Ice Cubes in the Toilet

Hi Everyone!

I hope everyone has stayed safe and warm these past few days! The weather has allowed me a chance to cross off some important tasks on my to-do list including, updating everyone on what I have been up to for the past few months! (Also, the key to a snow day is ice cubes in the toilet according to one of my favorite friends, Miss Lauren Beard!)

In August, I began my senior year at Baldwin-Wallace College. I had a schedule full of capstone and honors courses, internships and leadership positions to keep me extremely busy for my first few months back. I organized sorority recruitment for Alpha Phi this September, was the Co-President of the Buzz Ambassadors Program in the Admission Office and interned in the Student Life Center helping research peer mentor programs and creating leadership materials for organizations across campus. In addition, I made the decision in the summer to pursue a master's degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education and was beginning the long process of applying to graduate schools.

However, although my days were busy I felt like I was missing something and that, I realized, was the Miss Ohio Program. So, in between my 22nd birthday and final exam week I competed in my hometown pageant, Miss Mansfield. I dug out my swimsuit shoes, dusted off the gowns and brushed up on my interview facts and was shocked when my name was called as Miss Mansfield. Miss Mansfield was the first local pageant I ever competed in and it has always been my dream to represent the place I came from at Miss Ohio! The Sunday after the pageant I met with press and my new local directors then packed up to start my final exams (I finished on the Dean's List!).

In December, I continued working on my applications to graduate school in addition to spending time with my family and celebrating the holiday season. I also volunteered at Toy Time, a local organization that donates thousands of toys to families that are in need. It was great to help an organization that provides so many children with a happy Christmas that they potentially would not have had otherwise. I also had to opportunity to be Santa's little helper at the Dial-A-Santa event arranged by Graham's Auto Mall in Mansfield. Children from all over the Mansfield area and beyond dialed in to talk to the big man himself and his elves. I had the best time listening to all the unique wishes and requests!

Miss America this year was so exciting! Miss Ohio, Becky Minger was a resident of the Warholic Inn her first year at Miss Ohio and since then has always been one of our favorites to cheer for! My family and I kept careful watch during the week of Miss America and thought Becky looked stunning and sounded beautiful and intelligent throughout all of the week's events. We were shocked and saddened when Becky did not make the final cut however could not have been more proud of all her accomplishments. We are truly blessed to have Becky in our lives and believe she embodies all the ideals of the Miss America Program. In addition, I believe that the new Miss America, former Miss Nebraska, Teresa Scanlon will be a great representative for the organization and I am so excited to see her throughout her reign.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend an event sponsored by the Kiwanis Club to raise funds for the Friendly House in Mansfield. The event was entitled, "Talkin' with the Tribe" and hosted Matt Underwood from Sports Time Ohio and Bob DiBiasio, Public Relations Executive of the Cleveland Indians. All the attendees enjoyed ballpark food and conversation on one of our favorite teams. My mom and dad both attended with me and between the three of us we managed to win a T-shirt from the raffle, an autographed Travis Haffner jersey that was auctioned off and the 50/50 raffle, we donated the proceeds of the 50/50 raffle back to the Friendly House and all the money from the auction was given to the organization as well! After the festivities had settled down I had the opportunity to speak with Baldwin-Wallace Alumna, Matt Underwood and shared some fun stories about B-W then and now. Later that evening, I had the honor of sharing dinner with seven other students at Baldwin-Wallace College President, Dick Durst's home. We had a lovely evening getting to know each other and discussing after graduation plans. The only rule President Durst gave us for the evening was completing the statement, "If I were President of Baldwin-Wallace I would ..." All of the guests offered his or her small changes to the campus and President Durst was willing and excited to hear all of our advice. He also stated that many of the changes that occurred on campus had began at the table we were sitting at, from students like us. It was a special experience that I will forever cherish.

