"Why Is This Happening?"

Hi Everyone!

It's already July? Sure there were fireworks and the temperature did increase to a sweltering ninety degrees but still....doesn't really feel like July. Maybe my mind is stuck in June because it was so out-of-control amazing!

First things first, Miss Ohio week:

As always Miss Ohio week was a great experience! I remember, as a volunteer, hearing that the contestants had a great time making new friends and building skills that they would need for life. However, I always wondered if they were just feeding me a large portion of bologna. Now, I can say that I know for sure they were being truly honest. The friendships that I made last year at Miss Ohio strengthened, new friendships formed and the support from other contestants was overwhelming throughout our time in Mansfield. This group of women were wonderful with extraordinary goals and aspirations; every single one was an inspiration. I had a great week personally as well. I was confident with my interview, felt strong and proud in swimsuit (I ran over 100 miles from May to June!), believed I was beautiful and poised in evening gown, articulate in my on-stage question and graceful during talent. I preformed to the best of my ability and I was really comfortable with the competition portion of the week. Before I knew it, all the preliminaries were complete and all of us were lining up to finish up Friday night's show, little did I know this was merely the beginning of my night! I walked away with five scholarship awards Friday night!!! YAHHHOOOO!!! The winnings were totally unexpected (by the third award I was shouting, "why is this happening to me?!") but I was thrilled to say the least! I was the recipient of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood Style Award, Mina O'Guinn Award, Americanism Essay Award, Miss Ohio Community Service Award and for the second year, The Children's Miracle Network Miracle Maker Award. All of these scholarships totaled up to $1,900! On finals night I was excited to see great girls announced into the Top Ten and thrilled to have such an outstanding Top Five. I was c-o-m-p-l-e-t-e-l-y taken back when I won the non-finalist interview award making my overall scholarship total $3,400!! Overall I had such a great time with my favorite girls and won a ton of scholarship money! I am so excited for Miss Ohio 2011, Becky Minger, a former resident of the Warholic home and my Alpha Phi sister! I know that she will be a great representative for Ohio and delegate at Miss America! She deserves every bit of this success! By the way, just to make things clear those girls were definitely not feeding me a ton of bologna.

Next up, Orientation Training and First B-W Summer Orientation:
I was lucky enough to be selected, out of around 80 applicants, as a Baldwin-Wallace Summer Orientation Leader with 15 other students. I left for Berea the Tuesday after Miss Ohio to start "training" and had the best time ever getting to know the other orientation leaders. It was absolutely amazing to see a group of people so diverse and unique come together and be the best of friends. We got to play Whirly Ball, which I suggest everyone try at least once, learn more about Baldwin-Wallace and improve teamwork, communication and other life skills. We concluded with our first summer orientation. All of us got to meet around 200 of B-W's new, incoming students. I cannot wait for the next orientation and for the class of 2014 to be completely welcomed onto campus!

Then, The Continental Cup:
Caitlin Sutter, my friend and sorority sister, is one of the summer interns for The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and asked me months ago to attend the Continental Cup: International Soccer Tournament. She asked me to bring some pictures and myself and just be ready to sign some autographs and enjoy the opening ceremonies. However, this event was SO much more! I arrived to see tons of kids and young adults running around in their soccer jerseys and lots of vendors. 3,400 kids and their families from all over the world were at John Carroll University participating in this huge soccer tournament. I met kids from Italy, Canada, Barbados, India, Boston, Baltimore and a thousand more places (including Wadsworth where they knew my cousin, Connor and Iowa where they knew my friend from high school, Trisha!) and they all wanted my autograph (I promise I am not exaggerating, these kids thought I was SO cool!) We took pictures, I signed autographs and we talked about which Silly Bandz were the best. I had such a wonderful time and I am really grateful to have been invited to such a fun and unique event!

