Miss Tennessee, Times Two

I just have to give a little shout-out to two great girls, one of whom has a really big night ahead!  When I worked at the University of Memphis, I advised the Panhellenic Council, which means that I oversaw all of the sororities and the committee that made decisions on their behalf.  Through this role, I was fortunate to build relationships with lots of really outstanding college women.  Two of them have had the year of their lives serving my adoptive state of Tennessee this year, and I am just so proud of them I could burst!  

What is really crazy, as those of you who were in sororities will understand, is that these girls came from the same sorority and the same pledge class!  I'm sure they could probably hold some sort of record, because I can't imagine that this happens very often.  

Erin Hatley is Miss Tennessee 2011, and tonight she will compete for the title of Miss America!  I am having a few of my former students over to watch, because it is just so fun to actually know someone in the competition.  (And it is a really good excuse to make dessert!  Now that I think about it, the combination of sitting on my pregnant bootie while eating dessert and watching beautiful girls in swimsuits might not be a great idea, but I'll take one for the team!)  

Ashley Durham was Miss Tennessee USA and was named first runner-up at the Miss USA Pageant, which you might have watched.  She rocked it!  

Pageant girls tend to get a bad wrap, and while I'm sure there are many girls out there who live up to the stereotype, these girls are far from it!  If you ran into Erin or Ashley on the U of M campus, you would probably find them in a t-shirt, ball cap, and no make up.  They are both smart cookies who work hard to serve their University and their community.  They have not had everything handed to them on a silver platter, and they've worked their (very in shape) tails off to get where they are.  And most importantly, they care about the people in their lives and are tremendously thoughtful and genuine about their relationships.  These girls even helped throw me a baby shower and bought me baby gifts!  

I can beam with pride as I watch them on stage because I know that they are more beautiful on the inside than they are on the outside.  I know that these pageants are going to help them pay for college.  I know that Ashley's year as Miss Tennessee USA has catapulted her into a busy, successful modeling career, but that between flights to Chicago and South Beach she is hitting the books to graduate on time in May.  These girls are the type of student that kept me going when I was working with students who were sometimes entitled, lazy, and self-absorbed.  And it is just really fun to see them shine.  

Watch for Erin tonight as Miss America is broadcast on ABC at 8pm Central time!