VOTE VOTE VOTE - BEIBER FEVER!!!!!!!!

For you NAMISS ROCKS blog followers, I blogged about Kiana Brown - Arizona Preteen & National Talent Winner. She won a local Justin Beiber Talent Search, earning her a free trip for 4 to LA to the premiere of Justin Beiber's new movie, "Never Say Never."

Well, while all local winners receive this awesome prize, they also go into the running for the NATIONAL GRAND PRIZE.....to MEET THE BEIB HIMSELF!!!

GUESS WHAT - KIANA HAS MADE IT INTO THE TOP 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The winner is based off of OUR VOTES! Alright, so for you all you BEIBER fans out there - you know how AMAZING this is! Let's get our girl there!!! GO VOTE!!!!!!!!

CLICK BELOW TO THE LINK TO GO VOTE!!

http://www.justinbieberneversaynever.com/regional.php

and VOTE for the PHOENIX location ( this is Kiana!!!)

For more updates on this stellar opportunity for Kiana - stay tuned, right here at the NAMISS ROCKS blogspot!

National American Miss - How did you get my/or my daughter's name and address?

As the National American Miss Growing Confidence kicks off for the year - we often get asked this one question....HOW DID YOU GET MY/MY DAUGHTER'S NAME & ADDRESS. Just like all of you, I received a letter in the mail inviting me to be in the pageant (years ago). And my mom, asked the same thing and it raised obvious suspicion and question for her. So, I totally understand and appreciate this question. You can't help but ask it! So for those of you who are asking this? You have come to the right spot!

National American Miss works on a referral basis. Meaning that we acquired you or your daughter's name and address from 1 of these 3 ways:

1. On the bottom of that letter that you received, their may be some logos for various organizations. These logos are National American Miss's sponsors, who support what we do, and refer girls to us each year. These organizations are National Honor Society, American Cheerleader, Dance Spirit, John Robert Powers Modeling School, and Ford Motor Company.

2. Another way is that girls who have participated in our program in the past have a chance to recommend outstanding young ladies to us, as they feel that this might be something you are interested in, are interested in gaining like skills and confidence, or have what it takes to be the next National American Miss. THIS is actually how I got that "life-changing" invitation letter in the mail years ago. A girl who went to the same dance school as me referred me to the pageant ( I didn't even know it until years later), and that's how I got started!

3. Lastly, we work with community leaders ( teachers, coaches, school counselors, etc) who know of National American Miss and refer girls to us. Often, neighbors even call us and tell us that their little neighbor girl is "sooo sweet and they want to recommend her to us!"

Bottom line, someone in your community thinks you are special and unique! You should be sooo proud of yourself, just for receiving this awesome invitation - not everyone gets one. Don't believe me - ask around at school!!

Hope this answers your questions and always, if you have any others - you can ask them right here on the NAMISS ROCKS blog or call your state pageant office!

Looking forward to seeing you at this year's National American Miss state pageant....where we are awarding more than 1.5 million dollars in cash scholarships, and prizes!

From NAM to Professional Model GLAM!

Elizabeth Bryson from Wisconsin walked onto the National American Miss stage a few years ago as a shy and reserved teenager. But, what she walked away with was a new-found sense of confidence and determination earning her high scores from the judges and eventually winning the National American Miss Wisconsin Jr. Teen title. At NAM nationals, Elizabeth placed in the top 5 and later went on to capture the title of Miss Wisconsin Teen USA. But, today, this college sophomore also works as a professional model, and it's because of the determination, confidence, and modeling opportunities that she claims National American Miss introduced her to. While Elizabeth has made her way on the cover of numerous magazines, her most recent highlight was print modeling for popular prom and pageant gown designer Tony Bowls' new line.

Check out some of her work below!!!!

NAM Arizona Preteen Queen wins Justin Beiber Talent Search..headed to LA for premiere of his new movie!

Hundreds of Bieber fans showed up in Tempe, Arizona for a shot at winning the Justin Beiber "In His World" talent search and win their way to the premiere of Justin Beiber's new movie, "Never Say Never."