Next, The Ontario Fourth of July Festival:
I have been attending this festival since it's revival several years ago. There is nothing like being home with your good friends, enjoying some fair food, summertime and Independence Day and this year I was invited to participate in the festivities! Laura Russell, Miss Mansfield and Miss North Central Executive Director and Ontario Fourth of July Festival Committee Member, asked me to be involved in the parade and a short autograph signing at the festival. I obviously accepted and was really excited to see some of my favorite friends from Miss Ohio week and hometown friends and fans! Meggie Wittman, Sarah Hider, Amber Bussa, Heather Wells, Marissa Bucheit, Miss Ohio 2011, Becky Minger, Miss Ontario, Jess Burdette and I had a blast playing some games and winning Zac Efron posters! The day finished with some of the best fireworks I have ever seen and a bowl of homemade ice cream! Perfect ending to a fabulous Fourth of July!

Now:
I will be working for the rest of the summer completing a few more summer orientations and the Weekend of Welcome as an Orientation Leader along with babysitting my favorite eleven year old, Lauren. Also, I will be preparing for Alpha Phi recruitment in the fall since I was elected Vice President of Recruitment in the spring. In addition, I will be getting ready for my final year at Baldwin-Wallace and planning for the future, which is the most bittersweet experience ever.

I am really excited for the upcoming year but am also so blessed to have had the opportunities I have had this past year.

Thank You's:
All of my accomplishments this year would not have been possible without these people: Lynda David, the most giving and fun woman I know! Sylvia and Harvey Jensen, the best executive directors! Phyllis Zahn and Ann Brown, the best chaperone and home hostess! The Jacubik's, what would I do without the support of the Hooty-Hoot Club? Emily and Lora Pheils, I will always appreciate your support, thanks Mom! Abby, Ally, Chris and Shelly, you made my week so enjoyable, relaxing and fun! I can't wait for Abby to take me to West Virginia! Nanci Kenith, that style award is thanks to you and your hoop earring selection! Rachel Foore, for helping me so much and being a huge support! FCCLA, the Berea Children's Home and all the other organizations I have worked with over the year, I am so appreciative of your support and your causes! Mr. Buker and family, Dr. Kathy Conderato, Salon Vivace and Bridal and Formalwear by Bee, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! All the volunteers at Miss Ohio week, you made the week an amazing experience and I am so thankful for all your hard work! Toni Shaum, Lindsey Ward, Nicole Carlone, Sarah Spiker, Ashlee Frazee, Scott Sika (I have a button with your name on it!) and all the other friends and family that came to support me, thank you for being the best fan club ever! To all the others I know I have forgotten, thank you, I am truly blessed to have you in my life and all that you have done is appreciated! And above all else, my family! Mom, Dad and David your opinions are invaluable, your support is unmatched and your love, faith and belief in me is unwavering and I will never be able to fully express my appreciation for that.

Enjoy the sunshine and (although I am getting tired of hearing about it too) keep your fingers crossed that Lebron stays at home.

Peace, Love and Happiness
Ashley

Speechless

Hello Everyone!

So, contrary to the title of this new addition I am not at a total loss for words....
or (after sitting here for a solid ten minutes) maybe I am...

Although Miss Ohio is quickly approaching (2 days left to go!) and last minute errands are slowly becoming full day adventures and quiet thoughts of, "Do these shoes really 'go'?" become tearful online searches and frantic trips to every shoe store in a 5 county radius, I still cannot make myself turn out the light and fall asleep (currently it's 2:50 am and I have to rise at 6 am...crazy, I know). However, this BP Oil Spill has me all kinds of fired up! Whatever your view on the disaster I believe everyone agrees it is just that, a terrible (scratch that)...monumental, disaster.

After spending an entire semester, almost solely, devoted to sustainability and environmental learning, after contributing community service for environmental issues for 7 days, from 9 am to 5pm, on the Delaware Seashore with 12 other students, after merely being a citizen of this planet I find it absolutely disgusting that 17647 barrels of oil are pumping out of control into our ocean...everyday.

This disaster is so upsetting because not only did it kill 11 people but it is also affecting immeasurable amounts of wildlife animals and plants and the end to the destruction cannot even be estimated.

