BLOG: SHANNON RYAN, MNYOT 2012
Saratoga county fair! 7/22
It was a beautiful day, with a blue sky that seemed to swallow earth. It was a blistering hot 94 degrees, and I adamantly believe that the cicadas of Saratoga county were having their end of summer concert. It was so nice to be a guest at the Saratoga county fair, considering it is a festival I have enjoyed all my youth. It was pretty cool they walkie-talkied me in, the only time I have ever seen anyone get walkie-talkied anywhere is in movies… and now I was being walkie-talkied in somewhere (Guyz I have totally made it lol!!!). I spent a good deal of time running from bees like a spaz (let’s just say I did a lot more dances than those I was scheduled to perform…) I changed in the performer’s tent with a dance troupe and shortly I was introduced on the fairs enormous outdoor stage. I got to speak to the crowd about my title as Miss New York’s Outstanding Teen and everything that this organization means to me and young women all over the nation. I performed a dance routine and had so much fun! After my performance I changed and met up with all of the other local title holders who were at the fair including my friend Madison Manuel and her entire family! The Manuel’s are such sweet, loving and compassionate people with such a strong love for the organization. I also met the lovely Saratoga country fair Queen Anna! And of course my Local ED the amazing Janet Murphy was there (she’s been with me every step of the way.) I wandered around from stand to stand (and purchased a super psychedelic sun medallion… I am in love). I met so many wonderful people at the fair! I met so many sweet little girls who I received the warmest hugs from! I signed plenty of autographs, and chatted with some truly incredible people. One of my favorite people I met that day was James a boy with Down syndrome, his positive attitude in the face of adversity and love of life is something we should all look up to. And on my way out I was able to stop and get a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade (no that did not help with the bee dilemma…but it was oh so worth it)…it’s only like ONE OF MY FAVORITE BEVERAGES IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!! The perfect ending to a perfect summer day
Coco’s Chateau 7/14
The following day we swam across the river to New Jersey (JUST KIDDING, we drove… sorry I crack myself up.) When we arrived at Coco’s Chateau we were greeted by the lovely owner and her two daughters. They are all absolutely gorgeous and super glamorous. Pretty positive their legs come up to my collar bones. They were so sweet and helpful, truly beautiful on the inside and out! The glam girls and my favorite…Linda Carbo! Helped my mother, Lisa (my French student) and I scout out a gown for me. Lisa was in heaven with all of the beautiful gowns, they do not have any formal functions for youth in France! The only chance she would ever have wear a ball gown was at a charity event/ gala or a business function! Oddly enough the gown I chose this time I had absolutely no interest in initially! Linda picked it out and quite frankly I contemplated taking it into the dressing room and not even putting it on. I say this because I understand that whites a pageant color but it washes out most red heads. But my goodness I am happy I decided to put it on! Linda Carbo has the most exceptional taste! I am SO in love with my dress, and have received an innumerable amount of compliments on it! Thank you Coco’s Chateau for your generosity, hospitality and helping me find the PERFECT dress!!
7/13 Regalia
Alright here’s a lil’ background knowledge for you all to preface my tale. Freshman year I participated in a foreign exchange program “The Peace Program” between my school and a school in Montrouge France (located just outside of Paris). My foreign exchange student and I are sisters a sea away, I am so blessed to have received an exchange student as wonderful as Lisa! I am confident we will be lifelong friends (we both aspire to work for the United Nations so one day we may even work together!)
This Summer Lisa came and stayed with my family. We had a blast! She accompanied my mother and I on our visit to Regalia, and we turned it into a vacation in New York City for Lisa! We took her sightseeing, ate at some of New York’s most delectable Italian restaurants and saw Phantom of the Opera- which was phenomenal! The lovely Linda Carbo met us in Times Square the day we were scheduled to visit Regalia. Linda is one of my favorite people…ever! She never fails to crack me up, I am always ecstatic when I have the opportunity to see her. We all walked together to Regalia’s headquarters. When we arrived at Regalia we were all awe struck. Located in NYC’s fashion district Regalia is housed in an ornate and elegant building dripping with traditional old time New York sophistication and grandeur. When we walked into its marble lobby we had to verify with the front desk/security who we were and we had to sign in (and I must say there were some super fashionable names who had signed in before me-ahhh!) before we were welcomed and permitted to ride the gold elevators up. When we arrived the enormous floor was covered in dresses. We were welcomed by the incredibly sweet, comical and helpful Carey! He had already laid some dresses out for me and we sifted through the racks together to help me find the perfect dress (which I most certainly did)! The dress I chose was ironically the first dress I tried on (and I must have tried on at least fifteen…)! I suppose I just gravitated towards it from the start! It was a royal blue ball gown with a sheer midsection, embroidered bust and of course…. this is Miss America; a lot of sparkle! I feel like a Princess in it! I am so grateful for all that Regalia and Carey have done! My experience was perfect, and I cannot thank them enough. I think my French student described the glamorous visit to Regalia’s headquarters best “it is like the Devil wears Prada”.