With the talent search being sponsored by popular radio station,104.7 KISS-FM Pheonix, hundreds of fans started lining up at 6am!!!!!! But like any TRUE Justin Beiber die-hard and DETERMINED NAM girl, Kiana Brown (pictured left), former NAM National Queen & this year's Miss Arizona Preteen & National Talent Winner, was FIRST in line!! !!!!

Hoping to sing her way to the red-carpet premiere, she performed an acoustic version of "baby" to rave reviews and high marks from the judges. After everyone had performed, and scores were calculated and the top 3 were announced….Kiana was named the grand prize winner and the biggest Bieber fan in the Valley!!!

She along with 3 of her besties will now travel to Los Angeles for the premiere of "Never Say Never" by Paramount Pictures and a chance to meet the tween heart-throb! Check out this video of Kiana performing at the Talent Search below ( **side note - KiKi, as her friends call her, has not only MAD vocal skills - but check out her rockin stage presence! Hmmm...wonder where she learned that from??)

Stay tuned right here to the NAMiss Rocks Blog as we keep you updated on all this Beiber Fever business! And we are soo proud of you KiKi! XOXOXOX

ADORABLE VIDEO: National All - American Miss Teen, Alexandra Curtis Kept Dreaming! Will you be following her footsteps?

Flashback to my blog 2 days ago regarding the new Miss America and how she never gave up on her dreams. Well, here is another awesome example of how NAM girls set goals and achieve them!

Alexandra Curtis, the 2010 National All- American Miss Teen, has been competing for years. Despite never winning the crown, Alexandra always remained a strong competitor and never gave up on her dreams. This year - her dream came true and she won a NATIONAL TITLE!

Will you be the next Alexandra Curtis...will your dreams come true THIS year??? See you at this years state pageant! KEEP DREAMING...and DONT GIVE UP!!!

This video is sooooo adorable!

The Cover Model Contest...go vote!!

Hey chicas-

Just wanted to remind you all to go vote for Sarah Summers! Sarah just gave up her crown as our National American Miss Jr. Teen over Thanksgiving and is continuing down the fast-track of pursuing her dreams in the modeling and acting industry. Recently, Sarah has made the top 5 in one of the most popular photo contests in the country.

Now that it's narrowed down to 5- its the public's turn to decide who will become one of pageantry's most prominent faces, and she needs our help to launch her there.

Last year - National American Miss's Morgan Clarkson & Kaylyn Slevin took home the titles, lets keep National American Miss on top in this popular on-line photo competition.

Cast your vote for Sarah by clicking her picture below ( don't forget you have to LIKE the cover model contest page before you can LIKE Sarah's pics!) Voting ends soon!

Yep...that's right, Miss America is.......

Yep, that's right, the new Miss America IS only 17.

Yep, that's right, the new Miss America IS the 90th Miss America.

Yep, that's right, the new Miss America IS the youngest female in history to win the title.

Yep, that's right, the new Miss America IS from NEBRASKA ( my homestate - woop woop!).

Yep, thats right, the new Miss America first got her start right here - at National American Miss!

In 2007, Teresa Scanlan stepped onto the National American Miss stage...im sure

never imagining that one day she would be all of the above...but she certainly was dreaming it.

While Teresa didn't capture our judges hearts that year, she did make top 10 and took home honors in a number of our optional competitions including talent & spokesmodel, which is no surprise seeing how talented she was on the piano and how sharpened her public speaking were. For a listing of all the awards Teresa scored in our 2007 National American Miss Nebraska pageant click HERE! But, Teresa learned skills and beliefs at National American Miss that would help her later go on to take home the coveted Miss America title...such as to DREAM BIG.

For those of you that have been with us in the past, before our emcee announces the winner's name on final pageant night, she often says - "on a different night, with a different set of judges the outcome could be different."

Yep...that's right, the new Miss America is living proof of that. No, Teresa didn't win our pageant on that night with those particular judges. But, she never stopped dreaming.....

