About Me

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Hello everyone! My name is Mercedes Harvey and I am your current Miss California Teen Achieve 2010. This is a blog I will update weekly of all the great events and fantastic/life changing opportunities that serving as your queen has allowed me to have. I will be uploading pictures and videos and then telling you a summary of what they are about. What I hope to accomplish by this blog is to help young women become interested in participating in the Miss California Teen Achieve Pageant. It is truly a one of a kind scholarship pageant based on scholastic achievement and community service, not just beauty. It will increase your self confidence, help you possibly win scholarship money and meet amazing friends for life, and teach you valuable assets about yourself. Don’t miss out! :)

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

American Red Cross Appreciation Lunch


            On Saturday, the 26th of March, my mother and I were invited by Jacquie Dutchover the volunteer recruiter and manager for the Southern California American Red Cross to come to the key volunteer appreciation lunch at the Charthouse in La Jolla. They were having a contest for the biggest and craziest hat and so my mom put together a giant Shamrock hat, made from the leftovers and scraps from our car decorations in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It was quite outlandish and a bit difficult to balance on her head once she was finished. When we arrived, my mom in her giant shamrock hat and me in my crown and sash, there were probably only around 10 volunteers that arrived before us and were taking their seats on a long dinner table that was right in front of a giant window with a crystal clear view of the ocean. We signed in at the front and were given our nametags and a raffle ticket for the prize drawings that would be going on later. Because the theme of the dinner was “races”, all of the seats were given a colored card that correlated with the name of a “horse” on a list. For example, if I was given a red card I would be on the team of the horse “ChargeNurse” for a particular race. For each race there were “jockeys”, and these were chosen by certain guests finding blue cards under their seats telling them what race they would be in and which horse they would be representing. Turns out, both my mom and I were jockeys for two different races and discovered that our “race” consisted of us lining with the other red cross “jockeys” with a horse on a stick that represented our “racehorse”. With all of us laughing, and moving forward based on the number called off a dice, we competed to see who would win the race. Ironically enough, my mom and I both won! When lunch was finally served, all of us volunteers sat back down at the tables and ate as the numbers were read off the raffle tickets to see who would win the prizes. Jacquie had kindly made it to where every volunteer would win a prize! I won tickets to the San Diego Symphony and my mother won tickets to a Harbor Cruise! There was not a dull moment the entire afternoon and by the time it was over, we had had the best time. It was so kind of the American Red Cross to thank all of the volunteers in such a lavish way and make it so fun at the same time! All of those early morning blood drives, or drives out in the hot sun for hours on end were definitely worth it. There is always a reward for hard work.










Wednesday, March 23, 2011

LionHeart Fencing Academy Ribbon Cutting

            Yesterday evening, my mother and I went to La Mesa for the grand opening and ribbon cutting for LionHeart Fencing Academy. Originally, when first hearing about the ribbon cutting for a “fencing” company-we thought it was literally just that-a fencing company that sold fences for the city and people’s backyards.. But when we pulled up in front of the establishment we realized that it was not that at all. Once I walked in, one of the fencing dads introduced himself and his son and had his son teach me how to do three basic fencing techniques: the salute, the stance and the lunge. In heels, I felt very delicate jumping around with the sword in my hand, and although I wasn’t really able to fight like the normal fencing student-I still was proud of myself for what I had learned. Who knows-maybe Ill become the next Olympic fencer? Dare to dream. After my fencing lesson, I was excited to see that the Mother Goose court had arrived! They are all the sweetest girls and I was so happy to have some fellow queens to share my time with. Taylor Woolrich, the Mother Goose Queen, is a good friend of mine and she ended up telling me that she is considering doing another pageant soon. This is pageant season, and I am excited to help support all my friends at the pageants they are going to compete in. Also, it turns out that the first runner up to the Mother Goose Queen, Amy Newell, is actually interested in doing the Miss California Teen Achieve pageant which is going to be in about 2 months. So soon, it seems. One neat thing about the end of my reign coming along though is I get to recruit girls for the pageant and have an idea of what next years queen will be like. I am so thrilled for her-because she will have the best year of her life, and it has only just begun.

















Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The Miss Pride of Vista and Miss Teen Pride of Vista Pageant

            
            Last night, after I had work training, I went to the Miss Pride of Vista and Miss Teen Pride of Vista Pageant with my mother and Aunt. I went there to support Candice Robinette, the outgoing and last Miss Teen Tri City to give up her title, as well as support my friend Rory Devalon who was competing in the pageant herself. The turnout was very great and I was really proud of all the supportive queens and past queens that were there to cheer the girls on stage on. I was sitting next to my friends from Oceanside, a few of the queens from their Miss court as well as my friend Vanessa from the Vista court. Just being with them made the whole night so much more fun for we could be loud and cheer together for all of the girls and just have a blast together. That’s one of the best part about going to pageants-is to be able to support the girls up there on stage and give them idea about what their reign would be like. When Candace went on stage to give her final speech, I actually began to tear up because it just reminded me of how my reign is coming to a close and how in a few months-I will be right up on stage saying the same thing, talking about how much this year has meant to me and what things I’ve learned from that year. Being queen has changed my whole life-it has given me confidence I didn’t even know I had. It had made me see myself and the world in a different light: a bigger, better light. And, to the next queen, I wish her the best of luck and too be prepared for the memory of a lifetime-because you will never have this same opportunity twice.












Wednesday, March 16, 2011

American Red Cross Bloodmobile at the Church

            Yesterday morning, I once again worked with a blood drive at a church in Oceanside. The weather was supposed to be warm and sunny but of course it was cold and foggy. There was a craft fair going on at the church and I was surprised to see so much involvement by all of the people that were there, working together to raise money for their youth group and church. And because of all the people that were there, the number of people who came to give blood went up tremendously. I was so surprised to see just how many people were in line, and I then began to realize that we were short staffed so they would all have to wait almost twice as long as they normally would. I tried to hurry up and get them through as quickly as possible but they still had to wait for a extended amount of time. A little while later through the day, my mom came and joined me and together, we were able to help talk to the blood donors and keep the time moving as fast as possible for them-so the wait didn’t seem as long. I thought it was pretty ironic how usually the bus is overstaffed and not that many people come, but the one day that we are understaffed we get around 20 people in 3 hours. I don’t even know what the goal was for that day, but I’m sure that we far exceeded it. For the future, I hope that the bloodmobile nurses and operators are able to have many more people helping so that we can get as many donors as possible in and out. We are so thankful for their donations and our whole goal is to make the experience as pleasing and comfortable as possible, and having a long wait can sometimes make them so nervous, impatient or frustrated so that they might change their mind and not donate, or be unable to give blood once they are inside. So its important to make sure that we can go through the entire procedure as quickly as possible, so they not only give one time-but will continue to return time and time again.




St. Patrick’s Day Parade

            The day after the Facial Rejuvenation Center Grand Opening, my family went down to Balboa Park for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. When I first arrived, I had no idea of what a big deal this parade would be, but within a half an hour more and more people began to arrive and my eyes started taking in everything around me. About 6 city blocks were squared off for the parade and the entire section of the park was donated to an ongoing fair, concert and beer garden for the entire day. There were at least a few thousand people there, which is more than there had ever been at any other parade. When I walked around to visit people while my aunt and dad set up the car, I met a lot wonderful and sweet people who were so excited to have me there, take pictures with me and even give me small souvenirs. A clown gave me a tiny dog made from a beaded necklace, and some volunteers for the Al Bahr Shrine gave me some pins that said “Kiss me I’m Irish” or “Irish In Training”. It was really sweet to see so many people in a community getting together to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The parade route was also the longest parade route with the most people on it that I have ever experienced. It was down and back on at least 6 or more blocks and there was a never-ending wall of people on both sides. Even people up on hotel balconies and house’s roofs were screaming and waving down hello to me in the parade. It was the most fun I have ever had in a parade, and I am so thankful that I was able to experience it. This being my second to last parade, I was just so excited that it was such a rewarding experience and that it was something that I will never forget and be able to tell my future succeeding queens about, and how they should definitely not miss it.