Hello Again!

On Sunday, August 22nd, I attended the send-off party for Florida's Sweetheart, Diana Kelly! It was held in St.Petersburg at Skyline Fifth Apartments, the official apartment complex for Miss Florida :) It was such a pleasure to see field directors, Lynne Dalton and Patti Bolding as well as my Miss Largo Board of Directors, Lynn Clark, Heather Weber and Patty Pierce. Also in attendance were Miss Florida Board Members, Rob Loy and Keith Williams, Miss Florida 2007 Kylie Williams, Miss Central Florida Beaches Ashley Ramsey, the beautiful and talented Alicia Roberts (who is a former Miss Philedalphia and you can also catch her on weekday mornings on News Channel 8 Tampa Bay), former Mayor of St.Petersburg Rick Baker and his lovely daughter, Julann, Robert Danielson, Bill & Kim Doniel, Daniel Slapo, and of course, our beautiful guest of honor, Diana Kelly and her mom!



We had such a wonderful time wishing Diana lots of luck in Hoopeston, Illinois! She is one of 35 contestants who will vie for National Sweetheart title. Kylie and I took the liberty of crowning her with the corn stalk that Rob brought her as a gift ;) (See our silly photo below). On a personal note, Diana is someone that I have always looked up to and believe is more than deserving of the Sweetheart title. She is a phenomenal person and is going to do an incredible job this week. Good luck, Diana! Florida loves you!!!! :)







On Tuesday, August 24th I attended the first night of the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Preliminary Competition. Sierra Minott, Miss Florida 2008, emceed the first two nights of competition and kept the audience entertained with her "You Might Be a Pageant Girl If......" stories throughout the evening. She was fabulous! MaryKatherine shined in her incredible evening gown (provided by REGALIA Magnificent Apparel) and did a great job answering her on-stage question. I was overwhelmed by how beautiful she looked, and even got a little choked up when she hit the stage. :) Below are photos from visitation.

With Miss California, Arianna Asfar.

With Sierra, Miss Florida 2008 (and also Miss Florida's Outstanding Teen 2005)



The second night of the Miss America's Oustanding Teen Preliminary Competition, was MaryKatherine's night to compete in fitness wear. Sierra was the emcee again, and continued to do a fantastic job. I have to tell you, the fitness routine was intense! They had an adorable coreographed routine that even included a push-up during each contestant's presentation. MaryKatherine was beautiful and definitely fit!

With Massachutsetts, New Jersey, California and Hawaii

With Wyoming, Meghan Miller (former MAOT), Colorado and Connecticut

The next day, each contestant had a 60 second spot to film for ABC.com with Tall Pony Productions. I was scheduled to shoot at 9:30am and had an Artistry Cosmetics interview directly after. Both went extremely well and I can't wait to see the results! :)

Before the last night of preliminaries, Mary Sullivan and Regalia Magnificent Apparel, hosted a dinner for the 53 Miss contestants, Miss America Staff and Board Members at Maggiano's in Pointe Orlando. Art McMaster asked each contestant to share one fun fact that would help us to get to know each other better and it worked! Thank you to Mary Sullivan and Regalia for hosting such a fabulous event!

I was excited to attend the Thursday preliminary because it was MaryKatherine's night to perform her talent. She performed a BEAUTIFUL lyrical dance to "Bridge Over Troubled Waters". I had tears in my eyes as I watched her own the stage and exude grace and confidence :) Below are photos from the evening.

With my beautiful Melaina!

Being silly at Maggiano's!

