June 7, 2010
Time truly does fly when you are having fun! I can’t believe it is already June, the month of Miss Virginia week--when one of 30 beautiful, talented young women will be our next representative! I am looking forward to seeing all of the girls, some I have known since I began competing, some whom I have only just met, but all who are now my friends.
Since my last post, some exciting new doors have opened for me. Most exciting of all? I have been invited to tour Air Force One!!!! This is a great example of how appearances and connections made as Miss Virginia create awesome opportunities. I was at Andrews Air Force Base (where Air Force One is kept) for the Virginia Submarine Golf Tournament with Julius [Tolentino], who took pictures for me during the event. As we rode around the course, some men in uniform working on the base asked to take a picture with me. Julius complied and they were very grateful. Weeks later, I received a “friend request” on Facebook from one of the men we took a photo with, stating how grateful he was for the photo. He then revealed that he worked on Air Force One and that he would be honored to give me a tour!
During the past few weeks, I have stayed busy, as usual. One of the highlights was performing a new song, “Sara Lee,” to Cedar Forest Elementary School. I will be performing this song on the Miss Virginia stage during the Friday Preliminary show so it was important that I got some audience feedback during my first performance. Since becoming Miss Virginia, I have overcome the nerves I once had during singing. Thanks to the help of Elaine Aikens and performing at appearances, I have become much more comfortable singing solo - a feat I have only been doing for three years.
Many people ask, “After you crown Miss Virginia 2010, what’s next?” I am excited to announce that, following pageant week, I will be hired as full-time Assistant to the Producer on the film “Lake Effects,” filming at Smith Mountain Lake in October. I met producer Sara Elizabeth Timmins when I was Miss Smith Mountain Lake, and was a volunteer intern until the day I became Miss Virginia (I was actually interning at her home when I got “the call”). Here is some information about the film, taken from their website:
This is the story of a family raised on the lake. The older daughter moved away to Los Angeles to become a lawyer, the younger, an artist, now teaches art at the local elementary school and lives with her parents and their dog. When Dad dies in a sudden accident, the older sister returns home to SML to settle his estate. The next few weeks at the lake are filled with discoveries, tears and laughter as the two daughters finally understand, through the guidance of Dad’s spirit, why it was so important to Dad that they grow up on the lake. For Mom, it is a journey of understanding what the lake means to her personally rather than through her husband's eyes. Of course there is humor as a local oddball leads a search for a LochNess style monster he believes lurks in the lake's depths and a few real Smith Mountain Lake characters make appearances. All these paths converge at the Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival, in a heart-warming and hilarious collision course.
About the film company:
Life Out Loud Films, LLC creates films of superb quality from conception through production, for a much lower budget than a typical film by leveraging community and industry resources. Through our unique approach of enrolling the community and working within our established network of talented and passionate professionals, we retain the advantages of small independent films, and provide investors a higher potential return. We not only strive to produce a product/film that is inspiring and a catalyst for positive change, but our goal is to also make a positive impact in the communities in which we shoot and to support local Economic Development and Tourism.
****Learn more about the project at www.lifeoutloudfilms.com****
After this project, I would like to be a motivational speaker, an actress in a Children’s Theatre group, or a television host. It will be interesting to see what door opens first! In less than three weeks, I will be moving on to my next dream. Until then, I am enjoying every minute left of my reign. Be sure to keep up with me by checking out my appearance pictures on the Miss Virginia website!
See you in Roanoke!
Chinah
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May 5, 2010
The job of
Miss
Virginia is
THE BEST
JOB! When
students ask
me what it’s
like to be
Miss
Virginia: I
reply, “like
being a
hotel
bellman, a
taxi driver,
and a
celebrity
all in
one.” In
the past few
months, I
have spoken
at 24
schools,
reaching over
7,500 students.
I got lost
down a dirt
road, was
crowned by
Miss America
(what girl
besides
Miss America
can say
that?),
driven over
8,000 miles,
and even
danced with
our Governor
and his
family!
Though the
job of Miss
Virginia can
be
exhausting
at times, I
am loving
every minute
of it.
