The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

After reading the heading of this post you're probably wondering either one of two things - 1) This girl must be crazy, we still have a few months until Christmas. 2) Where has Cierra been? She hasn't updated in quite some time. Luckily, I have answers to both of these questions. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year title is no longer held by Christmas, sorry folks, it is in fact the start of Fall and school(at least in my opinion!) The past month I've been consumed with my 20.5 course schedule, dance practices, football games, appearances, planning speaking engagements, and coordinating new opportunities for my Girl Scouts. On top of all this, I am a mentor for first-year, non-traditional, and transfer students and assistant teach a course about women's leadership, which is also keeping me on my toes. I've been applying for internships for next semester as well, so keep your fingers crossed! It's been quite an eventful semester so far and now that I'm in the midst of midterms, I am running on adrenaline and coffee. I constantly have to remind myself that "busy is a blessing."
As mentioned in an earlier blog post, my first project as Miss Cape Shores was a "Stuff a Bookbag" Drive for my Girl Scouts, in which I am proud to say I collected over 300 school supplies for not only my girls, but their siblings as well. The looks on the girls faces, and their parents' faces, warmed my heart because they were so in shock that they were receiving these essential gifts with no obligation to do anything in return. This is where the title of this post comes from. It was truly the most wonderful time of the year to be able to give back to a group of girls who have done more for me than they'll ever know. Did you know that 20% of children in the US live in poverty? That means 16 million kids will go without basic school supplies this year. A thousand hugs goes out to the selfless individuals who aided me in teaching the girls the value and importance of education coupled with hard work. Along with the school supply drive, I was also able to start a library for the Delsea Village Apartments, which now has approximately 350 books. My platform is not solely based around the arts, but most importantly, instilling the value of obtaining a well-rounded education in our youth to become more well-rounded, knowledgeable citizens. In other news, my Girl Scouts will now have official uniforms thanks to The Carley Foundation, whose goal is to enhance and improve the lives of those in Cumberland County through grants to nonprofit organizations dedicated to social and family services. My utmost gratitude goes out to this organization for helping me supply my girls with the resources they need.

Along with an intense course schedule, I've managed to find time for some fun service and friends! A few weeks ago, one of my teammates, Emily A., created a team called Emily's Entourage, which we walked at the annual Embrace Kids Foundation Heel to Heal Walk to fight cancer. Emily was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma her senior year of high school, and is now a strong and super spirited survivor. I am blessed to have her not only as a teammate, but as a friend. 

Columbus Day weekend was a very eventful pageant weekend! On Saturday I drove up to Stanhope with Anna to watch the Miss Gateway/Tri-County/Northern Lakes pageant. I felt right at home because  I held the Miss Northern Lakes title last year and was part of the North Jersey triple pageant family. I loved getting to watch my friends compete and everyone said they could tell I was there because I was cheering (quite loudly, I might add) for everyone. I now have a lipstick stain on my sash from too much hugging! As if there's such a thing! A highlight was winning one of the raffle baskets because that NEVER happens to me. As a I read my ticket and heard my number being called, I jumped up and squealed with enthusiasm. After the winners were announced I approached Terry, hugged him, and told him he's never getting rid of me. He grinned and told me without hesitation, "Once my girl, always my girl." I think this saying goes to show you the bond that grows between a pageant family. Congratulations to Krysten, Andi, and Nicole W. I am so proud to call you my sisters! Welcome to the Miss New Jersey Class of 2013.

When Sunday rolled around and I found out dance practice was cancelled, I threw on some makeup, hopped in the car and drove back home for the Miss Columbus Day/Atlantic County pageant. As a former Miss Atlantic County, my first title in the Miss America Organization, I again felt the warmth of being in the presence of the loving Consalvo family, who taught me a great deal about pageantry and what it means to be Italian! I am forever grateful for the support they've shown me over the years. Welcome back to Lindsey G. and Courtney C., I can't wait to spend the year with you and I wish the best of luck in their years of service to these two kind-spirited young women. 

Miss Atlantic County 2011/Miss Northern Lakes 2012

Thank you Ro, Giulietta, Terry, Sharon, & Jeanne for everything you've done for me!

