Hello everyone! I am having so much fun here in Toronto and I can’t believe half of the week is pretty much fun! Time really flies when you are truly having fun! Anyways, I wanted to take the time to say thank you to two of our amazing sponsors so far that has helped create this experience more memorable!

First I would like to thank Square One Shopping centre for giving each delegate a gift card to contribute to our shopping spree! It was extremely generous and I truly did have a good time shopping. It was a huge mall and all the stores I really liked! I wish we had more time to really go through it but I will definitely returning to shop there whenever I come back here to Toronto! So thank you again. Make sure to check out their instagram and twitter – @shopsquareone and use the hashtag #SQ1 🙂

 

Another big thank you to the restaurant Nirvana for such a great dinner experience we had! They served us with amazing indian cuisine!
On the menu for us was:
Appetizer:
Hare Bhare Kebab
Aloo Tikki
Main:
Butter Chicken
Vegtable Pasta
Rice & Naan
Dessert:
Rice Malai

It was all delicious! I don’t usually get to eat Indian cuisine so it was nice to get to taste the variety of food they had. So if you’re ever in Mississauga, check them out! Also make sure to check their FB page as well, @NirvanaFlavours and website www.nirvanatheflavoursofindia.com
‪#‎nirvanaflavours‬

Greetings from Toronto everyone! I made it and the search for Miss Teenage Canada has officially begun! How exciting!

Since you know I am a Regional Delegate from Manitoba and I couldn’t be happier to represent our beautiful province when I arrived her on Sunday July 17th at 2pm! Once we arrive at our hotel which was the Airport Holiday Inn here in Toronto, we entered the waiting room where all the rest of the delegates were waiting. Let me tell you, I was a bit overwhelmed and intimidated but once I got a chance to meet the girls, that thought just flew out of my mind. Especially meeting my wonderful roommate, Anne, who is Miss Teenage Surrey from BC! Then from there we went up to our rooms to get ready for our first event as Miss Teenage Canada Delegates which was the Opening Ceremonies of the 2016 Search for Miss Teenage Canada 2016. I was feeling really excited because as a girl, I love any reason to glam up and also it was start of our journey to the Miss Teenage Canada 2016.

The party was so fun and upbeat, every corner of the room was filled with goodies and fun activities our wonderful sponsors provided us with! I was also happy to be able to reunite with my Manitoba girls and enjoy this experience with them. Being there I just felt so blessed and honoured that we were all chosen to compete for this coveted title. Now this week isn’t always about work and stress because that party was an example of that. Everyone was relaxed and just having a great time. We got to eat some pizza and cake, who could go wrong with that? And I also witnessed a captivating game of 1 hole mini golf where some of the delegates showed off their skills. I was also happy to have met the reigning Miss Teenage Canada, the beautiful Sarah Wocjik.

Now I would like to introduce to you the wonderful sponsors that helped make that night happen!

NUVANGO

Nuvango logoNuvango created a shareable moment center by offering up some designer clothes and a full length mirror. This is a girl party mainstay. I couldn’t believe the art that was put on these clothing! It was like you were literally a walking art piece. Each type of clothing was different and you could really choose one that fits your personality the best because there was such an array to choose from. I feel that anyone can find something for themselves. And it’s not the typical style of clothing as well, a lot of it is very outspoken and loud which I absolutely love. It really embraces Miss Teenage Canada’s motto of being your own kind of beautiful in their own way.

On Tuesday July 19, our ensemble will be making a visit to the Nuvango headquarters and I couldn’t be more excited to learn about more things about them and their clothing!

Make sure to visit their website, Facebook, twitter, and instagram if you are interested!

Website: https://ca.nuvango.com/

Instagram, Facebook & Twitter: @nuvango

And if you do get any other clothing make sure to post a picture of it on twitter and Instagram and tag them and use the hashtags #nuvango #nuvangostyle

UPDATE:

We visited Nuvango’s headquarters and it was such a fun experience! We got to see everything behind the scenes from how they create the shirts to what they choose to put out into their store! I’m still amazed of the fact they are all based in Toronto and everything is done in that building! They take real artist’s art and put them to life on clothing which amazes me. Please check them out!

