Miss Kentucky appears at Rich Pond Elementary School
Before Miss Kentucky 2016 Laura Jones stepped to the microphone Monday morning to talk to the approximately 560 kids at Rich Pond Elementary School, she discussed what she had been doing since she was crowned in July.
"During my year I travel the entire state, so I'm trying to get to all 120 counties. It's been amazing," the 23-year-old Louisville native said. "The first few months I was preparing for the Miss America Pageant. I've been speaking and performing. I've been in parades and at state fairs."
On Monday, however, her focus was on students, explaining that this was her full-time job and teaching them three parts of living healthy lives. The first part was eating healthy. She asked the kids examples of healthy foods and they named items such as apples, tomatoes, bananas and salads.
"Eating healthy can be fun and delicious. I would encourage you to eat healthy now and when you get to be my age and older your body will be healthy," she said. "My parents taught me that if you eat healthy ... . It will help you live longer."
Jones then asked the students for examples of unhealthy foods. They called out items such as chocolate and ice cream.
"Is it good to eat sugar all the time? It's not very nutritious," she said. "It doesn't give you the fuel your body needs."
That doesn't mean you have to eliminate it from your diet, though, Jones said.
"It's all about balance," she said.
The second component of living a healthy life is exercise, Jones said. Some examples from Jones and the students were running, soccer, volleyball and jump rope.
"How many of you have a pet? Sometimes running with them or walking with them can be great exercise," she said. "I like to do something new every day so I won't get bored."
The third part of living healthy is having a healthy mind, Jones said. Having a healthy mind is as important as having a healthy body.
"Do you ever say, 'I wish I was like her?' or 'I wish I was like him?' Did you know you guys are the only you in the whole world?" she asked. "How special is that? You can be such an encouragement to the people around you."
Jones talked about how she began playing the violin when she was 8 years old before performing on a 200-year-old fiddle belonging to her great-great grandfather for the kids.
"At first I really loved it. Then it started getting it hard. I came to a point when I wanted to quit," she said. "My mother said ... never give up. I've been playing for 16 years. It was my talent on the Miss America stage. Whatever you've dedicated to, work hard and never give up."
Darby Campbell, 6, was instrumental in helping bring Jones to Rich Pond Elementary School. Miss Kentucky's Outstanding Teen Chapel Tinius, who knows Jones, is her mentor. Tinius chose Darby to be a Bluegrass Princess, which introduces youngsters into the Miss America program. Tinius also appeared at the school with Jones. Darby said the whole experience was "cool."
"The crowns and when she played the fiddle," Darby said of what she liked about the program at school.
Darby's family hosted Jones and her family for lunch on Sunday. She enjoyed having Jones in her home.
"It was a dream come true," she said.
Mason Devries, 11, said he knew about the Miss America Pageant, but was not familiar with the people who are in the pageants. He enjoyed Jones talking about eating healthy.
"It will stick with you forever," he said.
– Follow features reporter Alyssa Harvey on Twitter @bgdnfeatures or visitbgdailynews.com.
www.bgdailynews.com/news/miss-kentucky-appears-at-rich-pond-elementary-school/article_02add076-0c6e-5859-a4c1-8d1e76763b52.html
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