After selecting my gown we went shopping and had a blast looking through all of the sample shops. Because we were in the fashion district, and I bought a killer jacket for only $9 at a sample shop! SCORE.
7/11/12 Lottery day!
I came home with my mother from a Lake house we were renting with my family in Lake George for the lottery. We were essentially on a conference call with Linda and the Miss America’s Outstanding teen organization! It was funny to hear how much strategy goes into selecting a spot, there is such a science behind it! It was fascinating and slightly hilarious at the same time! But the most frustrating part about it is that it all comes down to fate! Hey, I guess that’s why they call it a lottery! By the way guys I’M OFFICIALLY GOING TO MISS AMERICA’S OUTSTANDING TEEN!! Just a little bit exciting huh?!
June 17th Photo shoot with Mallory & father’s day!
By the time I got home from the Gala, showered and my mind finally stopped saying HEY I’M MISS NEW YORK’S OUTSTANDING TEEN!!! YAY!!!! AHHH!!!!!! And celebrating all of the titles implications to follow long enough for me to fall asleep it was about four in the morning. I had to wake up at six. The following morning I had breakfast in my hotel room with my local ED Janet Murphy, the lovely Kathleen Piccirillo (the woman who taught me to walk….the right way;) and my mother! We feasted on one of my favorite foods ever, New York bagels (not to be confused with bagels from any other part of the world, bagels indigenous to NYC are hands down the best)! Downstairs in the lobby of the hotel we met with my makeup artist and hair stylist B. It was so cool, I had never had either professionally done! Most of the other contestants were also eating breakfast in the lobby, it was sad to see them go but it was nice to be able to say goodbye! I know I will see them again, I have made so many wonderful lifelong friends through the Miss America organization. B drove me over to the other hotel where we met up with many of the lovely board members (Linda, Kenny and Paul!) my photographer the talented Claire Buffie, and my new big sister Mallory Hagan and her sweet mother! It was exciting; so many wonderful new people were entering my life that morning!
The photo shoot was so much fun, I jammed out to Katy Perry and got to goof around a bit with Claire and Mallory! The hotel was beautiful! It had indoor waterfalls, paper lanterns and outside it had lush Asian gardens with a tranquil stream running through it (with enormous coy!), a bridge and a gazebo! As they say time flies when you’re having fun and before I knew it I was on my way home (as Miss New York’s outstanding teen yay!) with my mother to celebrate father’s day with my family!
June 15th Interview and English Regents & June 16th Miss New York and Miss New York’s outstanding teen crowned!
“Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it”
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the events that occurred during the previous MNYOT I have consistently placed in a multitude of prior competitions, but never had I succeeded in attaining the highly coveted title of Miss New York’s outstanding teen. It was something that I have competed for since I was eligible at thirteen years old (never make a stubborn red head think she is incapable of winning, I guarantee you she will be back every year) and it is something that I have worked tenaciously towards since I was seven years old. My Grandma Joan (who I often refer to as G-money…what a gangsta name for a Grandma right?!) called up my mother to tell her that her tap dancing instructor Janet Murphy a former rockette was teaching modeling classes in the back of our local Boscov’s; the lessons were to terminate following a finale fashion show in the store…was I interested? Of course I was! What little girl would not want her own fashion show…hello fab-u-lous!! Eager to strut my stuff I immediately began my lessons. Janet and I hit it off immediately. Attracted to my “gregarious personality” and kind-heartedly working to promote young girls self-esteem Janet Murphy asked me if I would be interested in assisting her with her pageant the Miss Empire Rose Pageant; a local preliminary pageant she is the Executive director for. For years I helped carry out flowers to contestants, preformed, and carried out questions in the pageant. Growing up, the contestants of the Miss Empire Rose pageant were the most incredible role models. They were intelligent, ambitious, articulate, talented, poised, spunky but most inspiringly they were passionate. Passionate about their platforms, about making a difference in someone else’s life, about making a difference in the community and the world. They were kind and compassionate young women on their journey to life-long success. I always knew that when I grew up I wanted to be just like them. And soon my chance came!