Dream Big girlfriends....and know that National American Miss is more then just a great place to realizing you dreams....it's the place where for many girl's...dreams are started...dream's like one day becoming Miss America!

Congratulations to Teresa Scanlan - Miss America 2011! Former National American Miss state finalist!

Also - check out the other NAM girls that took the stage at Miss America!!

Arianna Afsar - Miss California & Top 10 at Miss America

Caitlyn Uza - Miss Virgnia & Top 10 at Miss America

Lindsay Staniszewski - Miss Maryland

Becky Minger - Miss Ohio

Courtney Thomas - Miss Pennsylvania

Desiree Puglia - Miss South Carolina

NE Jr. Preteen shares how pageants have brought out the volunteer within...and she is only 10!

Step into Sara Stehlik shoes this year and you will find that she is one busy 10 year old - always on the go and always giving back(having logged 3000 hours of community service already).

Recently, Sarah received quite a LENGTHY featured in her HOMETOWN paper( picture of article featured left) acknowledging her volunteerism .

In the article, Sara shares her year representing National American Miss, traveling to our Nationals with her family over Thanksgiving (and having a reason to take a family vacation) and placing 1st runner-up in the nation to the National Title. About the experience, Sara says, "I was just really shocked that I stood out among such an amazing group of girls. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I wold make the top five."

But, the article features on all of the volunteerism that Sara has spent her year taking part in, including the Nationally Recognized Teen Nick Halo award winning, Miss Amazing pageant.

This year, Sara skipped out on her friends birthday party to give back and volunteer as "buddy's" for The Miss Amazing Pageant. The "buddies" are essential to the pageant, as each contestant(whom has a mental or physical disability) is teamed up with a buddy to help them throughout the event. This year, Sara's buddy captured the crown and after becoming fast friends, together they have shared a fantastic year representing Nebraska. While for most 10 year olds, missing your friends birthday party might seem like the end of the world, it's not for Sara. "You have to make sacrifices when you come into pageants, but it really pays off," she says. Her mom, Kelli shines even more light on how pageantry has emphasized community involvement in her 10 year old. "I think being in pageants has brought out the importance of community servic. It's different than what you see on T.V."

Along with other organizations such as Relay For Life, American Heart Association, Boys and Girls Club, Sara also participates in a slew of activities from Girl Scouts to Swim Team. But, its pageants that Sara most cherish's. "It really prepares you for what might come up. I've gained a lot of self esteem and self confidence. I've really come out of my shell," Sara shares.

Be sure to check out this Hometown article featuring this buys bee! Sara definitely gets ROCKIN' NAM GIRL status in my book!

"The Castle Pines Connection" showcases NAM girl and how we beat typical pageant stereotypes

I love seeing you girls in the news, showcasing your abilities and accomplishments! And I LOVE when you share the wonderful message of National American Miss and your perspective on our organization. We are always beating the stereotypes of what most people assume about pageants!

Recently, I caught wind of this awesome article and wanted to share it with all of you here on the NAMISS ROCKS BLOG!

