YOLO

On Saturday March 2, 2013 a tiara and sash were placed on my body and I became Miss Baltimore 2013 and thus the newest Miss Maryland hopeful. This will be my fifth and final year of involvement within the Miss America Organization, and I've come to the realization that my personal theme for this year is: YOLO!

In all seriousness, the title of Miss Baltimore represents an immense amount of pride and joy for me personally, but most of all for my students. I've always dreamed of someday becoming Miss Maryland and having the possibility of becoming Maryland's first Miss America, but I would be lying if I said that I haven't experienced personal setbacks. My first year of competing, I never won a local. In my second year within the organization, I was secretly hiding my own battle with suicide and my mother's alcohol addiction. In my third year, I stood on the Miss Maryland stage as a runner-up on a Saturday night, and within 24 hours was unpacking my bags in Philadelphia, prepared to start my first day of student teaching in an inner city summer school.  

For those of you who know me, you are well aware of the trials and tribulations that came my way this past year. A week before Christmas my home was broken into and I was robbed, I had a student steal my wallet from my out of my desk in my classroom, my relationship with someone I considered my best friend ended after we were together for almost five years, I endured endless amounts of expletives coming out of the mouths of troubled seven-year-old children, in addition to a fair share of chairs and desks thrown throughout the course of a school year, and I didn’t even make top ten at Miss Maryland.

I tell folks that I've become pretty talented at losing Miss Maryland, and as the old adage goes: "always a bridesmaid and never a bride." But there were two main motivators for me to compete in my last year: my students and my city.

I realized I need to practice what I preach day in and day out at Holabird Academy: to persevere no matter what setbacks life may throw at you. This has been a personal dream of mine, and even though I've been knocked down I always tell my kids that you MUST MUST MUST get back up. And then, of course, there's Baltimore. I live, work, and go to school in Baltimore. This city is my home, and this city has my heart. I've never held a local title for a place that I've ever been devoted to, and walking into work as Miss Baltimore that first Monday morning was simply WAY better than ever becoming Miss America - because for my students, Baltimore is their WORLD. 

I cannot express in words what an honor it is to represent this city and its people, but this year is one that I will cherish forever.

XOXO
Danna