The morning of my interview I had the New York State regents English exam, thank Goodness that English is one of my favorite (and strongest) subjects. I live in Clifton Park New York, a suburban community nestled between Albany and Saratoga. The exam ended at noon, my interview was roughly five and a half hours away. It was a perfect day, the sun was blistering hot, it’s warm rays kissing me (well actually burning me….ginger problems. But hey, I did look really tan in all of the pageant pictures!) the whole ride down. For those of you who don’t know me I love to get my groove on and had quite the dance party on the way down, which needless to say spawned some…intrigued…looks as I was doing the Carlton with my hot rollers in (hey, I thought my sprinkler was pretty good…okay?). My mother (my best friend in the whole entire world!) also asked me some questions in preparation, but I decided to stop those, I needed some time in my own mind. I needed to focus and maintain my inner peace. When we arrived at the hotel we had time to check in, discover we had left my hair and makeup bag at home…… lol, and then went immediately to interview. It was wonderful to see the other contestants waiting for their interviews! Some being dear friends who I have competed with for years and others new, lovely and exciting! My interview was soon after my good friend Madison Manuel’s (who also goes to school with me)! It was so nice to catch up and become acquainted with the other contestants, it kept positive thoughts flowing. Before interview everyone was ready to tell their stories, they are all phenomenal girls. When I heard my name called I felt some butterflies flutter in. Now prepare yourself for this, if you have a quick gag reflex please disregard the next few sentences carry onto the next paragraph. Before every big event my dad constantly tells me “Give em’ hell kid” in his spunky New York City boy way; typically this inspirational message is followed by some animal noises, similar to those of a rabid dog. Around the time of the pageant the Gym Class Heros had just released a new song which sky rocketed to the top of the charts “The Fighter”.
I know it may be a bit cheesy but it’s a song that speaks to me. Not only does it incorporate a message my father (who is my role-model and a true fighter) shares with me every day, but it is about failing and picking oneself up. It is about the fearless pursuit of ones dreams in face of adversity. It is about not basing one’s self-worth on others judgements. My Father always told me “if you don’t believe in yourself you can bet no one else will.” It is about determination, tenacity, ambition and dreaming big. I will never give up. As I walked into the room for my interview this song played in my head and I heard my father (dog noises and all); I knew then I could do this! An enormous grin spread across my face, I let out a deep breath and I walked into the room with confidence excited for what the future held. A sense of calm washed over me.
I felt my interview went very well. Interview has always been my strongest phase of the competition, as much adrenaline as it involves it is my favorite portion of the competition. I felt as though I was able to successfully and articulately convey to the judges who I am, the eight minutes flew by! So much so that when they told me it was over I squeaked out “Oh!!! It’s already over?!”….not so articulate. At first I felt wonderful, then I began to pick apart in my head everything I would have changed, I am very hard on myself. But reflecting on it I am very proud of my interview. In addition to winning the title of Miss New York’s outstanding teen I won overall interview.
That evening we watched the Prelims for the older girls, they were all absolutely incredible! Our drive from the hotel to the theater was filled with scenic views of the awe invoking New York city skyline. Oh how I adore New York.
The next day choreography began immediately (our rehearsal time had been cut short due to the regents) with one of the sassiest and most entertaining choreographers on the planet! He never fails to make me laugh with his sharp and witty sense of humor! I always have the best time working with him! During the course of the day we would intermittently go down stairs in the theater to eat (nom nom nom)! During one of our breaks the Princess Cupcake party was taking place- so sweet! That day seemed to last forever- in a good way. It was a magical day, a fun day; a day of dreams. There could not have been a better place for the pageant to be held then the St. George theatre. The ornately adorned and nostalgic theatre is the epitome of old New York theater glamour.
Soon enough choreography was over and we returned to the theater of the basement. I remember looking in the mirror after I had finished getting ready and realizing that this was how old time actresses must have felt before their shows at the St. Georges theatre.