Although difficult to find how we, as mid-westerners, can contribute to this problem I urge everyone to become more informed about the products you use in your home(http://www.theredwhiteandgreen.com/2010/05/05/oh-the-irony-dawn-saves-wildlife-with-oil-based-dish-soap/ Did you know that a former board member of BP was also, simultaneously, a board member of Dawn? Or that, although BP markets its product as eco-friendly it's actually created from petro (aka: oil).), the produce you purchase at the store and the daily activities you engage in contribute to the destruction of the environment. Simply learning more about products, foods and activities can help make a small impact on the planet and help us all move towards a guaranteed future. Consider, knowledge and a better understanding, as a gift to the land that we have taken so much from and hurt in so many ways.

See you soon!
Ashley

P.S. It's now 3:52.

Finally!

Hi Everyone!

Holy busy. This past month has been totally non-stop!

First, I had the opportunity to crown one of the six winners at Sweeps! Congratulations Rebecca Zoz, Whitney Fricke, Stephanie Beltz, Tera Coleman, Liz Wong and Devon Stansbury! I am so excited that each of you get to join the Miss Ohio team this year! I had a great time visiting with old friends and seeing all the girls again. It had been awhile since I had been under the lights and close to "spray adhesive" so I had a great time seeing all the gowns and crowns again!

After sweeps I helped out one of my favorite former Miss Ohio's, Melanie Murphy-Miller. Sarah Hider, Chelsi Howman, Miss Ohio, Erica Gelhaus and I had the best time serving up apple dumplings and speaking with the residents of a small town to help raise awareness for Melanie's husband, Matt Miller. Sarah, Erica, Chelsi and I had the best time talking about the competition in June and our future trip to Spring Forum!

I celebrated a wonderful Easter with my family following that appearance and prepared for my upcoming week.

Thursday, after consuming a full blown, sugar-free Rockstar, out of paranoia of falling asleep at the wheel, I drove from B-W to Columbus to attend the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America State Conference the next morning. I woke up bright and early (even though I had only fallen asleep a few hours earlier due to the giant energy drink I consumed! Lesson learned.) and arrived at the Ohio State Fairgrounds only to be turned around because I didn't have five dollars in cash to pay for parking, apparently $3.57 and a few bobby pins wasn't going to cut it. So, I arrived back a few minutes later and walked in to my old territory and it was amazing that although, many things have changed, I still felt like I was home. I met my old state officer friends, walked across stage to be recognized as a special part of the organization and caught up with some of my favorite teachers! I had a great time and hope I can travel to Chicago with the group in July!

The next day, after driving back home to Mansfield, I headed down South again to the Miss Ohio Spring Forum! I loved seeing all my old friends and meeting all the new contestants! We enjoyed snacking on smore's, playing bingo (my new favorite game) and participating in team building and leadership challenges. Shannon O'Neill and I were part of the Blue Blades group and also got to spend some quality time together leading each other blindfolded through an obstacle course! It was such a blast to be back at camp and, like always, I had a fantastic time with all the girls!

After Spring Forum I traveled back to Baldwin-Wallace and hit the books. Finals were quickly approaching and my internship in the Office of Admission was in full swing. However, I did have time to squeeze in my first 5k! I participated in the first annual Bike'N'Hike sponsored by the brothers of Alpha Sigma Phi that benefited the Livestrong Foundation. My Alpha Phi sister's and I kept pace and as a group finished in, around, second place! I had the best time running in the rain and being with some of my best friends...in addition to benefiting a great cause!

With the Bike'N'Hike completed I finished up school projects and cracked open the books and FINALLY, finished the semester!

Now, after hauling every single possession I own back home, am heading back to Baldwin-Wallace and leaving for the state of Delaware on Monday. There I will be participating in an Alternative Summer Break opportunity and cleaning up the beaches of a state park in Lewes, Delaware for a week. I cannot wait to make a small, positive impact on the environment and make some new friends along the way!

I hope the spring weather has treated you all well and you are enjoying the beautiful sunshine! I hope to see you all soon, until then, I wish you all the best and God bless!

Ashley Warholic

P.S. "I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise of ordinary people, living ordinary lives." You were apparently, always, incognito. All my love goes to a woman who inspired me to be my best, Dorothy Warholic.

3,000 Words

So after I wrote my last post I asked my mom to scan and send some pictures of my old glory days.

This is what she sent:







So, a picture is worth a thousand words? I will let these speak for themselves.

