"Hostess with the Mostest"

What a FAB weekend...

On Saturday, I was off to Brookline, MA to host the final local pageant of the 2009 season. There were 16 lovely, talented, and intelligent young women competing for the final three spots in the 2009 Miss Massachusetts Pageant. When I arrived, I was thrilled to find out that three of the outgoing local Queens would be there giving up their titles. I had the pleasure of competing with these ladies at Miss Massachusetts, last year and am honored to be able to call them my friends. They have each had a special year and I know that they will all be very successful in whatever they choose to do next. On that note, Congrats to Miss Commonwealth 2008 - Stephanie Brinton on her recent engagement! :)

At the end of the evening, 3 new titleholders were announced: Miss Baystate, Miss Commonwealth, and Miss Mayflower 2009. Good luck to them as they prepare for our state pageant in July! Sunday was a busy day... It was an early morning, as I set out to Host the 15th Annual South Sectional Aquatics Meet for the Special Olympics at Bridgewater State College! I cannot even begin to tell you how the athletes participating in this event inspired me. They had the most spirit, pride, enthusiasm, and heart that I have ever seen. I had the honor of announcing each team as they entered the gymnasium. I felt the energy and spirit of these individuals as their team was announced. I have heard about how rewarding it is to participate in this event and feel incredibly lucky to have experienced it first hand.
At the conclusion of the Opening Ceremonies, there was a Meet-and-Greet where I had the chance to interact with the Athletes, sign autographs, take photos, and even dance with the crowd.Special Thanks to John Harper and the Volunteers of Bridgewater State College, along with the Athletes, Coaches, and Volunteers of the Special Olympics!

That afternoon, I was scheduled to appear at a benefit for "Children's Hospital of Boston" and "The Children's Miracle Network" at Champion's Pub in Peabody, MA. Right when I walked through the door, I was welcomed with open arms! The benefit celebrated the dedicated staff of Children's Hospital Boston. Funds raised from this event will help pay the medical costs of patients whose families cannot afford care, purchase essential medical equipment, support pediatric research, and provide training for the next generation of pediatricians. Also involved in the fundraiser was Chris Collins from NECN and Bill "Spaceman" Lee! I had a blast with them as we raised funds for an extremely worthy cause!

Thank you to everyone who attended the event and Volunteered their time, including the Mitchell Family, Paul Melendy, Chris Collins, and Bill "Spaceman" Lee.Special Thanks going to "Champion's Pub" for providing a great venue for the event and for the best Steak Tips that I have ever tasted! God Bless and Congrats to a successful event!

Love, Alicia

Right Decisions Right Now

Last week, I continued to visit schools to promote, "Right Decisions Right Now" and let me tell you, I had so much fun! I've decided that I am going to document this experience by attempting to write a few highlights from each school that I visit. Here goes...

On Wednesday, I went to Glenwood School to speak with the 5th grade students. When I arrived, I was excited to learn that my "contact person" was actually my second cousin (Mom's cousin)! It was great to see her and to catch up! She took me to the library where I would make my presentation to a smaller group than I am used to speaking with. I really felt like the smaller group made it easier for the students to open up to me. It was like I was chatting with my little brother or sister and giving them advice, which was nice. After my presentation, I went to visit a couple of Kindergarten classrooms, where the children kept calling me "The Queen of Massachusetts"!!

The next day, I was off to Sullivan School in Holyoke, MA to present to the 7th and 8th grade students. The group was energetic and eager, which made my job a lot easier! During the presentation, the Fire Alarm went off and we all had to evacuate the gym... Once we were outside, I had a wonderful time getting to know the students. After my presentation, I went into a few classrooms to say "hello". I was excited to see my friends, Ari and Maya Birks! In Ari's classroom, her friends read me journal entries that they were working on about what they planned on doing over summer vacation. I love children!

On Friday, I presented to the 8th grade at Agawam Middle School. I was very impressed with how the presentation was set up... I am a dancer/performer, so being able to speak on stage to a large group (spotlight and all!) was a lot of fun! After being asked about my talent, the students asked me to dance for them... Instead, I asked them if any one in the audience could dance. To my surprise, there was a Break-Dancer who came on stage with me and put on a show! It was really neat to see how engaged in the presentation these students were.

