A New Beginning

All I can say about this past year is..wow! After finally winning the title of Miss Teen Virginia, I was so blown away by my dream coming true that I thought to myself, winning the national title would make my life too perfect; theres no way it could happen to me. Sure enough, all of my hard work and dreaming came through and here I am your Miss Teen United States 2011! My life has changed in every possibly way this year and I would just like to say thank you to my family, friends, supporters and especially the big guy upstairs.
I am very proud to call myself a Lancer at Longwood University this year. I spent my freshman year in a small town at Sweet Briar College but then saw better opportunities at Longwood and decided I wanted to attend a larger school. This was a big transition not only because I changed schools but I also moved into my first apartment! As scary as this was at first, I'm doing quite well and have not burnt down the apartment yet :) I can't wait to start learning new things, meeting fantastic people, and making appearances in Farmville.
I have learned so many new things this year that looking back, I feel like I have really become a new girl. I'v learned to, let the unimportant things go and just live life, to appreciate the little things more, to thank god more often, and to help others because thats really what this crown is all about. After winning my crown, everyone asked me the prize package must be awesome right? Well, I had no idea honestly. The main reason I wanted this crown was to use it to help others and make an impact on their lives. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing the look on a little girl's face at a children's hospital after you put your crown on her head. This job is about changing the lives of others around you and encouraging them to follow their dreams. If we all were to encourage others to fight for what we they wanted, our world would be full of heros.
The most important thing I'v learned this year is to love myself (as corny as that sounds). Before I went on to compete for my state title my coach told me something that has stuck with me ever since, "If you don't believe you're beautiful, then how can you expect the judges to think you are?" After that, I stopped judging myself and starting complimenting myself; and it obviously worked. I was in no way the skinniest or smartest girl at nationals. Honestly, I was one of the biggest girls at nationals, but I loved my body and worked it during swimsuit. I am completely okay with the fact that I have dark roots with blonde hair, my skin is no where near perfect and I will always have the muscular legs of athlete. This is who I am and I will always take pride in myself as long as I am working hard. If more girls would think this way and appreciate themselves, statistics dealing with eating disorders and depression would dramatically drop. This is why I travel around schools speaking to children about the importance of self esteem. Please help me spread the word!

XOXO Miss Teen US

Meet With Nationally Recognized Pageant Coach Kyle Haggerty on Friday July 22 at Brides House in Roanoke!

Every great leader has a mentor that passed down their wisdom to them, and Kyle Haggerty deserves all the credit in the world for being a great mentor. He has helped hundreds of girls follow their dreams and become local/state/national title holders.  I met Kyle before I ever won a crown and he never stopped believing in me. Before winning Miss Teen Virginia United States I competed in several pageants from the USA and America system. I also had competed in the Miss JR Teen Virginia United States pageant the year prior to my crowning.Unfortunately, the crown was never for me. My mother and I finally decided pageantry was just like a sport, so why shouldn't we work with a coach? Kyle worked with me for a few sessions and sure enough I was crowned Miss Teen Virginia. Just because I had reached my goal of winning a state title did not mean our work was done. It was then time to work ten times harder for the national title. Kyle and I worked on my interview, evening gown and swim suit choreography and he bedazzled my beautiful gown! And just like he said, I was ready to win. I advise everyone who wishes to be a winner or just wants an amazing experience in pageantry to work with Kyle. Come out to the Brides House in Roanoke, Virginia this Friday, July 22 to meet with Kyle and myself. You can learn more about this event by visiting http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133310466755211

A Dream Come True...

Thinking back to the moment of my crowning still gives me the chills. I remember standing next to the other gorgeous remaining delegates of the top 8 thinking could this really happen to me? My dream of holding a national title up until that night seemed so close but still so far away. It was unbelievable to think I could experience such an amazing journey. I stood there praying to god, asking him to either bless me with this opportunity if it was my time or to give me the strength to be happy for the winner. Then the MC announced, "And your new Miss Teen United States is...VIRGINIA, ASHLEY GREENFIELD. My heart stopped and it took everything I had to not fall to the floor. Tears flooded my eyes as I took my first walk as Miss Teen United States 2011. After July 14th, I truly do believe in reaching for the stars and I challenge everyone who reads this to follow the motto of the Miss United States Pageant Organization; "Dare to Dream and Take the Journey."

I am very much looking forward to traveling around the United States speaking to children about my platform, "Self Perception Starts with Reflection." My platform deals with teaching kids about the importance of self esteem and how they can achieve happiness and success. When speaking to children about my platform, I encourage them to focus on areas of their every day lives that are sure to lead them to success: Physical fitness, Scholastic Achievement and Community Involvement.  I speak to kids at an early age about this issue because my philosophy is that if they understand the importance of self esteem before they hit middle school and high school, they will be less likely to face obstacles such as bullying and depression. Before I started competing in pageantry, I suffered from a low self esteem and it effected every aspect of my life. I was bullied from my freshman year of high school till the day I graduated and even graduated a year early to escape my peers. No child should have to live in fear, which is why I will do everything I can during my reign to reach out to others and teach them the importance of friendship and self esteem.  Please join me in teaching others about the seriousness of a good self esteem!