I hope everyone enjoys their Passover and Easter!

Best Wishes!
Ashley

Saving The Best for Last

Hi Everyone!

First of all, welcome back to Cleveland, Z!

Next, I want to say good luck to all the sweeps contestants. It has been, almost, one full year since I gained my first Miss America Local Preliminary title, Miss Heart of Ohio, but it feels like yesterday!

I began my journey with this organization when I was around seven years old. I attended Miss Ohio first as a spectator and then was introduced a few years later to the stage where I was to do the most important duty of them all, hand out the crown. As I stood backstage I remember teetering in my two and one half inch heels, grasping on to the crown and anxiously awaiting Miss Juanita's guiding push (that sometimes, accidently, catapulted me onto the stage...obviously she was a little jittery too!). I still remember the faces of the contestants when I walked onstage because as everyone was looking at me (or the crown, but I am going to let my ten year old ego get in the way here and say me) I was looking at them. Amazed at their courage, talent, intelligence and beauty I was almost overcome by complete and total joy. I was on the Miss Ohio stage! I would be one small puzzle piece to this epic story! I hope Mom is getting a picture of this because no one is going to believe me at recess! Fast forward ten years and again I am on stage, teetering in twenty two and one half inch heels (exaggerated of course) getting ready for the results of my first Miss America Local Preliminary pageant. It took a lot of hardwork, a positive attitude and great people all around me to win my first local title (quite awhile after my first local), one year ago. Although it seems like an obvious story it was never always so clear to me. I never imagined I would be standing on stage in a swimsuit or answering intense questions. I, at ten years old, was just happy to be where I was. Now, I am happy (and to be honest, a little shocked) to be where I am.

So, I am very excited to place that coveted crown on one lucky and deserving young lady's head this weekend. It is such an honor to be a part of this organization and knowing that six more women will be added to the 2010 Miss Ohio class is beyond thrilling (cheesy word but so true!).

I thought I had it all at ten but, little did I know...

Good luck contestants!
See you all Saturday!

Ashley Warholic

P.S. Major thank you's to Kim Baker Canary for helping me through out this year! You are the best and I really appreciate all your advice and guidance! In addition, Courtney Monk, Heather Wells and Kristy Moneysmith you will all hold a very special place in my heart!

True Life: I am Miss Greater Cleveland

Hello!
I hope you all have been enjoying the beautiful weather we have been getting lately! It's nice to know that warmer days are ahead of us even though I am sure Mother Nature has some more snow in store.

I apologize for not updating in awhile but with my semester in full swing, Miss Ohio paperwork deadlines and just life in general I have been really busy! However, with spring break underway I have a second to finally breathe and share with you a few things that I have been working on!

Recently, I returned from an FCCLA Regional Meeting in Painesville, Ohio where I got to be on the other side of the table and judge students in the Concept and Curriculum category of FCCLA STAR Events. I listened to Junior and Senior Early Childhood Education vocational students share their themes and the connection to the subjects that are essential in the classroom. I had such a great time conversing with the other judges and learning about their journey with the program. In addition, it was great to see students that are working so hard and are dedicated to teaching children and being positive role models. After my job as judge was finished I had the opportunity to meet with some of the students and hand out awards. I had a great time seeing young adults engaged and participating in the same organization and events that I was as a student.

Also, my sorority, Alpha Phi, just finished our Fourth Annual Red Dress Ball. This great event benefits our philanthropy, The Alpha Phi Foundation, which supports women's cardiac care. We had a fabulous silent auction with tons of goodies, a delicious dinner, dancing and great conversation between family, friends and sisters. My job was to sell raffle tickets for a chance to win fifty scratch-off lottery tickets! I had the best time tearing off an arm's length of tickets (which was about the equivalent of Lebron James' arm length!) and talking with all the supporters. This event was also a great way to spread the word about women's heart disease and the importance of cardiac care. Overall, we raised around $3,000 which is such a blessing to the foundation and will be able to provide for so many sisters and women effected by heart disease.

In other news, my first event after being hired as the Event Coordinator Intern in the Office of Admission at Baldwin-Wallace went really well! I am in charge of organizing prospective student overnight visits in addition to planning get-togethers in hometowns. All our students had a great time, I learned so much from the experience and I am looking forward to developing my skills professionally and helping students make their college decision!