On our way to dinner! Myself, Melaina (Colorado) and Emoly (Oklahoma)

The best table! Becky (Ohio), Myself, Melaina (Colorado), Sarah Beth (Mississippi), Kelsi (Louisiana) and Katie (Virginia)

After prelims! Allison Kreiger Walsh (Miss Florida 2006), Myself, Sierra Minott (Miss Florida 2008 and Miss Florida's Outstanding Teen 2005) and Dana Dalton Judge (Miss Florida 1990)

The next morning, all 53 of the Miss America contestants were ecstatic to go to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom for a fun-filled day of filming and enjoying the park. As soon as we arrived, we were taken to the lawn in front of Cinderella's Castle to be interviewed. I was apart of the selected interviews as well as the general interviews. Although we all felt extremely hot, we were so wrapped up in the excitement of being in Disney. What a fantastic experience!

Group #1! We were filmed riding the Teacups and then Space Moutain after our interviews.

Me and Claire (New York) on our way to Disney!

Being interviewed

Later that evening, we attended a Miss America fundraiser held at the incredible Segiel estate in Orlando. We arrived in style on a red carpet that was rolled out for us before we entered! We then took a group photo on the staircase of the Seigel home before visiting all of the delicious food vendors that had an array of treats to choose from. We had a great time dancing the night away and meeting all of the guests that attended also. Thank you to David and Jacquline Seigel for hosting such an amazing party and making each of us feel like celebrities!

Kelsi (Louisiana), Myself, and Emoly (Oklahoma)

Does anyone notice anything different? :)

Kelsi (Louisiana), Myself and Katie (Virginia)

Mary-Katherine and I before we left.

On Saturday, the 53 Miss America Contestants attended an orientation in the morning for very important information regarding the competition in Vegas. It was a very helpful meeting as we listened to the insight that Caressa had for each of us regarding the job of Miss America.

After our orientation, I had lunch with the Miss Colorado directors, Suzi and Wayne Doland along with Melaina Shipwash, Miss Colorado. Melaina and I have already become such GREAT friends- I can't wait to see her and many of the other contestants I had the pleasure of meeting in Las Vegas. We bonded so much this weekend.

Before the MAOT finals, all 53 of us attended an autograph session that was held at the Linda Chapin Theater, the venue for the MAOT Pageant. I was so happy to meet so many fans of the pageant from all over the country!

Congratulations to our new Miss America's Outstanding Teen, Lacey Russ from Oklahoma! We are so excited to have her as our nation's representative. MaryKatherine recieved the Non-Finalist Talent Award as well as the Photogenic Award! Way to go MK! :)

As I reflected on the past week, I have seen firsthand the amazing friendships that this program creates for not only the contestants but the directors, families and fans from across the nation. We are Miss America strong! :) Enjoy more photos below!

Until next time,

Jaclyn Raulerson

Miss Florida 2010

At the autograph signing!

The "Wolf Pack". Ashley (Texas), Stephanie (D.C.), Melaina (Colorado) and myself.

My beautiful Melaina!

Kelsi (Louisiana), myself, Melaina (Colorado) and Stephanie (D.C.)

Greetings from Florida!

As my journey continues, I feel more blessed every single day to be Miss Florida. I am constantly keeping busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I am so thankful for each appearance and opportunity that I have been given. :)


On Sunday, August 8th, I had the pleasure of visiting the West Palm Apparel Mart with Mary and Miss Anne Marie Griffin of Anne Marie's boutique (Homestead, FL). I was a special guest at the Joseph Ribkoff booth for the day and picked out a few fall selections as part of my wardrobe this year. Thank you to the representatives who were kind enough to guide me through the collections. I absolutely LOVE the pieces, especially because Joseph Ribkoff is the official designer for Miss America! Thank you also to Scala, Alberto Malaki and Christine Alexander for your generosity. Below is a photo of me at the Joseph Ribkoff booth in a fabulous winter piece!




On Tuesday, August 1o, I was invited to the 2nd annual Inspire Awards Luncheon with the Largo/Mid-Pinellas Chamber of Commerce at the Greektown Grill restaurant. While I was there, I was introduced to many members of the chamber and the Women in Business Council. I spoke about my platform, Stop Bullying Now and CMN as well as my crowning moment as Miss Florida and the journey to Miss America. I was so appreciative of the support from everyone there and was delighted to be in the presence of such inspiring individuals and to honor them for their contributions to the community. Congratulations to all of the Inspire Award winners. Photo from the luncheon below.

