choirs and programs, Vacation Bible School, church camp and mission trips in the summer.
“I loved it all, and have only the fondest memories,” she said.
Accepting Christ as her personal savior at age 8, Dunn was in high school and attending a youth program when she heard the speaker talk about using one’s gifts and talents for the Lord.
“I knew I couldn’t sing that well, I couldn’t dance and I wasn’t artistic, and so I sat there wondering what I could do,” she said.
The speaker also shared how his wife, a former Miss Tennessse, used her platform to share the gospel.
“I thought, hey, I could do that,” Dunn said, and at 15, she talked with her mother about entering a pageant.
“At first, she hesitated, but got on board when we talked about how I, too, could use pageants to share my faith,” Dunn said.
Upon discovering the Miss North Carolina Teen USA competition, Dunn called with questions to the organization’s office.
She learned that she would need to wear high heels, something she had never done before, she said.
“The lady I spoke to suggested I start by wearing heels to do chores around the house, so for the next two years, I did that and practiced walking in them until I was secure enough to walk across a stage,” she said.
At 17, she entered the Miss North Carolina Teen USA pageant. “I was nervous around all those girls who had been in pageants for years, but I enjoyed it and was named first runner-up,” she said.
Looking back, Dunn said, she was clueless, adding, “But I also realized that God had kept me calm and been with me throughout the process.”
Having aged out of the teen division, Dunn returned the next year mostly for experience, she said, to compete in the “Miss” division — a very different experience.
“I was 18, the youngest age in the division which goes to 26,” she said.
Since the winner of Miss North Carolina USA competes for the Miss USA title, Dunn said, it is taken more serious, is much more competitive and stressful.
Backstage, Dunn observed a lot and was impressed, in particular with Julia Dalton, who she described as “a sweet, devout Christian girl.”
While others were rushing about focused only on the pageant, Dunn said, Dalton was calm, reading her Bible, listening to Christian music and being nice to everyone — “something many girls in this arena don’t do.”
Dalton came in second; Dunn was fourth runner-up. “Pretty amazing,” Dunn said, to make the Top 5 at 18.
Making friends with Dalton, “with whom I felt a kindred spirit,” Dunn said, was thrilling and certainly unexpected.
“As a former Miss North Carolina Teen USA whose older sister had been a former Miss North Carolina USA and won Miss USA 2009, Julia knew more about the pageant world than did I,” she said.
Dunn and Dalton kept in touch afterward and even discussed how fun it would be for Dalton to win the next year and then crown Dunn the following year.
“I was so impressed with Julia and knew that she deserved the title and would be a great role model for young girls and women,” Dunn said. “I had already begun to think that I would sit out at least a year and focus on college and grow up a little; the idea of sitting out and cheering for Julia to win was very appealing to me.”
She did sit it out the next year, and cheered loudly when Dalton won the title.
The next year, 2015, Dunn returned to the competition, and Dalton crowned her the winner.
“I was thrilled that both of our dreams came true, and it was made even more special knowing that Julia, my sister in Christ, was the one to crown me,” Dunn said.
Dunn prayed that if this was God’s plan for her life that she would win, but she said, she desired his will more than just a win.
“That weekend, I was nervous at first, but then, I prayed for God’s peace,” she said. “I calmed down and felt so much better and walked out on stage for finals feeling happy and confident.”
She said she was the last one called for the Top 5, “but it didn’t shake me at all.“
Wearing headphones with music blaring in her ears to prevent her from hearing the question until it was her turn, Dunn said, gave her time to pray for the right words.
“When it was my turn, God’s words came pouring out before I could even think about whether or not my answer could offend a judge or be politically correct, not that that would have mattered to me,” she said. “The question was perfect — about how important it was for me to stand up for what I believe.”
It felt amazing, Dunn said, to walk off the stage after saying that standing up for Christ is the most important thing — “because at the end of the day, I answer to him and no one else.”
Of course, she wanted to win, she admitted, “but in that moment, I had done what I had set out to do at 15. I had used this venue to share my faith. Winning became second to the victory I just felt. I knew my answer could have polarized a judge, but it didn’t matter.”
Moments later, Dunn said she stood on stage “while God literally gave me victory after victory.”
First, she won “Most Photogenic,” then the swimsuit competition.
When her name was announced as winner of Miss North Carolina USA 2016, “I can’t describe it. It was amazing and surreal,” she said.
A journey that began many years ago continues today, she said.
“I now have the opportunity to share my faith on an even greater stage at Miss USA. I know that the work God began in me is not finished. I can’t wait to see the plans he has for me to further his kingdom,” she said.
In the meantime, Dunn said she misses Boone and “the greatest department at ASU.”
“I can’t tell you how wonderful the folks are there at Walker,” she said.
ASU will always have a special place in her heart, she added, as it will for her parents, who are ASU alumni.
Aspiring to become an event planner, Dunn said she hopes to work in New York “to get my feet wet and start my own company,” before returning South.
Although she had a hectic schedule while preparing to compete in the Miss USA 2016 pageant in June, Dunn said she is never too busy to talk about her faith.
