“One day you will look back and see that all along you were blooming.”
I have never felt as challenged, pushed, empowered or poured into than I have this year as your Miss Metro St. Louis. I’ve dreamed of this title and this city since I was 12-years-old and to fill those shoes eight years later is such a blessing.
A letter cannot begin to express my gratitude to those of you who have poured into me this year. I have been “adopted” into many families with many “pageant moms” and places that have become my “home away from home” in ten months’ time.
This year was so special because of the Miss Metro St. Louis board, my sister queens and their families who welcomed me into their city and lives with open arms. To the Vanlandingham family – my people! – thank you for letting Lauren and I stay up until the wee hours of the morning talking about pageants, answering my silly pageant questions and for cheering me on at Miss Missouri and throughout this year like I was one of your own. Vanlanging-clan forever!
The relationships that I have formed with my Outstanding Teen and Miss sister queens and their moms will be ones that I will always cherish, and I cannot wait to have sleepovers and/or brunch together long after tonight’s show. To be loved and challenged by these girls this year was so special and watching their successes at Miss Missouri and Miss Missouri’s Outstanding Teen made me a “proud mom” and a proud friend. Watching one of my best pageant friends, Katelyn Lewis, win Miss Missouri was the icing on the cake on my year of personal growth and transformation and I am so excited to join her in Atlantic City!
Phil, Heather, Emily, Jamie, Jason, Tara, Mallory, Becky, Derrick, Shandi, Tess, Nicole, Jenn, Melissa, and every person who has offered advice, asked me questions during a mock interview or supported/sponsored our program in some way this year, thank you for recognizing the value that the Miss Metro St. Louis Organization has in shaping the lives of young women. Under Mary Ann’s leadership, I blossomed. My success would not have been possible without the army of people who offered their support and love this year. Bree, I have learned so much from you and I am so excited for our friendship to continue. You have been one of my rocks this year, from the very beginning. Mary Ann, from the intruder room to our many road trips, to our daily texts, frequent sleepovers and making me wear higher heels, you are stuck with me for life. You saw the potential in me first and pushed me little farther every time until I could see it too.
My love for you both (& Brett…and the cats) is un-ending, as long as I can wear camo to dinner next time. To my family and Joey, thank you for not rolling your eyes when I said I was driving to St. Louis for the third time in one week and for listening to me practice marimba all the time. You keep me grounded and remind me that without rural Missouri and all my support back home, I would not be the person I am today. I love you.
Coming into this year, I was the tall girl with long, thick brown hair who was new to pageants but had a lot of ambition…I am leaving empowered with shorter hair, higher heels and the tools to take control of my future, in and out of pageants. I know I am one step closer to fulfilling my dream of Miss America after this empowering year – I owe so much of my transformation to Mary Ann and her team.
Ultimately, Miss Missouri 2018 was a culmination of a 10-month life transformation and I left the week with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes. Thank you to everyone who has supported, without reservation or question, the dream of mine to become Miss Missouri. The second I was announced as one of the top ten finalists, all I could think of was representing rural Missouri and one of our biggest cities through this title. I hope I made you proud.
To everyone reading this – never doubt yourself and what you are capable of. This time last year, I told myself I was not going to win this pageant, that my previous “failures” had defined me and my abilities. I told myself my talent was never going to be “good” enough and I prepared all year, winning the preliminary talent award at Miss Missouri this year. Get out of your own way, embrace change and go for it –that’s when the best moments of life happen; this year with these people tops that list.
Forever a Metro girl/cowgirl,Holly
Holly Enowski 