On Friday evening, I headed to Boston, MA to meet and have dinner with Miss New Hampshire, Natalie Shaw. It was a fantastic way to end the week. We walked around, at at an outdoor Italian Restaurant (Thanks to the LOVELY weather!) then grabbed some dessert (2 cupcakes and a canoli), all while catching up on what we have both been up to since Miss America. Seeing Natalie made me once again realize how lucky I am to experience this year... and to be in the company of some of the most amazing women in the USA, the Miss America class of 2009! Ladies, if you're reading this -- "I miss you all very much and hope to see you soon! Let's start planning the Hawaii Reunion! ;)"

Love, Alicia

Easter Candy and a PhotoShoot

"Increase in my mind and heart
the risen life I share with Christ
and help me to grow in your
wisdom and grace.

Lord Jesus, you appeared to your
apostles after the resurrection and filled
their hearts with joy when you said to them
"Peace be with you".

May the peace of your presence
abide with me and make each day you
give me the most beautiful day of my life."

That was a prayer that I read this morning that I felt summed this Holiday, a season of hope, growth, renewal, and praise. Spending time with family is my favorite part of Easter. (That and snacking on Reese's and Cadbury Creme Eggs!) This past week has been a difficult one... My Papa was rushed to the Emergency Room last week because he was having trouble breathing. Thankfully, he is doing much better now, but he had to miss the Easter Holiday. Every year for Easter, my family goes to my Grandparents house where we have brunch, hunt for Easter Eggs, and catch up with one and other. As time passes, the "family time" becomes more and more valuable. People get older, children grow up and some move to a different location, so it is comforting to know that these holidays allow us to share our individual growth with those closest to us, Family.

Sometimes, I can't believe how quickly time passes! My youngest cousins are now 15 and 13! When did that happen?! Since I am one of the eldest cousins, I was lucky enough to hide Easter Eggs for the youngsters this year... Now, being a terrible "Easter Egg Hunter" myself, I sympathized and didn't hide the eggs in impossible locations. My cousin Kelsey, on the other hand, would literally find a pile of leaves, place the egg underneath, then cover it with leaves again. The best part was after we both hid 12 eggs, we began to forget where we hid them! That definitely led to an interesting egg hunt. I finished the day with more family time and a relaxing evening at home, which was very much appreciated.

Last Friday, I had a photoshoot at Steinmetz Photography in my hometown on West Springfield, MA. The owner, Walt Steinmetz, is such a pleasure to work with. We began working together when he shot my Senior Pictures in High School. I had so much fun that I contacted him again when I needed a headshot for the Miss Massachusetts Pageant. This time, we shot some photos of me wearing the gown that I wore in the Miss America Pageant. I had an amazing time at Steinmetz Photography with Walt and his Interns and I hope that they had fun, too! Here are a couple of photos from the shoot...


For more information about Steinmetz Photography in West Springfield, MA. visit: http://www.steinmetzphotography.com

God Bless!

Love, Alicia

Spring!

The beginning of April has been filled with the planning of appearances. There is so much that I have yet to do before July... I won't stop working until I place the crown on the head of "Miss Massachsetts 2009"!

The bulk of my appearances are for my 20 school - tour, where I will be promoting a program entitled, "Right Decisions Right Now". The program is meant to discourage youth from using tabacco products, drugs, and alcohol. I have also been able to place key ideas from my platform into the presentation, such as the importance of resisting peer pressure and setting goals. For more information on "Right Decisions Right Now" visit their website at http://rightdecisionsrightnow.com/ .

I am still in the process of booking schools, so if you know a school in Massachusetts that would like me to visit, feel free to drop me an e-mail at aliciazitka@gmail.com ! :)

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the "Miss Middlesex County" pageant. There were a total of 15 girls competing so the Miss Massachusetts Board allowed THREE titles to be given away! Before the pageant, I had a lot of fun chatting with the local titleholders and reuniting with a few from last year, including "Miss Baystate 2008" and "Miss Middlesex County 2008"! It was so nice to see those girls. Both of them have been amazing representatives of the Miss America Organization throughout their reign as local titleholders. Just as fun, was catching up with the ladies that will be competing for Miss Massachusetts 2009. I enjoyed hearing how their preparations were progressing and how excited they all were for the state pageant in July.

The pageant itself was fantastic... everything ran smoothly, all of the girls looked amazing, and the talent that was showcased was awesome! At the end of the evening, three new titleholders were crowned... Congratulations to the new "Miss Collegiate Area", "Miss Middlesex County" and "Miss Southcoast"! You all did an outstanding job and best of luck preparing for the state pageant!

Love, Alicia