This past week B-W held their Second Annual Sustainability Symposium and I had the opportunity to attend a few of the conferences that were offered. I have grown increasingly aware and passionate about the issue of sustainability over this semester and these meetings furthered my knowledge and interest in the subject. I met with small business owners that are located in the Cleveland area that are world renowned for being "green businesses." Their discussion was inspiring and helpful and I can't wait to continue my studies in this subject.

Lastly, I wanted to extend a huge congratulations to our beautiful Miss Ohio, Erica Gelhaus! She did a fabulous job representing our state at Miss America and I was so proud to call her my friend and my Miss Ohio! Furthermore, congratulations to former Miss Virginia and current Miss America, Caressa Cameron. She had outstanding performances in all areas and I am excited to see more of her in the future!

So, although my brain has been permanently scarred from midterm exams I think I have shared all the information I wanted about what I have been doing over the past month. I have a busy few weeks ahead of me but I will try my best to keep everyone posted!

Pray for more sunshine and higher temperatures!

Best Wishes and Much Love!

P.S. Try to engage in one random act of kindness this week! I spent $4.88 on two fish filet sandwiches, a diet coke and a small fry for the lady behind me in the drive-thru and it was the best money I have ever spent (even with a quickly depleting bank account)! Make someone's day!

Keeping Up with Miss Greater Cleveland

Hi Friends!

First and foremost, I want to say Good Luck! to Miss Ohio, Erica Gelhaus! I cannot wait to see that Miss America crown on her head and literally every time I THINK about watching the pageant I get so excited! I have been watching Miss America since I was a young girl and I have many pleasant memories from those experiences (mainly being able to pick the winner out of all the women for several years in a row without any knowledge on any of the contestants. Kind of cool, right?!) One of my most vivid memories was when I was in the fifth grade and had my best friend Nicki over to the house the night of the pageant. We set up shop on top of my mom's bed with our tipped over laundry baskets as desks and all the Pretty Pretty Princess jewelry and fake tiaras we could find. Oh, in addition, we had sashes made out of toilet paper. We kept score and had the best time picking out the most fabulous dresses on stage. It is amazing to me that now my friend Erica will be on that stage and could very well be in that coveted spot. My fingers are crossed....

Next, I want to address my platform, Creating Strong Leaders for Tomorrow. My platform focuses on the organization FCCLA which I have been greatly involved in throughout my life. FCCLA stands for Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and was formerly FHA (Future Homemakers of America). I began my involvement in eighth grade as a member and by the end of that year held a position as Vice President of Public Relations on the State Executive Council. Along with fourteen other high school students I was in charge of 14,000 FCCLA members statewide. The next year I was re-elected as Vice President of Membership and helped increase Ohio FCCLA's membership from fourth in the nation to second. I had the opportunity to speak in front of thousands of people, be a part of a team that was in charge of a major event, and participate in activities that expanded my knowledge on creating and maintaining a better family, the potential I held as an individual to higher my education and be successful and to enrich the lives of the people around me. Myself and students my age arranged a memorial for September 11th, planting 2,819 flags in the ground to commemorate those who lost their lives. We visited nursing homes and created flour bag babies to take care of for a week. We learned about internet safety, how to execute a complicated recipe and how to balance a checkbook. FCCLA enables students to experience many things that they would not normally get the opportunity to experience. I believe so strongly in this organization not only because it seems to be a worthwhile program but because I know it is a worthwhile program. I know the possibilities and I want to help others realize their own.

In other news, three of my eighteen credit hour schedule is dedicated to a class entitled, Green Business: God, Ecology and Money. The course load has been out of control but to be honest I really enjoy the work! The main project of the class is to conduct a sustainability audit on Baldwin-Wallace College and form ideas on how to lower the ecological footprint of the school. I know it is going to be intense and complicated but I am really looking forward to learning a new skill and being a part of a groundbreaking effort!

I hope all of you have been enjoying the chilly winter months! And let's keep our fingers crossed that the Cavs beat the Lakers tonight! :)