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GOLDEN GLAMOUR GODDESSES

The girls from GGG were amazing! They were so nice and friendly and gave each of us a product of theirs to try. I got the body butter which smells HEAVENLY! They also told me their products are also homemade so that really put me in awe. I always applaud entrepreneurs who create their own products! They also offer services in Spray Tanning, Spray Brightening, Air Brush Makeup,  Eyelash Extensions, and Hairstyling! They are very talented and nice enough to provide us girls with discounted rates for spray tanning and lash extensions. If you are in need of any of the services I mentioned please go check them out!

Visit their social media pages!

Website: www.GGGoddesses.com

Facebook: Golden Glamour Goddesses

Instagram: @gggodesses

SWEETS CANADA

Sam Dhutia from Sweets Canada was at the party doing chocolate tastings. Sam made a very informative and delicious chocolate tasting exhibit – after each sampling he generously gave out gourmet chocolate bars, and or edible flower chocolate bars, depending on each delegate’s individual preferences, as discovered during the tastings.

I was lucky enough to get the Dark Chocolate Matcha Green Jasmine Petals. I don’t usually like dark chocolate but this one had a little twist in it. It was really tasteful and wasn’t the ordinary out of the mill dark chocolate. I love the fact that there was matcha green tea flavour in it because those are on of my favourites. The surprise were the jasmine petals! What! There’s flower petals in chocolate? You’d think it was a strange combination but you can hardly even tell it’s flower petals in the chocolate in my opinion. As a girl who loves her chocolate, this was so unique and really got me intrigued! I recommend you guys check it out if you can!

Sweets Canada is on Twitter @SweetsCanadaCA and so is their parent company Q Foods Canada which tweets from @QFoodsCanada

One highlight of the 2016 Search for Miss Teenage Canada was the opening night party where Regional Delegates from across the nation were showered with gifts from Sponsors. Busy corporate CEOs like Sam Dhutia of Qfoods Canada appeared in person and dispensed gifts.

 

 

V.P.I. CANADA

There were free designer sunglasses from V.P.I. Canada, one pair for each regional delegate.

I found my perfect pair  thanks to VPI Canada – I’ll make you proud.

Anyone can find the round frame vintage style sunglasses at VPI Canada sunglasses e-store, and there are over eight styles to choose from and these fit my face perfectly.

Thank you so much for being so generous! Please check them out and find your perfect pair ☺️

ARCHER’S ARENA

At the party I was able to bring out my inner Katniss Everdeen. There was a bow and arrow (with a giant marshmallow on the pointy end) and we all took turns trying to hit a paper target that was setup in the ballroom. We’ll ALL be playing Archery Tag in Toronto at Archers Arena on Thursday July 21st 2016 and I couldn’t be more excited. On that night, look for the hashtag #archerytag.

BRADLEE RYALL GOLF ACADEMY

I also got my ‘mini golf’ on with another fun exhibit that was from Bradlee Ryall Golf Academy! They can teach golf lessons at six golf courses west of Toronto. I love playing golf even if I’m not always the best at  it. The girls were able to have a mini one hole mini golf competition to get in the spirit of competing! Some girls really can nail that hole in one! Here at the party there was a live mini golf attraction set up for us to practice our putting!

On Weds July 20th we’re all going to the golf academy to play a one-hole golf game for two ladies to compete for golf jackets (which are prizes from SWING active wear) at the end of our group lessons on two different courses.

UPDATE:

So we went to Ryall Golf today and I had a blast! I never used to really take interest in golf but it was nice to learn the fundamentals and really appreciate the sport. So we learned how to drive, putt, and chip today, all new to me but was really fun. At the end we had a putting challenge that I fortunately was able to win! So I wanted to thank our instructors Mario, Ian, and John for being so great and patient with us! And also, thank you for the awesome prize and beautiful bouquet of flowers! I can’t wait to bring it back to Winnipeg 🙂   Oh and did I mention I got to meet former Toronto Maple Leaves hockey play Darryl Sitler? It was pretty cool! So if you ever wanted to learn how to play golf or just try something new, be sure to check them out!

