My First Semester Ended

My first full-time semester of college is over as of yesterday! One more semester to go before I graduate with my Science Degree! Grades came out  and I am proud to say that I made Dean's List! I am hoping that my second semester at Dutchess Community College is just as good and I am already registered for the following classes: Physics II, Astronomy, Honors Pop Culture English, Honors Economics, Theater, and Social Problems: a 20 credit semester! Hope all goes well leading up to both my college and high school graduations!

My Nutcracker Shows at the Bardavon!

I was involved with the New Paltz Ballet Theatre where we performed six shows at the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie, New York this year. Three were for the Dutchess County Arts in Education program and were performed for public school children in Dutchess County who travelled to see the show. The other three were open to anyone and were on December 10th and 11th. All of the shows were either sold out or really close to it!
     It saddens me to know that this could be my last Nutcracker Season at the Bardavon Opera House but I am glad to know that I went out with a bang and had a wonderful time with my fellow dancers and friends!  My roles included Arabian solo, Snow Queen, snow corps, and Dewdrop.  I also was able to perform the role of Sugarplum Fairy with the New Paltz Ballet Theatre at a show in New Paltz at the dude ranch called "Rocking Horse" ranch, and the role of Dewdrop at the fabulous getaway in New Paltz called the "Mohonk Mountain House".....what fun!!

Sinterklaas Festival in Rhinebeck NY

   This "Sinterklaas" festival took place in the gorgeous city of Rhinebeck, New York.  It is an Old Dutch tradition and had lots of different attractions to enjoy. I participated by helping give awards for the "Bear Beauty Contest"  for all the children in the area. Lots of children dressed up a stuffed bear in whatever outfit they chose and entered them in this contest. We gave each of them a gift (a certificate, a little trophy, and a piece of delicious chocolate candy) and I took a picture with every single one of these adorable children!


   Furthurmore however, a highlight of my day was right after the bear beauty contest came to an end. I met a couple on vacation from Italy. My dad's side of the family came from Fundi, Italy and so was this couple. They had a great sense of humor and I posed for some photos with them.  They were enjoying their time in America and at the Sinterklaas festival.

City Of Lights Parade and Fireworks

   On December 2nd I rode in the Poughkeepsie, New York City of Lights Parade. I rode in between Santa and in front of all my fellow girlscouts! We stopped and lit all of the trees throughout the city and kicked off the holiday season to come. Again I met caroling families and volunteers that deserve to be recognized and thanked for their community service.
    After the parade the fireworks were spectacular and shot off right from the Hudson River!  What a great evening!!

Thanksgiving Day Parade

    On Thanksgiving I travelled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to participate in their huge ABC parade. It was so great to see other teens and misses that I haven't seen since August including our own Miss America's Outstanding Teen, my pageant sister Elizabeth Fechtel. We started Thanksgiving Day by appearing on Good Morning America. In addition to that, I had a great time sharing a trailer with Charlie McDermott from the ABC TV show "The Middle."  Meeting him was a bonus to a great day of riding on floats, meeting families and children celebrating thanksgiving, and being on TV.
    The day was a frenzie of travelling on a trolley, riding in the parade, shaking hands, and lots of waving. I enjoyed every moment and was glad to see so many families together for a day of thanks!

Dutchess Community College Craft Fair

  I helped with a major fundraiser at Dutchess Community College.  Every Thanksgiving weekend, Dutchess Community College has a huge craft fair where over 5,000 people attend.  The Craft Fair was a blast to participate in! I helped by being a music DJ, made announcements, and helped with fundraisers for college scholarships by selling raffle tickets!  I also posed for a lot of photos with children.

CMN with Kaitlin

  This past week I visited a CMN hospital with my sister queen Miss New York, Kaitlin Monte.  At the "Maria Fareri" Children's Hospital at the Westchester Medical Center we had a great time talking to the patients and spending time together.
   I also had a great time seeing kids I met with during my last visit at this CMN hospital!

Veterans Weekend

    This past weekend, I set out to honor the individuals who have bravely served our country. I was part of the Veteran's Day Memorial ceremony in Millbrook, New York.  I carried the wreath to the memorial monument during the ceremony to honor those who have died. 
     The day after Veterans Day I again volunteered to participate in the Flag Burning ceremony and get ready for a fundraising  event to help those who have served and those who are serving right now.
     I urge everyone to thank every service man or woman they see and communicate the gratitude we feel towards them as they risk their lives on our behalf!