12/28/10 Brooke Jacobsen Brooke Jacobsen at Nationals in the holiday spirit. Article by Kathy Dunker with photos by Dawn Jacobsen We all know the stereotypes surrounding girls and beauty pageants. The image of young girls with heavy make up and dressed as if they were much older than they are. Well, not so for Brooke Jacobsen, resident of Daniels Gate, who recently participated in the national competition for the National American Miss (NAM) Pageant in Anaheim, California. It all started in October of last year whenJacobsen wanted to try doing a pageant. She had never participated in one before nor had any other member of her family. So she gave it a shot and not only did very well, but was named “Miss Denver” in the pre-teen (11 through 13 year olds) casual wear modeling category. This landed her a crown, a sash, trophies, and also qualified her for the national pageant during Thanksgiving week. The Jacobsen’s had no idea what to expect and at times felt a bit overwhelmed by the experience. The national pageant was a seven day event. And all days involved a combination of rehearsals, interviewing with judges one on one, going before judging panels, photography shoots, group tours of California, social gatherings with fellow pageant contestants, and numerous competitions. These very full days started as early at 8:30 a.m. and ended as late as 9:45 p.m. Even on Thanksgiving, events started at 9:00 a.m. and ended with a Thanksgiving banquet for the families. The Anaheim Marriott was filled with hundreds of pageant national finalists ranging in age from five years old to 20. In Jacobsen’s age group, there were roughly 160 contestants. As Jacobsens’s mom, Dawn, commented, “The interesting thing is that every single girl from every walk of life competes together toe to toe. And they all do really well!” Dawn was quite impressed by the experience. She remarked, “We will do this again absolutely! It was a group of really nice families who were all so helpful to us. And the judges were all so encouraging to all of the girls.” The interviews were conducted much like ajob interview with each girl telling the judges about herself, what makes her special, what classes she likes, how she gives back to the community, what her goals are for the future, to name a few. Going up on stage and holding a microphone without stumbling, paying attention to posture, coming across well to others, being yourself, looking natural, and dressing completely age appropriate were all part of the judging criteria. Speeches were encouraged to be genuine and not rehearsed. And it’s not just about looks, but more about what each girl brings to the table. The contestants’ wardrobes included a business type suit with blazer and skirt that is not too short and no slits and a full length gown for the final walk, which was also not revealing with no slits. In the pre-teen category, no visible makeup was allowed whatsoever and no fake fingernails. In the end, Jacobsen placed second runner up in the Top Model category, which is impressive considering the amount of competition. Every girl left with awards. A lot of bonding took place amongst the girls and the parents as well. Dawn said, “Everyone was so helpful and gave us a lot of tips. We didn’t even know what shoes Brooke needed.” And what were the shoes of choice? Just very simple tan colored shoes, nothing fancy and very small heal. Jacobsen said her favorite part about the experience was, “I tried a lot of new things, I made a lot of friends, and I learned a lot about myself. Oh, and I liked wearing the dress!” The last two days consisted of awards, final rehearsals, and all the girls walking in theirformal gowns. On the closing day, the top five contestants were announced, followed by the queen. Of the top five in pre-teen, one already has a contract with Disney, another has been on the cast of a major motion picture, another has her own two modeling agents in New York. So it seems to be not just a pageant, but also a catalyst into the world of acting and modeling… which is once again a whole other world from the pageant world. To find out more about the NAM organization, visit www.namiss.com.

Sending love from Europe!

Hey girls - I hope your Holiday Season has been as great as mine......

.....can't wait to see you at this year's state pageants!

Former NAM Iowa Jr. Preteen Cover Girl - making a BIG NAME for herself in a SMALL TOWN!

You might think that just because you live in a place like... "Ottumwa, Iowa," that there are not many opportunities for you to DREAM BIG. Well, on the contrary my friends! Just ask the 2009 Miss Iowa Jr. Preteen Cover Girl, Chelsea Lanphier who is making a BIG NAME for herself in a SMALL TOWN!

Since Chelsea won her title with National American Miss, she has made quite the name for herself at the local children's community playhouse in Ottumwa, taking on roles in Oliver Twist and The Wizard of Oz, this past year alone. In August, Chelsea auditioned for a modeling and talent competition from the Barbizon school of management and made the cut to compete in the national level in Grand Cayman, Mexico. Chelsea not only competed, but succeded in both the runway and acting competitions.

Chelsea's mom, Mary, told us at National American Miss that, "her pageant experience of communication skills, poise and stage presence, and natural beauty placed her in the top 10 spot out of over 70 boys and girls in her division. She received Honorable Mention recognition.

And as for Chelsea, she shares a bit of advice for all you small town girls out there, "I have been involved with the NAM family since 2008 when I entered for the first time. Every year I have learned so much and it has helped me with other competitions and events. To other girls of all ages, dream big, pursue the impossible, and believe always.''

Whether you live in NYC, LA, or Ottumwa, Iowa - we hope that girls like Chelsea are an inspiration. You don't just have to live in a BIG TOWN to DREAM BIG!!! National American Miss is a great place to start your journey to realizing your BIG DREAMS!