Now, I am working on fundraising for the Children's Miracle Network, gearing up for judging and speaking for the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America organization and meeting with local students! Also, I am beginning to hear from graduate school programs and must begin interviewing for each school, in addition to finishing my last semester at Baldwin-Wallace!

Below I have included a few photos from over the months!

Stay bundled up and safe!

Peace, love and happiness,

Ashley

Crowning Moment

Press Day with Little Miss Snowflake

Dial-A-Santa Event with Sister Queen, Heather Waterman

With the organizers of Toy Time!

Only SOME of the toys that were donated to families in need!

Miss America Watch Party!

(Me, Ashlee, Mom and Colleen)

Matt Underwood and I at, "Talkin' with the Tribe" Event

"Hate Cannot Drive Out Hate Only Love Can Do That"

Hi Everyone!

I promise to update everyone soon on what I have been up to these past few months (trust me I've been busy hence the lack of blogging.) but first I wanted to share a great experience I had yesterday evening.

Last night, Baldwin-Wallace College hosted Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, New Jersey on campus. Mayor Booker was invited to speak on ethical leadership in addition to the dream and realities of Martin Luther King Jr. However, what Mayor Booker presented was so much more than a lecture and reflection.

Booker began by describing his childhood, parents and the obstacles his family had to overcome. He then seamlessly started to reflect on Martin Luther King Jr.'s dreams and the lessons we must all take away from MLK's short yet impressive life.

Personally, Martin Luther King Jr. has always been of interest to me. I can vividly remember a day in the second grade when I brought my Encarta Encyclopedia on CD-ROM disc into class and played a clip of MLK delivering his, "I Have a Dream," speech. I was in total awe of his powerful words but confused about his obvious message. As a second grader from a small town in the heart of Ohio I had never experienced any race issues. From my perspective, this was a problem of the past, Abraham Lincoln had abolished slavery and, I would definitely have no problem joining hands with anyone! However, as I grew I began to witness the tremendous divide the history of race relations in this country had created for the present and future. Although we, as a nation, have made great strides toward equality for all races and ethnicities we are still a long distance from the dream that Martin Luther King Jr. had envisioned.

Mayor Booker shared and reflected on one of King's poignant quotes, "history will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people." He stated again, " not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people." This statement immediately created a connection for me. Throughout my diversity training and mediating as an Orientation Leader we discussed, "What Would You Do," after watching clips from the identically titled ABC show. The most common question we would ask was, "does silence condone the behavior?" Now, it was almost like Martin Luther King Jr. and Cory Booker were my facilitators and they were asking me, "what is your silence doing to create a solution to the problem?" So many of us believe we know what is right and wrong and what we should do in situations. However, we falter when it comes to our actions. Do we stand up to someone who is doing something we don't agree with or do we merely turn a blind eye? Mayor Booker poked fun at all of the armchair politicians that watch the news and get so fired up that they yell and scream at the TV and pump their fists but when it comes to making actual change do little. Change comes from action.

My favorite point that Mayor Booker made was that it is the day to day kindness and love that creates change and makes a difference. By doing good deeds and spreading kindness each day we will create a more conscientious world that strives to do better for all citizens. Booker also stated that what we see around us is what we are made of. It is easy to see darkness and despair but that means inside we are equally depressed. However, if we look upon our world with hope and ambition we will be able to create possibilities meaning our souls are just as beautiful and courageous. In order for our world to become a better place we must look beyond ourselves and our needs and focus on the people, places and things around us.

Mayor Booker was a huge inspiration to me and I hope my interpretation of his words ignite a flame of activism in you as well. I look forward to making a difference in the people and places around me and I hope you will do the same.

I want to leave you with an African quote that Mayor Booker relayed to us that specifically stood out to me, "When spiderwebs unite they can tie-up a lion." Although we may be a small part to a large problem with action and some help we can create huge changes.


More updates soon!

Ashley

P.S. Follow me on Twitter at MissMansfield20

"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!