My School Talent Show

Right when I got back from my visit to TROY I performed in my school talent show. Literally, I got off the plane, drove to Nutcracker rehearsal, then drove to my high school for the school talent show and just made it in time to perform at the end of the evening.  Though the talent was fierce I won first!  The talent show was done to make money for my high school drama department so we can put on the musical "Bye Bye Birdie"  thus giving students the opportunity to be exposed to the arts!  Last year I was fortunate to be able to participate in the chorus ensemble and have dance solo's in the high school musical "Hello Dolly."

Visiting TROY

    Recently I embarked on a fantastic weekend. I flew down to TROY University with my Mother to explore the college I won a scholarship to through the MAOTeen competition. I absolutely fell in love with the campus and their academic programs. I met the Pre-Med advisor and discovered just how advanced their program is.   I was also invited to be a part of the Honors College.
   In addition, I had the opportunity to audition for the Troy Dance Ensemble Company and made the company.  (A few weeks later I found out I was accepted into the Troy Dance Repertory Ensemble which adds approximately another $8000 scholarship to my already $61,000 academic scholarship).  I have no question in my mind as to if this is the school for me. I am proud to say that with new found Trojan Pride I will be attending TROY University as a Pre-Med student and in July will begin rehearsing as a member of the Dance Ensemble Company!  I am also looking forward to rushing and getting into their Greek life in August right before official academic classes begin!

Arts Council Award

Last night, I was awarded the Dutchess Country Arts Award for Youth with Exceptional Promise. I got to make a speech advocating how important the arts are in people's lives and how it is important we continue supporting the arts in order to give other kids the opportunity to express themselves through art.
    The highlight of my night was that my dance teachers from the New Paltz School of Ballet came to support myself and the arts in our community. It meant a lot to me and I am glad to have that long standing relationship with them!

Month of September

My appearances were cut short during this month due to an extremely busy schedule. I started college this semester with 19 credits! I was enrolled in Physics, Honors Shakespeare, Honors Government, Biology, Wellness and Fitness, Science Seminar and Fencing at Dutchess Community College. It has been a busy month but I wouldn't have had it any other way! I was kept on my toes between my college classes, chorus and band at my high school, and dance. I auditioned for the Nutcracker which will be held at the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie, New York in December.  I was cast as Snow Queen, DewDrop, Arabian, Sugarplum, and a Snow Fairy. I have had dance everyday during the week and all weekend in prepartion for these shows. So far I have a couple appearances scheduled coming up and cannot wait to get back into spreading important messages!

My Time in Florida

      This past week was the week I spent at the MAOTeen competition in Florida and was like no week before. When I thought of a competition previously I thought it would be secretive, nasty, and have numerous rough undergoings. However, I could not have been more off. Every girl I met was caring, outgoing, honest, and extraodinarily kind. I made 52 new sisters that I will stay in contact with for the rest of my life. The experience is so hard to put into words, that all I can say is that during this week I found who I want to be and all the girls helped set me on a path towards that goal.
     Moreover, during this week I won an academic scholarship to TROY University in Alabama. I look forward to exploring this option in my future and am so grateful to have been recognized!
     I now know how much this week changes the course of your life and I also know that the next Miss NY OT we send down should be aware that the time of her life awaits and that life altering experiences are to come!

Before I leave for Miss America's OT

During my last few weeks before I left for Florida, I had little time to tary in the frenzie of preparations. However, I managed to complete three tasks before I departed other then preparing for the week to come. These three events were:

Visiting a CMN hospital:

During this visit I helped serve at an ice cream social and then made my rounds to see the patients in the hospital. I particularly became friends with a young boy named George who loved Star Wars and Elmo (an odd combo I know). Visits such as these remind you of the troubles in the world and why we must fight for those who cannot. Moreover, they stand to show how just one word and gesture can brighten someone elses day. This trip cast a different light on the world for me and I am proud to say that before I leave for Florida in August I have raised close to $700 for Childrens Miracle Network.