Follow their twitter & instagram: @ryallgolf and their FB page and use their hashtag #ryallgolf

RIMMEL LONDON

A thank you to Rimmel London for sponsoring us with goody bags yet to come! Can’t wait to see them. Find the team on Instagram & Twitter: @rimmelllondoncan, and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RimmelLondonCanada

HASHTAGIO

Hashtagio is a Social Media Aggregator and User Generated Marketing Platform that was at the show collecting all our social media tagged with the #MissTeenageCanada2016 and then projecting it live at the party. Even better, they make a single feed URL to which our parents and friends can subscribe to follow along in real time as we experience all the different activities here in Toronto. And the mass of spontaneously issued images and text from all 65 delegates will be archived on this page in the Miss Teenage Canada main site and on the Miss Teen Canada Blog Network / Search for Miss Teenage Canada 2016. It was a really fun way to get a compilation of all the girls pictures and really get a sense of what everyone is up to this week!

SALLY HANSEN

Thank you Sally Hansen for being a sponsor! Cannot wait to see the goody bags!

Website: https://ca.sallyhansen.com/

Instagram & Twitter: @sallyhansenca

BATA SHOE MUSEUM

We’ll be visiting the Bata Shoe Museum on Tuesday, July 19 at 11:30 a.m.

www.batashoemuseum.ca.

@batashoemuseum and they collect images marked #batashoemuseum

UPDATE:

We visited Bata Shoe Museum on Tuesday and it was such a fun time! Thank you for giving us such interesting tours and having us! Learned so much things about shoe history in such a short amount of time. Oh did I mention I got see Shaquille O’neal’s shoe?! It was very cool. Make sure to visit them when you are in Toronto!

Fishd By EDO

instagram/twitter/facebook: @fishdbyedo

YOGEN FRUZ

Provided $15 coupon which we will be giving to the Miss Teenage Canada 2016 prize pack. Thank you so much for the generosity!

http://www.yogenfruz.com/

https://www.facebook.com/yogenfruz

https://twitter.com/yogenfruz

https://www.instagram.com/yogenfruz/

ARCHER DENTAL

Thank you for the sponsorship! We really appreciate it.

Storia PR Inc.

Delegates are especially advised to seek out and introduce themselves to Daphna and Karen Nussbaum from Storia PR in Toronto. Karen Nussbaum from StoriaPRThese ladies are part of the 2016 Search for Miss Teenage Canada experience and will be retweeting and amplifying much of the media we make, everywhere we go. Without their help, this experience wouldn’t be as good as it is now!

https://www.facebook.com/storiapublicrelations
@StoriaPR, https://twitter.com/StoriaPR
https://www.instagram.com/storiapr/

Thank you again to all the sponsors who were so generous that made our opening ceremonies a success! We wouldn’t be here without the help of these amazing sponsors. Please keep staying tuned for more blogs from me and to hear my experience from nationals! Thank you for reading until this point and all the support and love! I wouldn’t be here without you guys! Until next time!

With love,

xo Denisse

Today I wanted to just make a quick post about something that is important to me. I recently just registered for my classes for fall and that’s why I decided to sit down and just talk about it. For those who don’t know I’m in university and recently gotten accepted into the Faculty of Education at University of Winnipeg. I can honestly tell you I’ve never been so excited to start school. I guess that’s what happens when you truly enjoy what you’re doing.

But let me tell you, that wasn’t always my first decision. Coming out of High School I had my mind set on something in the medical field because that’s what I grew up thinking I would do and there’s nothing wrong with that. But experiencing university was a lot different for me than high school. I learned that you learn more about yourself and what your real interests and strengths are. You don’t stop growing once you’ve graduated, no matter how old you are you are still growing and learning new things in life and about yourself.

So when I got accepted into Education this year after a long time of playing the waiting game, I just felt such an overwhelming happiness and especially relief. For awhile I felt I was stuck with no where to go because everything was always unsure until I finally got this reassurance that I was going in the right path. I know I am young and still have a long way to go but it’s nice to feel like I’m working towards something. Everyone is meant to do something in their life and this just felt right for me.

Education has always been an important thing in my life and also my family’s life. My inspiration for that is my grandma. I won’t go into too detail just cause it will be a long post but long story short it was something important to her that she wasn’t really able to experience fully. So because of that she made it a goal that when she had children that all of them would finish university and get that degree. She always told me how important it is to take school seriously and to do your best so that you will have a better future for not only for yourself but if you decide to have a family one day. It has always stuck to me especially since my grandma always wanted to be a teacher which she never was able to. But she is a teacher to me and all her kids and grandchildren because she has instilled in us so much knowledge and life lessons that you can’t just get anywhere else. And for that I dedicate my goal to become a teacher to her because she inspires me in so many ways possible. She’s so independent and strong considering she raised four kids on her own and put them all through school. She is a true example of “Hard work does pay off.”