My best friend & forever pageant sis, Krysten

Krysten, Me, Anna, & Nicole

The Bonnie Blue Gang

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the HERO Walk in Ocean City, NJ to support my best friend and pageant sister, Anna Negron, on her team "Think Before you Drink." I was never directly exposed to dangers of drunk driving, but after becoming so close with Anna and learning the story of her dear friend, Josh, who was hit and killed by a drunk driver, I've allied myself with the HERO campaign and pledged to be a designated driver. Over 2,000 people were in attendance, which is twice the number of last year, and I can't wait to see how the HERO campaign grows over the years. Not to mention I was interviewed by NBC 40! Although my segment didn't air, it was a great experience to be interviewed on such an important occasion. It was a pure stroke of luck that the HERO campaign tables at the Rutgers football games, and upon seeing them I, of course, had to brag about my Anna and formed a partnership with Mr. Elliot, whose son, John Elliot, was killed by a drunk driver and drove him to start the campaign. I was able to catch up with my pageant sisters and get the 411 on Miss NJ's Outstanding Teen, from my teen, Amy. I cannot wait to see her light up that stage in January! I am continually blessed to have cultivated friendships with those who are passionate about their work and remind me to never take my loved ones for granted.

Fall not only means schoolwork, local pageant season,  and event planning, but also....FOOTBALL SEASON! As of right now, my Scarlet Knights are 6-0, 3-0 in the Big East, and nationally ranked at Number 15! It's unbelievably thrilling to be on the field, with the stands packed to full capacity, and looking out in the crowd and seeing red for miles. I will never regret my decision to attend Rutgers because of all the energy vested into school spirit. Tomorrow Rutgers travels to Temple and the dance team gets to go with them. It should be a competitive game. Keep your fingers crossed for a Rutgers win! Here's some fun game photos to enjoy!

Unfortunately, my books are calling my name and I need to get back to studying. My next project as Miss Cape Shores is "Operation Christmas Card" where I am collecting donations of Christmas cards for people to send over to the troops as a reminder of how much we appreciate them risking their lives for us on a daily basis. I also recently partnered with Project Empower (proempower.org) and will be starting a Rutgers chapter in the Spring! I've been scheduling speaking engagements to talk about the importance of arts education for our youth, and more information will follow soon. I'll leave you with one last quote and a promise to update my blog more frequently. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” ― Mother Teresa

International Day of the Girl

"It’s a day to celebrate the work being done worldwide by and for girls’ rights. And mind you, this isn’t just about doing work on behalf of girls — but supporting the many, many girls worldwide who are already engaged, quite literally, in changing the world."


Today the UN and the world celebrate the first International Day of the Girl. All over the globe, young women are advocating, educating, and facilitating change and it's time we celebrate the many successes of the women of the world. Growing up I always knew I would obtain higher education and pave the beginning steps of a path for my family in being a first-generation college student. Although the road to college was not always an easy task, I was fortunate enough to be blessed with a supportive family and insightful mentors who saw my potential and burning passion for academia. I learned the importance of perseverance and every accomplishment I've achieved thus far has been even more fulfilling, knowing I took the initiative to make things happen for myself. Not many young women today are fortunate enough to have that same opportunity, as I've experienced first-hand through my time acting as a mentor and role model for young women in different settings. Whenever I'm asked to tell an interesting fact I always beam when I say, "I have over two hundred kids." I have been blessed with many hardships (yes, I really do mean blessed!) in a sense that these seemingly detrimental experiences have lit a fire within me to empower young women in similar situations. I truly do believe life is not about what happens to you, but rather how you handle these situations. My favorite quote of all time by Oprah Winfrey, "You have to find what lights a spark in you so that in your own way you can illuminate the world," truly defines how I have set out to live my life. I am a mentor to over 200 girls ages 5-12 throughout different urban areas in New Jersey, who inspire me every day. Nothing is better than opening an e-mail, or picking up a phone call, or visiting these bright girls who offer so many hugs and hearing "I got an A on my spelling test" or "I was made captain of my cheer team" or "I made the symphony band at school." My mission is to teach these young women that you should never settle. Do not worry about what your parents have done, or what your friends are doing, you have to create opportunity yourself. Use education to reach your highest potential. Expand your mind and your horizons and always welcome new experiences with open arms. Educated girls are the most beautiful girls because they see how change can positively affect the world. Knowledge is something that can never be taken from you, so use it to your advantage. Use your voice and your passions to make a change. Today is an important day to me, as it should be for everyone. Without education, I would not have had even remotely close to the number of positive opportunities I've had or been able to realize the importance of giving back. Happy International Day of the Girl!