Attending a Renegades Baseball Game:

This experience was such fun! Besides meeting the young baseball fans in the Hudson Valley I got to throw the first pitch at the game. Meeting the players and discussing the strategy of the other team seemed to be a highlight of my day because I had no idea how invigorating the conversation would be. It challenged me to watch during the game as the team exploited weaknesses and capitalized on their own strengths. Though it rained it just proved to be more entertaining as the athletic abilities of the players prevailed through the weather.

Helping to pass the texting while driving law New York currently has:

Communicating with the senator led to a dialogue that tested my intellect: the result of which was the texting and drive law that was put into place in New York. This law added two points to the license of an individual caught in the act of texting while texting. We hope that later in the year the act will be increased to adding three points to the drivers license as data comes out proving just how dangerous texting behind the wheel can be.

Platform Support :)

               Yesterday, I spent part of the day supporting my Platform in New Paltz! Lets go New York Police Department!!!

Hoping the message sinks in sooner rather than later!!! Txting while Driving is no LOL matter!

                                                                                   Lauren E. Molella
                                                                                        Miss NY's OT 2011

Chamonix

Today I went to a gown shop called Chamonix in Rhinebeck, NY. The village is gorgeous and everyone was extremely nice to talk to. The two owners, Heather Graham and Allison Sims, were kind enough to sponsor me with a gown. Today I went to their shop and worked with Heather to pick out the perfect dress. They have extraordinary gowns and picking one was a challenge. The one I finally decided on was an electric blue that moves like a dream. Many thanks to Heather and Allison at Chamonix for the brilliant gown!




Heather's daughter! I hope she has fun on her trip to see Mary Poppins on Broadway!



The dress I chose and Heather in her adorable bridal shop/boutique!



In front of the shop in the cute little town of Rhinebeck :)


If you're interested check out their website:   http://www.chamonixbride.com/

                                                             XOXO Lauren!

My First Month!!!!

I still can’t believe that I have won! This is going to be such an extraordinary year. The paperwork was quite a bit to handle but with lots of Linda’s help it is all completed and turned in. The preparations for the upcoming MAOT are in full swing!

            On the day after the pageant I had a photo shoot with Claire. It was so much fun to work with someone as incredible as her. In addition, I also got to spend my first day with my sister queen. Kaitlin is magnificent and I am ecstatic to get to spend the upcoming year with her. We took some pictures together and then I did my headshot and banner pictures.

            The following Sunday I left for the month to dance with New York City Ballet up in Saratoga New York. This is my fourth year dancing with them and I made so many new friends and strongly believe that my dancing grew immensely. Here I could also focus on perfecting my talent. Below is me with Mary Daley the coordinator of New York State's Summer School of the Arts!

            The third day into camp I left to travel to Manhattan to pick out my Regalia dress. This was such a fantastic experience and David was superb to work with! Also over my time at camp I worked really hard to meet my goal of raising $500 for CMN. I am proud to say that I have reached this goal and more!

            Yesterday I also had my first ever appearance as Miss NY’s OT! I was a guest at the Saratoga County fair. I met so many interesting individuals. I talked to the National Guard about our troops then the Sheriffs department about the advances in my Platform. Furthermore, I opened the Talent Tent with a performance and had so much fun with all the animals (even though the smell is not so appealing lol).

The national guard

The smelly cows!

The cutest pony!



Miss baby saratoga! who knows she might be the next Miss New York!



Talent Opening!



The midway at the fair! This was one of the highlights of my day. When I was buying lunch on this midway I found a little boy who had lost his mother. I took him with me and finally got him to stop crying and tell me his name was James. I went to security with him but he wouldnt leave me so we looked for his mom together and had a happy ending when they were reunited!



            As upcoming events go I am looking forward to a couple of things. Tomorrow I am going to a gown shop that has agreed to sponsor me with a gown. Then later this week I am meeting the Senator regarding my platform and the newly signed Texting and Driving bill. Saturday I am meeting with Linda to work on interview and go over other areas of competition. Finally I am looking forward to setting a date to go to Red Carpet with Linda!!! Keep you updated :)

                       

P.S.~ Don’t forget to vote for peoples choice, lets make NY proud!

            https://fourpointsmagazine.com/maotpeopleschoiceawards

                                                                                    Lauren E. Molella

                                                                                             Miss NY’s OT 2011