As I make my way to become a teacher, I also want to make a difference. That’s why I revolved my platform on mental health catering especially to the education part of it and really making it apart of the curriculum in Canada. I have this vision and goal that by the time I graduate and start my teaching career in a couple years, that there will be mental health education as part of the curriculum that I will get to teach one day. I know it won’t be easy but I will do my best to make it there and hopefully by some help and support, we can all work together and get there. Then maybe all of our hard work to make that difference, will pay off.

Thank you to everyone for reading this blog post that has always been something I wanted to talk about for awhile. I’m new to being a blogger but I’m slowly coming out of my shell and being exposed to more ways to give my help for those who need! Please stay tune for more posts like this! I’ve always wanted a blog so this is kind of a dream come true as well. Take care everyone and I hope you all had wonderful day!

With love,

xo Denisse

Hello everyone! So here is my second blog assignment and it is a fun one too! Along with our sponsors “Sign Source Solution” who are sponsoring this assignment, we were asked to create our own design for a rollup banner for Miss Teenage Canada. It was a challenge but it was a fun challenge! I love when my creativity side is challenged! So here is my design and hopefully you guys like it! I wanted something simple and clean with a little sass in it to catch your attention, and I also had to include what it means to be Miss Teenage Canada and what it represents to make sure everyone who hears about this awesome organization is aware! Also I love the motto Miss Teenage Canada has so it also had to be included there!

Thank you to Miss Teenage Canada and Sign Source Solution for this fun assignment! Until next time!

P.S Please stay tuned because nationals are only a few more days away! I’ll need your help!

Hope everyone had a wonderful day!

Peace & love,

xo Denisse

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Happy Canada day everyone! I know I’m a little late on this but I just wanted to sit down and talk to you guys about my wonderful province and Canada! Lately there has been some negative news on tv that keeps breaking my heart. It really gives you a perspective of how blessed you are that those things are not happening to you and how you shouldn’t take that for granted.

As for me, I love living in my province of Manitoba, let alone Canada itself! When I became Miss Teenage Manitoba I did appreciate everything around me before but it has also opened me up to a new perspective. As Miss Teenage Manitoba, you get opportunities to participate in things that you never really thought about participating in. It gives you a push to go even farther than you’ve already have. It pushes me to be more involved and really use the platform I was blessed enough to be given and make the most of it.

I would like to share some of the things I was able to be apart of in my home city and province. The downtown area are where most of the things that happen in Winnipeg and which is also where I live currently for those who don’t know! But Manitoba overall, has a lot of of events that happen throughout the year especially in summer.

The things that I recently were apart of were Kids Fest, Pride Winnipeg, and KIK Picnic to name a few and all of them were happening at the Forks. There are tons of places to visit in  Manitoba but one of the main attractions tourists should visit is The Forks in Winnipeg. Most city events happen in that area that’s why it’s such a nice place to visit when you are in town.

 

The Forks is one of my favourite places to go in Winnipeg. It is a bunch of different old buildings that was made into kind of market that have a bunch of little boutiques, restaurants, and even entertainment. It’s definitely a go to place  if you want to do and see fun things when you’re in Winnipeg! Here is the quote from The Forks Website so I don’t get anything wrong to give you the exact definition what The Forks is all about “The Forks, Winnipeg’s meeting place. Nestled in the heart of downtown, The Forks is one of Winnipeg’s most beloved places, at the junction of the Assiniboine and mighty Red rivers.
We’ve been a meeting place for over 6,000 years. Early Aboriginal peoples traded at The Forks, followed by European fur traders, Métis buffalo hunters, Scottish settlers, riverboat workers, railway pioneers and tens of thousands of immigrants.
Today, framed by the banks of the two rivers, The Forks is Winnipeg’s number one tourist destination with more than four million visitors annually.
Winter, spring, summer or fall, The Forks is a must for a stunning array of dining experiences, incomparable shopping, a constantly changing slate of entertainment and events, and many unique attractions that encompass the site’s natural, historic and man-made features. ”
If you want to learn more about The Forks, please call 1.888.942.6302 or go their website http://www.theforks.com/about/the-forks 🙂

 

Manitoba overall is such a diverse province that celebrates all kinds of cultures. That’s what I love because everyone is very open to learning about new cultures and accepting what they have to offer. Another event that happens in Winnipeg that celebrates diversity is Folkarama that is coming soon! And Canada overall celebrates diversity and encourages you to embrace your Canadian identity but also to not forget your root heritage as well which is pretty amazing if you ask me.