The entire show was different from any other year I had competed, I didn’t feel nervous, and there was so much joy inside of me it lifted me up. I just focused on doing the best I could do and enjoyed living in the moment. And as for the rest…. Well you know what happened
Beyond 7 boutique 8/3
My brother is an exceptional baseball player, as a matter of fact he is exceptional at everything. One of those kids who is a starting athlete in every sport he plays, takes all advanced classes and has a 98 average despite the fact he denies ever having studied and has never been spotted doing anything of the sort. Sometimes I swear he takes Chuck Norris jokes and replaces them with his name “Shannon if I had five dollars and you had five dollars I would still have more money than you.” I may not be a math master but that doesn’t sound mathematically logical to me. Something he often tells my mother when she brings up his ultra competitive attitude is “no mom I secretly hope Shannon is very successful, that way I will have to be twice as successful.” So true to Logan Ryan’s spirit as I was winning Miss New York he was helping his baseball team win states! Yay!!! I am so happy for him
Now at this point in my post you’re probably asking yourself okay… what does her alpha brother have to do with an upscale clothing store in Manhattan? The same week I was scheduled to go to my sponsor Beyond 7 is the same week my little brothers (well not so little he’s had a mustache since he was ten. All of the little girls I coach at JP cheerleading always accuse me of being a liar when I refer to him as my “little” brother! “He doesn’t look so wittle to me Shannon! You say wittle but your brudders way bigger than you!!”) baseball team was competing for the mid-Atlantic regionals (lol not a surprise). As always I had a blast supporting my brother (he’s such a rock star!) , and conveniently Manhattan was not far! The drive in was incredible, New York is a city that no matter how much time you spend there you will never take its beauty for granted. You don’t just “get used to it”. There is inspiration in its skyline, it’s a city of dreams, it is the land of opportunity within the land of opportunity. To me that makes it the most beautiful city in the world, if you work hard you can be anything in New York. There will always be a soft spot in my heart for New York city, it is a part of me. New York makes me feel like a five year old seeing the city for the first time each visit, or like an ant, perhaps like a five year old ant? There was no available parking nearby so my mother waited with our car and Linda and her lovely sister took me up to beyond 7. Beyond 7 is hands down one of the coolest places I have ever been. Their window display featured eccentric and ornately decorated mannequins. They were wild! But we did not stay in the incredible shop on the floor level of the high rise; we went straight up to one of the top floors like pack of cool cats! When we got up there we checked in with the woman at the front desk (which was decorated with orchids!) and Linda told her that Miss New York Teen was here….guys…wait…THAT’S ME!!! AHHHH!! A hip young woman (do I sound seventy five when I say that? ….sorry she was super hip, no other way to successfully convey what she was) led us into an enormous room where they store the clothes they lend out (To famous people!! And now to me who has two webbed toes on each foot, sleeps with hypoallergenic dust mite covers on her bed and snorts when she laughs. Doesn’t matter what title I have, it still blows my mind that I get to share clothes with supermodels, superstars and royalty! Ahhh!) . The labels were the kind that made your eyes bug out! I probably could have bought a car for the price of some of the dresses. The clothes were so unique and funky, I was in heaven. The clothes themselves were pieces of art. Hands down the most fashionable experience of my life, I know I have probably said this about a million times already how cool it was BUT IT WAS JUST COOL!! Thank you Beyond 7 for your kindness, generosity, and making me feel like a fashion forward super star supplying me with a killer wardrobe which perfectly represented the stylish state of New York.
Miss New York’s Outstanding Teen Paperwork Available NOW!
To become Miss New York’s Outstanding Teen, a contestant must either first win a Local Competition, or compete as an At-Large Contestant (Download Application Form) at the New York State Pageant. This process requires personal commitment, hard work and talent. To compete in the Miss New York’s Outstanding Teen program, you need commitment, perseverance, talent and ambition. Visit the Miss New York’s Outstanding Teen page for more information!
Full Teen Contestant Paperwork is now in the Resource Portal. Email [email protected] for the password!
For questions about becoming a teen contestant, contact Linda Monte, Executive Director, at [email protected]
Miss Manhattan/Liberty NYC/Southern NY Date Change
Miss Manhattan/Liberty NYC/Southern NY will now be on March 10, at 6:00pm (doors open 5:30pm), is now accepting contestants from NYC (all 5 boroughs), Westchester & Long Island.
Miss Manhattan | Miss Liberty NYC | Miss Southern NY
Miss Manhattan’s Outstanding Teen
March 10, 2013 at 6:00pm (doors open 5:30pm) CONFIRMED
The Marjorie S. Dean Little Theater - Westside YMCA @ Lincoln Center
5 West 63th St. (between Central Park West & Amsterdam Ave)
Open to NYC (all 5 boroughs), Long Island, Westchester
Ricardo Andrews, Executive Director
[email protected] | www.nycrowns.org
Good Luck, Shannon!
Miss New York’s Outstanding Teen, Shannon Ryan, is off to a great start in Orlando for Miss America’s Outstanding Teen!
The contestants have done a high-fashion photoshoot in Tony Bowls Dresses, had a fun dinner at Medieval Times, visited Downtown Disney, and much more!
Don’t forget, you can VOTE Shannon for your favorite Miss America’s Outstanding Teen contestant! VOTE HERE!
Competition begins on August 14th with 3 nights of Preliminary Competition, followed by the final night on Saturday, August 18th with the crowning of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen!
GOOD LUCK SHANNON!
We are proud of you!