6 Months in the Life of WIOTeen!

Today is my 6-month anniversary of being Miss Wisconsin's Outstanding Teen 2012! I cannot believe that I'm already half-way done with my year, book looking ahead to next 6 months, I know that there are many more exciting opportunities to come!

Already in just these 6 months, I've traveled over 3,700 miles across this great state of Wisconisn and the nation representing the Miss Wisconsin Organization! Over my journey there have definitely been some appearances and events that have stuck out and been favorites in my mind. So in honor of my 6 month anniversary, here are my Top 6 Favorite Appearances as WIOTeen!

#6 Children's Miracle Network Miracle Treat Day

 

As many of you might know, the Miss America Organization's National Platform is the Children's Miracle Network. For this appearance, I spent the day at the Dairy Queen in Broofield, WI selling raffle tickets, fundraising, and of course enjoying a delicious blizzard! I had the opportunity to participate in an interview for the Children's Hopsital of Milwaukee, and got to meet some amazing 'Miracle Kids' whose stories inspire me everyday! The best part was finding out that after 4 hours, we collected over $100 to help benefit CMN and the Children's Hospital!

#5 Oshkosh Farmer's Market and Festival Foods

 

This was my very first appearance ever as WIOTeen, so it holds a very special place in my heart! After barely sleeping a couple hours after I was crowned, I woke up that morning to go to the Oshkosh Farmer's Market to sign autographs with the other 'Miss' contestants. Then it was off to the Festival Foods to help bag groceries and eat a delicious lunch, sponsored by Festival! I have to give a huge shoutout and thanks to all the 'Miss' contestants who were with me that day, you are all such great role models and instantly made me feel apart of the group!

#4 Wisconsin State Fair

 

 

The Wisconsin State Fair was a first for me, and it was definitely a favorite! The first part of my day was spent talking to all the 4H members and gettting to meet some of their furry friends (I especially connected with a cow named Pepsi)! I then had an awesome opportunity to judge some kids contest for Sentry Foods, with some amazing other celebrity judges! Unfortunately, the judges were asked to show how good at hula-hooping we were; let's just say it only lasted a couple of seconds! I ended the day, with the State Fair Parade where I was able to reunite with my Miss New Berlin - Raquel!

 

#3 Warren's Cranberry Festival

 



 

This was honestly one of the absolute funnest appearances EVER! It was a fun filled day with parades, food, interacting with the crowd, and a little shopping on the side! The best part was that I got to share it with my 'big sister' Miss Wisconsin 2012 - Kate Gorman! I think we both agreed that after this weekend, it's going to be hard to ever eat craberries again!

#2 Thursday Night Lights (Waukesha West and Homestead)

As many of you might know, I parterned with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to further my work with my own platform 100% Drive: The Dangers of Distracted Driving. The WisDOT in September had me travel with them for their Thursday Night Lights program, where they set up their booth at different football games in eastern Wisconsin. I was also able to be interviewed by Mike McGivern for My24Milwaukee to speak about how we can all take simple steps to help reduce this problem! A highlight, though, was definitely being able to visit Homestead High school for one of the games, which is also the Highschool of WIOTeen 2011 - Annie Jorgensen!

And finally, my #1 favorite appearance!....

#1 Miss America's Outstanding Teen!

 Group shot outside Medieval Times!

 Group shot outside Planet Hollywood!

 Group shot outside the Rosen Centre Hotel!

 My bestfriends and sisters for the week! (TX, AL, AR, MS)

 Some fabulous ladies before orientation!

 Special moment meeting my favorite Miss America - Erika Dunlap!

 



I plan on doing a more indepth recap of MAOT, but I had to put it in here as hands down the most amazing experience I've had thus far as WIOTeen! The 52 other contestants aren't just friends to me, they are forever my sisters! Being surrounded by such amazing, talented, intelligent, and hilarious girls that week only inspires me more to be the best WIOTeen and me that I can be! A huge highlight of that week, was getting to meet Miss America 2004 - Erika Dunlap. 2004 was the first year I ever watched Miss America on TV, and I remember being so inspired by Erika and all the other contestants, knowing that one day I wanted to be up on that stage, just like them! Even though I didn't come home with the crown that week, I really came home with so much more. The memories, the laughs, the sisters, and the inspiration are the things I will carry with me forever!