So if you’re ever in Manitoba please check out those wonderful events in places! There’s tons of places to go in Manitoba and Canada! Be proud of who you are, where you come from, and remember to treat everyone with love and respect no matter what! The world is always better in peace ❤️

Thank you everyone who continue to read my blog! I will try to keep making more as I can! Have a wonderful day 🙂

With love,

xo Denisse

 

 

 

 

Hello everyone again! Let me tell you, it has been a blast so far being Miss Teenage Manitoba! It’s been over a month since I was crowned and it’s been a whirlwind. Let me tell you about it from the very start!

So I’ll take it back to coronation night, a night I’ll never forget. Now this would be my very first pageant so I really went into this not really knowing what to expect. I was super nervous and scared I wouldn’t fit in. That wasn’t the case at all! I met the most friendly and talented young girls! We had so much fun working together to perfect our walks and building that confidence. They were all so supportive of one another that’s why in the end it never felt like a competition. These girls proved that pageants aren’t all about the exterior beauty like some stereotypes out there say but what really counts is your inner beauty and who you are as a person. Each one of these girls were very inspiring in their platforms and were girls you can keep as friends for a lifetime.

The whole weekend was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. We got to experience learning how to walk, how to talk in our interviews, and really pushing out that confidence each one of us had. We also learnt a fun dance in two days I may add, from Tiffany, who was a great teacher! She made sure us girls were able to keep and up and made sure we looked our best! We also got so much valuable advice from the past Manitoba winners such a Courtney, Kyla, Devon, Mikaela, Cheyenne, Kaylyn, Carrington, and Kaitlyn, and also Michelle who is the Miss Teenage Canada director. They all were great enough to share their Miss Teenage Canada experiences and some wise words for us to take when head to Toronto to compete for Miss Teenage Canada.

So as the big night came around faster than I expected, I was really nervous. I know we all worked really hard so regardless of the outcome, we were all going to be happy for each other. The adrenaline I felt that night was different from how I ever felt before. Growing up, as a little girl I only watched pageants like Miss Universe, only dreaming that one day I will be able to do something like that. It was crazy standing with all the other girls, thinking in my head, “I made it.” From the start of the day of learning the rest of our dance and getting all ready and glammed up, everything just flew by until the show started and we were waiting backstage to do our opening number. From there everyone of us just went out there and did our best for our friends and family who came to support us.

Being crowned Miss Teenage Manitoba was a dream come true and having my family and friends be there just made everything perfect. If you told me a year ago that I would’ve been able to experience all of this, I really wouldn’t have believed you. I grew up joining singing competitions or going to auditions and got really discouraged because I never won or got the part. So it really was a big step for me to join this pageant and really put myself out there. With the help of my parents who whenever I would lose, would always tell me to just be patient and that God had something else in store for me. In between those years I just worked on my self confidence and skills so I can be ready to take on something like this. It truly is a blessing to have this opportunity to represent my wonderful province in Miss Teenage Canada next month. I can’t thank enough all the people who have supported me through this and who continues to support me all the way. I have so much love for all those people who never stopped believing in me!

As I have mentioned in my previous post, during my year I will do my best to make the most of it and really spread awareness about the platform I have chosen which is promoting mental health education in schools. This is something I know a lot of the youth have been really pushing and I want to help those who really believe in it as well. The youth should never feel that they are alone and not be afraid to share whatever they are feeling. Each one of you who feel like you can’t reach out to anyone through your rough times, please know there are people who love and care about you and will always be willing to listen and be there! Don’t give up on yourself and make sure you always give yourself a good mental break when life can get out of hand. Please join me in support of mental and in hopes we can make a difference not just this year, but for continuing years to come.

So the journey has only begun and I can’t wait to share this experience with each and everyone of you! Thank you all again for the support and stay tuned for what else is to come!