The next day, I traveled to Orlando to meet with Carry O'Neal and David Lang of Regalia Magnificent Apparel to choose my cocktail attire for the week of Miss America's Outstanding Teen! Thank you both so much for always making me feel like family and truly magnificent :)

The next day, I traveled to St.Petersburg for the City Council meeting. I received my proclamation from the City of St.Petersburg declaring August 12th, 2010 Children's Miracle Network Day in St.Petersburg, Florida. Thank you to Mayor Bill Foster and the rest of the Council members for allowing me to promote CMN and raise awareness for such an incredible cause that continues to benefit over 13 million children across the nation each year. It was truly a pleasure to speak to the council and also visit with the staff of city hall. Thank you also to Robert Danielson for assisting me through the day :)

Immediately following my visit to St.Petersburg, I drove to Orlando for Alumni Night at my sorority Delta Delta Delta at the University of Central Florida. It was such an incredible feeling to be reunited with my sisters and our prestigious alumni chapter. Each year before sorority recruitment, our alumni visit with our collegiate chapter to offer words of wisdom and encouragement before the week begins. I was able to speak to the girls about staying positive and having faith in the principles that our chapter was founded upon. They were so prepared and very much looking forward to welcoming the TriDelta Pledge Class of 2010. Congratulations to my wonderful sisters! You all have worked so hard and will do a fantastic job :) Below is a photo with my two little sisters, Katie and Chera, and a photo with my "Greek family #22". I love you all.

That Sunday, I was thrilled to be apart of Stacy Schiefflin's YBF Cosmetics show on Home Shopping Network! Stacy is on the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Board of Directors and a fabulous business woman who has had much success with her incredible make-up. We did three LIVE shows, 8am, 4pm and 9pm, that day beginning with a 5:30am call time. The models and I had such a great day doing make-up demonstrations on the air and applying and experimenting with the products. Thank you Stacy for allowing me to be a part of an exciting and fun-filled day at HSN! Below are photos on-set, with our make-up assistant and the other models!

With Stacey Schiefflin of YBF Cosmetics

YBF Models and Girlfriends!

I just loved the rhinestone YBF sign! Check out the bling!

On Wednesday, August 18th, I attended the Hillsborough County Commission meeting in Tampa, Florida along with my father Mayor Dan Raulerson of Plant City, Florida. Before meeting with the rest of the Commission, I visited Commissioner Rose Ferlita in her office to discuss my platform, Stop Bullying Now! and partnering with the BullyBusters program in Hillsborough County. We are so thrilled to be collaborating in an effort to stop bullying for good in our schools. Thank you, Commissioner Ferlita for this incredible partnership, I can't wait to begin working together!

After my meeting with Commissioner Ferlita, I was presented with a Proclamation honoring my accomplishments and contributions to my platform and the state as Miss Florida 2010. I was overwhelmed with the amount of appreciation and support from everyone, what an amazing feeling. Thank you to the Hillsborough County Commission for such a wonderful honor! I promise to make you proud. Photos from the meeting are posted below.

On Thursday, August 19th, I attended the annual University of Central Florida Football Season Kickoff Luncheon held in the beautiful UCF Arena. I was so excited to be introduced with Miss America 2004, Erika Dunlap who is also a UCF Knight! I had the pleasure of meeting a few of the football coaches, players, alumni and contributors to the athletic department. I was also reunited with our mascot, Knightro who is always wonderful to see keeping the UCF spirit alive! The members of the UCF Student Government were also in attendance and were so kind to congratulate me on my Miss Florida achievements, they are wonderful examples for our university. President Hitt and Coach O'Leary were fantastic speakers and got everyone extremely pumped for the 2010 football season. Thank you to Veronica Levisay for chaperoning me and being my Camaro co-pilot for the day :) Photos posted below!