So there you have it! My Top 6 Favorite Appearances as WIOTeen so far! But as I look ahead to my next 6 months, I'm excited knowing that there will be even more amazing experiences to add to my list! This has truly been an awesome journey, and I am so blessed with the opportunity; I hope to make you proud Wisconsin!

Madeline Morgan
Miss Wisconsin's Outstanding Teen 2012

June - Update for Miss Wisconsin’s Outstanding Teen – Madeline Morgan

One of the most asked questions I got after I was crowned the new Miss Wisconsin’s Outstanding Teen was, “Has it sunk in yet?”, and no, it had not then, and it still hasn’t now! Annie Jorgensen, Miss Wisconsin’s Outstanding Teen 2011, even joked to me afterward that I wouldn’t think it was actually real until I was crowning my successor (which I don’t even want to think about yet!). But honestly, I wake up every morning and feel so lucky and so blessed that I have been given this opportunity to fulfill this job and to represent this organization.

I was able to compete with 12 other amazing, talented, intelligent, and beautiful young women, all of whom would have done this title proud. Even in just that one day I made memories to last a lifetime, and walked away with new lifelong friends. I truly believe that it is my duty to not only represent the great state of Wisconsin, but to also represent those remarkable young women and to take the things I learned from each of them and use them throughout my year. 

And speaking of my year, it kicked off bright and early that next day at 5:30 am. I was able to spend the day with all the fabulous contestants competing to be my new “big sister”, the title of Miss Wisconsin. We spent the morning at the Oshkosh Farmer’s Market, signing autographs and taking pictures. This was the first “surreal” moment I had, signing my name as Miss Wisconsin’s Outstanding Teen, it was a dream come true. Then it was off to Festival Foods for lunch and helping bag groceries! Lunch, which was so kindly sponsored by Festival, was fabulous! However, bagging groceries is most definitely NOT my calling, so instead I enjoyed getting to know the customers and what they were planning on cooking with all the delicious food! I cannot say enough kind things about the ‘Miss’ contestants, they were so welcoming and kind to me that day, and really were role models for me to look up to!

I also got to bond with another role model that day, the reigning Miss America’s Outstanding Teen, Elizabeth Fechtel! While all the ‘Miss’ contestants were in their final rehearsal, we got hang out with each other in the dressing room just being normal teenagers; talking about our family, friends, states, and our shared love of cats! She is one of the most genuine and personable people I have ever met, it’s no wonder why she captured the hearts of the judges and the crown!

The day ended with the Miss Wisconsin Pageant having its 50^th anniversary of being held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin! The caliber of women who graced that stage that night was unbeatable. These are women who exemplify those for points of the Miss America crown (Style, Success, Scholarship, and Service) to its fullest. But ultimately, it was Miss Lacrosse/Oktoberfest, Kate Gorman, who was crowned your new Miss Wisconsin! 

But the festivities didn’t stop there; a few short days later I was able to welcome Kate to my home town of Oregon, WI for one of her first official appearances, first at the O-Town Showdown Car Show and then the next day at our annual Summerfest Parade! I’m so excited to get to spend this year with Kate, and after getting to know her over those few days and some dinner with my mom’s now infamous “Tango Pork”, I can say that I have a great role model and big sister to look up to.

This journey would not have been made possible without some amazing people. First of all, to all the amazing board members, field directors, sponsors, hostesses, and volunteers, thank you for all you do for this organization and for all of the contestants, your hard work does not go unnoticed! To Harmann’s, thank you for a fabulous headshot, once again! To Nikki, Becky, Trent, and my Miss West Allis/New Berlin Family, thank you for all the support, love, encouragement, and attention, I love you all! To Miss Ashley, thank you for all the support and advice you’ve ever given me, it makes me who I am today, and thank you for the fabulous wardrobe! To my family and friends, there’s too many to count, but your constant support and reassurance is my driving force, I couldn’t do it without you! And finally to God, because over this past year, I’ve learned that you have the plan in your hands, and what extraordinary plans they are!

I am so excited to start this journey and begin this whirlwind of an adventure! Let’s see where this road takes me!

--Madeline Morgan, Miss Wisconsin’s Outstanding Teen 2012

Madeline supports DQs Miracle Treat Day for CMN