With love,

Denisse xo

 

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Hello everyone! I’m so honoured to be your new Miss Teenage Manitoba 2016. I look forward for this year ahead and to represent my wonderful province, Manitoba, in this year’s Miss Teenage Canada. I can’t wait for the experiences this year has to offer and to share this exciting journey with you all! Now I think it’s only fair that you and whoever decides to read this blog would get a chance to know me a little better!

To start off, I’m your average teenage girl who tries my best to stay true to me. I still love to hangout with my family and watch netflix, or go out with my friends and get all dolled up. I am terrified of spiders and would love to travel the world someday. I’m also a foodie, which is basically short for those who just enjoy different type of food. I goof around and make a fool of myself sometimes, but in the end of the day, who doesn’t right? That’s what I learned throughout this whole process is the only key to true success if you keep yourself grounded and never be anything you’re not. You have to love yourself for who you are first before you worry about how anyone else thinks of you.

So to take it back to my roots, I reside in my hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba but for those who don’t know, I was born in the Philippines but migrated here when I was three. I am a witness to this great country we live in for letting immigrants like my family and I, to have a better life. I live in a family of four which is myself, my sister, and my mom and dad. We have a small family but that only allows us to be so close. We’ve always valued family as being first before anything because in the end, those are the people who you can turn to through your highs and lows. I wouldn’t be where I am without my number one support system.

I am nineteen years old and I am currently attending University of Winnipeg in the Faculty of Education to become a teacher. Growing up, working with kids has always become a passion of mine. I enjoy witnessing kid’s and teen’s youthful minds and their own imagination because it inspires me to look at life with positivity and perseverance. Teaching wasn’t my first option after graduating high school but I learned you always know in your heart if what you’re doing feels right or not. For high school, I studied at two different high schools which were St. Boniface Diocesan High school and also, Garden City Colliegate, where I enjoyed the performing arts as my extracurricular activities. Throughout high school I was able to maintain being honour roll while involving myself with these activities. My favourites were being apart of the musical, a vocal jazz group called “The Groove”, and the dance group called “Reality Check”. Being apart of all of this really made me grow into the person I am today and really gave me friends that I’ll have for a lifetime. Nothing feels better when you get to be with people who have the same passion as you so they can help bring out the best in yourself.

Throughout my reign, I am striving to really make that difference and be that role model for young adults. I would like to be able to use my title in promoting mental health education in our schools. It’s a topic that is not usually talked about until something happens which I would like to change. I want to be able to get rid of that stigma of the youth being afraid to speak out and ask for help. I know a lot of young adults my age are already fighting to push this cause and I really want to help shed some light on their hardwork. Every youth needs to know someone is always there to look out for them and be there if they need because they are truly loved. I believe this can happen if we really come together and speak out on what needs to happen. I’d love if all my readers would join me in support of mental health education being apart of the school’s curriculum. Change is possible if everyone comes together and work as a team. Love for each other can really help most of our society’s social problems more than people think.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who has supported me and continue to support me throughout this whole journey. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the love and encouragement from all those people who mean the most. I would also like to thank Miss Teenage Canada for giving and trusting me with this blessing of being Miss Teenage Manitoba.

Please stay tuned for more blogs because this is only the beginning! Thank you for reading until the end of this blog! 🙂

Peace & love,

Denisse xo

Wow. It seems unbelievable, but the night is here. Tonight, I will hand off my title of Miss
Teenage Manitoba to another lucky lady. Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting all the contenders, and helped train them to prepare for tonight’s final event. This whole weekend is bittersweet, as I’ve come to realize that a year full of personal accomplishments and new experiences is finally coming to a close. Throughout my year as a titleholder, I feel as I’ve learned so much about myself and the world around me. I’m proud of the person I’ve become within the past year, and look forward to seeing how I grow in the future.

Winning the title of Miss Teenage Manitoba has been life-changing. I remember standing on stage after being crowned, crying because I was overwhelmed with emotions. For me, this event was so much more that a beauty pageant. It was an opportunity for myself to set a goal, work towards it, and achieve something I thought was unattainable. Because of my title, I’ve made friends across the country, organized and attended charity events that garnered the attention of local media, had a ton of fun, and became a more active member in my community!