With a few of the football players

They put me on the jumbo-tron!

Yum! Cheeseburgers and hot dogs, perfect football food! :)

Me, Mrs.Nicholson and Erika Dunlap, Miss America 2004

With our mascot, Knightro!

Hello Everyone!

I absolutely love every moment serving as Miss Florida 2010. I can't believe that it has already been almost an entire month since my crowning! I still find myself waking up in the morning and wanting to pinch myself, it is really a dream come true to have this opportunity. I am overwhelmed by the generosity of so many individuals who have been willing to sponsor, support, and offer me their words of wisdom. It feels so incredible to have so much love and encouragement from so many people behind me as I embark on the greatest journey of my entire life.

After returning home from the Miss Kentucky Pageant, I traveled to Mary's home in Miami to tackle my Miss America paperwork. I am truly blessed to have Mary's guidance, she is one in a million and we work incredibly well as a team :)

While I was in Miami, Mary and I drove to Homestead, Florida to visit Ann Marie of Ann Marie's Bridal Boutique. We had such a fun time selecting my wardrobe for my year as Miss Florida and spending time catching up with each other. Thank you to Ann Marie for the unbelievable amount of support and generosity you have shown me.

The next week, I traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to have my Miss America official head shots taken by the beautiful Kristy Belcher of Kristy Belcher Photography, along with the amazingly talented Joel Green for hair and makeup. I had a BLAST working with both of them. We shared so many laughs during the day and the shoot flew by so fast! I can't wait to share the head shot that we have chosen with everyone :)


As soon as I returned home from Nashville, I drove to Boca Raton, Florida for an appearance with the Florida Funeral Directors Association during their annual convention. The convention was held at the BEAUTIFUL Boca Raton Resort and Convention Center. I was honored to have the privilege of cutting the ribbon for the trade show and welcoming visitors from all over the state. I had the opportunity to speak about my platform, Stop Bullying Now! and the Miss America Organization throughout the show. I discussed my personal bullying experiences with many parents that were in attendance, and also their children's current bullying hardships within their schools. It was very empowering to be among such caring individuals who shared the same passion for prevention and education of bullying, as I do. The night was extremely enjoyable and I was pleasantly surprised how lively of a bunch the directors were. (That was the on-going joke throughout the show) :)

The next day, I was so excited to be sailing on a beautiful yacht traveling from Boca Raton to Ft. Lauderdale and back with the Funeral Directors Association members and their families. What a perfect day it was to sail! I enjoyed every moment of the trip and talking with so many interesting people. Thank you to Mr. Lew Hall for allowing me to have such a wonderful time with your organization, it was fantastic! During my appearance, I also had the pleasure of meeting Shelby Hall (Mr. Hall's granddaughter) who is a fabulous cheerleader and very intelligent young lady. We had a wonderful time getting to know each other and taking lots of silly pictures together! I have a feeling she will be on the Miss Florida stage one day :)

After departing from Boca Raton, I returned to Miami to put the final touches on my Miss America paperwork with Mary. On Tuesday, Mary and I had dinner at Houston's with Lissette Gonzalez, Miss Florida 1998, who is also the morning and noon Weather Anchor for CBS4 in Miami. Lissette is such an inspiration to me and I enjoyed hearing all about her year as Miss Florida and Miss America experience.

Two days ago, I made an appearance at Stingray Chevrolet in Plant City, Florida who is also the official automobile sponsor of Miss Florida for 2010! They have generously provided me with a GORGEOUS 2011 CAMARO for the year. Thank you to Steve Hurley, owner of Stingray Chevrolet, for making this possible. I will officially be "riding in style" during my reign :) Stingray held a test driving event the same time I picked up my vehicle, and I was so excited to greet the guests that attended and also the live band that played during the evening.

Until next time,

Jaclyn Raulerson

Miss Florida 2010