I take lots
of pictures,
and there
have been
many moments
where I have
wanted to
save a
certain
memory,
every part
of it, to
remember for
the rest of
my life.
One of those
moments
happened
when I
visited my
former
elementary
school.
When I got
there, there
was not only
a poster
with many
pictures
of me as a
child, but
they made a
slideshow of
pictures
taken of my
throughout
elementary
school!
They had
little
arrows
pointing to
me in each
group shot
and they had
pictures of
moments I
had
forgotten
(like the
time I
paired up
with a
fellow
student to
dance to
“Train” in
that talent
show. Did I
mention we
were wearing
matching HOT
PINK
sweatshirts
with striped
multicolored
tights?!)
My old
teachers
told me they
were proud
and one even
shared a
note she
wrote about
me as a
child. It
was such a
moving
experience
to be around
people who
supported me
as a child
cheering me
on.
One of the
biggest
highlights
of the past
two months
was the Miss
America
Homecoming
weekend. It
was great to
see Caressa
for the
first time
since the
Miss
Virginia
Pageant. To
see everyone
come
together to
celebrate
both of our
“promotions”
was surreal.
When I read
“Oh the
Places You
Will Go” at
Sinai
Elementary
School, it
was very
relevant to
me. Though
a lot of
times as
Miss
Virginia I
am lifted
up, cheered,
and
encouraged.
But, as the
book goes,
there are
also times
that I am
alone, or I
find roads I
am scared to
enter, like
the winding
dirt road
mountain I
faced in
Stuart, VA.
The best
part is that
I have
learned to
pick myself
up, turn
around, and
keep going.
We don’t get
"do overs"
but we can
change our
attitudes.
It seems
the days
that I face
challenges
such as
this, or it
is hardest
to get out
of bed at 6
a.m., end up
being the
best payoff
in the end.
For example,
the hour
that I was
lost in
Stuart was
followed by
the moment I
returned to
my former
High School,
Franklin
County High
School, in
Rocky Mount,
Virginia. I
was prepared
to speak to
the students
like any
other high
school, but
when I
arrived was
surprised to
find that
the assembly
was
planned FOR
me! The band
played as I
entered, the
cheerleaders
(of which I
belonged in
9th grade)
personalized
a cheer for
me, and a
student sang
a song for a
musical for
the
assembly. I
felt so
special and
loved. It
was great to
see my old
teachers as
well!
Most
recently, I
had one of
the most
exciting
events of my
life when I
met our
Governor,
Bob
McDonnell
and his
family at
the
Shenandoah
Apple
Blossom
Festival.
The
festival,
Winchester’s
83-year-old
tradition,
invites
celebrities
as well as
thousands of
volunteers
and
community
leaders to
be a part of
this
wonderful
celebration.
His
daughter,
Rachel, was
chosen to be
Queen
Shenandoah,
and her
family came
to many
events. I
could not
believe it
when at the
Queen’s
ball, the
Governor
himself
invited
Shannon
Beam, Miss
Apple
Blossom
Festival,
and I to
dance with
him and his
family!
 Recently, I
was honored
to be asked
to be Smith
Mountain
Laker
Magazine’s
Summer
Covergirl!
Pick up one
(free!) at
area
businesses
around Smith
Mountain
Lake.
I have this
job and an
amazing
opportunity
for two more
months, and
I am going
to make the
most of it
and make a
difference.
A couple of
my plans
include
hosting a
Children’s
Miracle
Network/Miss
Virginia
Scholarship
fund
fundraiser,
appearances
with the new
Ms. Wheelchair
Virginia,
and plans to
meet up with
Richmond
affiliates
to promote
accessibility
in
Richmond. I
am always
looking for
new ideas
and
appearances,
so if you
would like
me to come
to an event,
please click
on “Book an
Appearance”
or email
Wendi
Gruninger at
missvawg@yahoo.com.
Thank you!
Thank you to
everyone
that has
made this
experience a
DREAM COME
TRUE.
Sponsors,
friends,
family, and
strangers
continue to
offer me
such an
overwhelming
amount of
love,
support, and
appreciation
and I am so
grateful! I
STILL cannot
believe I
have this
opportunity
and I am
thankful
every day!!!
Until next
time, you
can keep up
with me by
looking
through my
appearance
pictures at
www.missva.com,
“Go
confidently
in the
direction of
your
dreams.
Live the
life you
have
imagined”
-Henry
David
Thoreau
February
2, 2010
Hi Everyone! It is my extreme pleasure to
introduce myself as your new Miss Virginia
2009! A HUGE congratulations to Caressa,
who put Virginia on the map as the 3rd Miss
Virginia EVER to win Miss America! I was so
excited for her the night of the pageant. I
was jumping up and down and cheering at the
television! Caressa - enjoy every minute of
your reign - you deserve it all! Virginia
is behind you every step of the way! We are
SO PROUD OF YOU!
For those of you who do not know me, I have
been in the “pageant world” since the summer
of 2007, when I entered (and won!) my very
first pageant Miss Greater Franklin County.
I entered the pageant, after learning about
pageants from my family friend, Pam Cobler,
because I love to perform and I thought a
pageant was a great way to earn scholarship
money. After my pageant win, I went on to
the Miss Virginia 2008 pageant, and won
preliminary swimsuit and placed fourth
runner up to Tara Wheeler, Miss Virginia
2008.
I had so much fun at Miss Virginia week,
especially up there on that big stage at the
Civic Center, that I decided I HAD to go
back the next year. I competed in four
locals last year before winning the very
last pageant of the year, Miss Smith
Mountain Lake. In my pageant "career", I
have experienced everything from not
placing, to every one of the runner up
spots, to winning. I was also very proud to
win a community service award for my work
with my personal platform, “Serving
Virginians with Disabilities.”
Ever since I discovered pageants, I wanted
the honorable job of Miss Virginia.
Performing and public speaking are a huge
part of who I am and I have always known
they would play a part in my career.
Serving others has always been a passion of
mine as well. I began serving others when I
was younger, volunteering on projects at
church and youth group. I discovered my
passion for helping people with disabilities
after I saw the challenges members in my
family with disabilities faced each day. I
made helping people with disabilities my
platform, and have continued to serve
Virginians through two years of AmeriCorps
service, volunteering at the Woodrow Wilson
Rehabilitation Center in Staunton, and
working with the Ms. Wheelchair Virginia
Organization. The job of Miss Virginia is
one of service, and I am looking forward to
making a difference each day, whether it be
brightening the day of a child in a
hospital, helping a student make a good
decision, or raising awareness about
disabilities and accessibility throughout
Virginia.
I am beyond excited at this opportunity.
Before Caressa won Miss America, I was
taking a break, of sorts, from competing,
focusing on work at The Cottage Gate, a
gift/home decor store at Smith Mountain
Lake, interning as Assistant to the Producer
with Life Out Loud Films, LLC, and helping
my mom take care of my grandmother. During
the weekend of Miss America, a couple people
mentioned to me that, if Caressa were to
win, a new Miss Virginia would take over.
Since I STILL consider myself “new” to the
pageant world, I had not even thought about
what happens to the Miss America’s former
title! When I got the call, I knew that
this was my chance of a lifetime, that this
was right for me, and I said “YES!” Though
I do not have a whole year, I understand
that I am the new Miss Virginia now and I
will treat these next five months as “my
year.” I am looking forward to using my
experience with children’s theatre at James
Madison University in my speech to schools,
to bring a unique twist to the
presentation. During my reign, I will be
teaching kids how to make good choices:
choices to avoid bullying and say “no” to
alcohol, illegal substances, and tobacco.
I still remember Hannah Kiefer, Miss
Virginia 2007, telling contestants “leave it
better than you found it”. I know I have
big shoes to fill, but I am prepared to make
Virginia proud and I plan to make a
difference in as many lives as I can in the
time I have. I am VERY excited for what
lies ahead, and I know I am very blessed to
have this opportunity given to me, at a time
when it was not expected. I am going to
make the most of every minute!
Your
Miss Virginia 2009,
Chinah
Helmandollar
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