MY FAVOURITE EVENT

Choosing a favourite event is definitely something hard to do. Over the year I’ve met people such as Marc and Craig Kielburger, founders of Free the Children Charity, as well as Mayor Bruce Henley of West St Paul. The events I did in my community were numerous, and definitely memorable. The time Miss Teenage Winnipeg Mikaela Mendez and I hosted the Canada Day Ceremonies at the Sunova Centre in West St Paul was definitely one of my favourites! Because of my title, I’ve also received perks such as a “behind the scenes” tour at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. I’d be lying if I said these perks weren’t a bonus of being a titleholder! By far however, my favourite event was being the keynote speaker at Youth Awards Day for the Girl Guides of Manitoba this past month.

At this event, I gave a fifteen minute speech to an audience of 150 young women, all receiving awards for their achievements in the community. I spoke about female empowerment, the importance of supporting each other as strong, confident females, and how being your own kind of beautiful is the best thing you can be. Being able to speak to all these young women was a blessing, and I felt excited to finally be part of a public speaking engagement. As public speaking is the career path I wish to take, it definitely felt good to dip my feet in the water.

FRIENDS I’VE MADE

To all the girls that are crowned tonight, be ready for a crazy (in a good way) week in Toronto. You’ll see tourist attractions and be on television, but above all, meet some amazing people. Through the Miss Teenage Canada experience I’ve made some great friendships with people across the country! Gracie, my roommate for the week at Nationals is someone I’m still very close with, and look forward to visiting this summer in
Saskatchewan! From Newfoundland to British Columbia, I’m happy to hold good relationships with so many of the girls. If I could only give one piece of advice for the upcoming titleholders, it would be to go into Nationals with an open mind. Despite popular belief, 99.9% of the girls aren’t catty, and almost every girl has never been in a pageant before! With so many genuine, beautiful girls, I’ve decided that I would never want to be a judge on Finals night… It would simply be too hard to choose!

GOOD LUCK 2016 DELEGATES

To all the Manitoban delegates competing in this weekend’s pageant, good luck to you all. You are all beautiful inside and out, andI’m so happy to have met you yesterday! I remember feeling nervous, being in your shoes almost one year ago. Here are two simple rules that will hopefully make the whole experience more enjoyable:

1. BE YOURSELF! I know this sound cliche, but the judges aren’t looking for a specific “type” of girl. You could see an example of this through the past Miss Teen Canada titleholders. Channing Smendziuk, Miss Teenage Canada 2010 (Manitoba represent)! is a brunette who does ballet. Lauren Howe, Miss Teenage Canada 2011 is a blonde who plays field hockey. Megha Sandhu, titleholder from the first year I competed is East Indian in descent, and did stand-up comedy as her talent. Sarah Wojcik, Miss Teenage Canada 2015 stood at 5’3″, and broke boundaries by being the first non-provincial titleholder to win the National title. As long as you are confident in who you are as a person, the judges will notice this and see all your other amazing qualities shine through.
2. HAVE FUN! Looking back, the Miss Teen Manitoba pageant was one of my most fond memories to date. Although it is a competition, don’t let that stop you from having fun, making friends with the other delegates, as well as memories to last a lifetime. Embrace this experience for all it’s worth, as I’m sure by now you realize that the weekend goes by very quickly!

THANK YOU

Writing my last paragraph as Miss Teenage Manitoba, for one last time I wanted to thank all the amazing people that have helped me throughout my journey. Winning the title of Miss Teenage Manitoba was only the beginning of hurdles I had to jump along my journey to Nationals. To my friends and family, thank you for supporting my dreams along the way, backing me with your endless love and support. To the following sponsors, I thank you. Without the help of your funds and services, there is no way Nationals would have been possible.

• Zhanna Polishchuck, of REC Photography
• IBEW Local 2085 
• Coughlin Insurance
• The Construction Labour Relations Association Board of Manitoba 
• Scinn Studio Spa

Thank you to my readers as well. I have truly enjoyed writing these posts! There are so many elements involved in being a successful titleholder, but I can easily say blogging has been one of my favourite things to do. I can only dream that you see my writing again someday, but in a larger way.  Whether it be my own novel, CNN journalist column, or sports broadcast report, I will continue to pursue my dreams. I can only hope that you will do the same!

Much love,

Devon