Invited to speak at the Boone church by David Blust, a close family friend, Dunn said it was an honor to share how she was raised in a Christian home — and that attending church her entire life “was as natural as breathing.”
It meant not only being in services on Sundays, but also being involved with children and youth choirs and programs, Vacation Bible School, church camp and mission trips in the summer.
“I loved it all, and have only the fondest memories,” she said.
Accepting Christ as her personal savior at age 8, Dunn was in high school and attending a youth program when she heard the speaker talk about using one’s gifts and talents for the Lord.
“I knew I couldn’t sing that well, I couldn’t dance and I wasn’t artistic, and so I sat there wondering what I could do,” she said.
The speaker also shared how his wife, a former Miss Tennessse, used her platform to share the gospel.
“I thought, hey, I could do that,” Dunn said, and at 15, she talked with her mother about entering a pageant.
“At first, she hesitated, but got on board when we talked about how I, too, could use pageants to share my faith,” Dunn said.
Upon discovering the Miss North Carolina Teen USA competition, Dunn called with questions to the organization’s office.
She learned that she would need to wear high heels, something she had never done before, she said.
“The lady I spoke to suggested I start by wearing heels to do chores around the house, so for the next two years, I did that and practiced walking in them until I was secure enough to walk across a stage,” she said.
At 17, she entered the Miss North Carolina Teen USA pageant. “I was nervous around all those girls who had been in pageants for years, but I enjoyed it and was named first runner-up,” she said.
Looking back, Dunn said, she was clueless, adding, “But I also realized that God had kept me calm and been with me throughout the process.”
Having aged out of the teen division, Dunn returned the next year mostly for experience, she said, to compete in the “Miss” division — a very different experience.
“I was 18, the youngest age in the division which goes to 26,” she said.
Since the winner of Miss North Carolina USA competes for the Miss USA title, Dunn said, it is taken more serious, is much more competitive and stressful.
Backstage, Dunn observed a lot and was impressed, in particular with Julia Dalton, who she described as “a sweet, devout Christian girl.”
While others were rushing about focused only on the pageant, Dunn said, Dalton was calm, reading her Bible, listening to Christian music and being nice to everyone — “something many girls in this arena don’t do.”
Dalton came in second; Dunn was fourth runner-up. “Pretty amazing,” Dunn said, to make the Top 5 at 18.
Making friends with Dalton, “with whom I felt a kindred spirit,” Dunn said, was thrilling and certainly unexpected.
“As a former Miss North Carolina Teen USA whose older sister had been a former Miss North Carolina USA and won Miss USA 2009, Julia knew more about the pageant world than did I,” she said.
Dunn and Dalton kept in touch afterward and even discussed how fun it would be for Dalton to win the next year and then crown Dunn the following year.
“I was so impressed with Julia and knew that she deserved the title and would be a great role model for young girls and women,” Dunn said. “I had already begun to think that I would sit out at least a year and focus on college and grow up a little; the idea of sitting out and cheering for Julia to win was very appealing to me.”
She did sit it out the next year, and cheered loudly when Dalton won the title.
The next year, 2015, Dunn returned to the competition, and Dalton crowned her the winner.
“I was thrilled that both of our dreams came true, and it was made even more special knowing that Julia, my sister in Christ, was the one to crown me,” Dunn said.
Dunn prayed that if this was God’s plan for her life that she would win, but she said, she desired his will more than just a win.
“That weekend, I was nervous at first, but then, I prayed for God’s peace,” she said. “I calmed down and felt so much better and walked out on stage for finals feeling happy and confident.”
She said she was the last one called for the Top 5, “but it didn’t shake me at all.“
Wearing headphones with music blaring in her ears to prevent her from hearing the question until it was her turn, Dunn said, gave her time to pray for the right words.
“When it was my turn, God’s words came pouring out before I could even think about whether or not my answer could offend a judge or be politically correct, not that that would have mattered to me,” she said. “The question was perfect — about how important it was for me to stand up for what I believe.”
It felt amazing, Dunn said, to walk off the stage after saying that standing up for Christ is the most important thing — “because at the end of the day, I answer to him and no one else.”
Of course, she wanted to win, she admitted, “but in that moment, I had done what I had set out to do at 15. I had used this venue to share my faith. Winning became second to the victory I just felt. I knew my answer could have polarized a judge, but it didn’t matter.”
Moments later, Dunn said she stood on stage “while God literally gave me victory after victory.”
First, she won “Most Photogenic,” then the swimsuit competition.
When her name was announced as winner of Miss North Carolina USA 2016, “I can’t describe it. It was amazing and surreal,” she said.
A journey that began many years ago continues today, she said.
“I now have the opportunity to share my faith on an even greater stage at Miss USA. I know that the work God began in me is not finished. I can’t wait to see the plans he has for me to further his kingdom,” she said.
In the meantime, Dunn said she misses Boone and “the greatest department at ASU.”
“I can’t tell you how wonderful the folks are there at Walker,” she said.
ASU will always have a special place in her heart, she added, as it will for her parents, who are ASU alumni.
http://www.wataugademocrat.com/community/beyond-the-crown-with-miss-north-carolina-usa/article_55d4ec13-e49c-50e6-bc27-03b8afc69ef4.html
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário