Breaking Stereotypes

These past two weeks have been absolutely incredible for me. All of the classes I am taking are so interesting and I find myself learning something completely new every day. As a sustainability major, I am learning lots of great things about our earth, the impact of humans, and achievable solutions. One of the best things about college is that you are able to take an array of courses in many different topic areas. This semester, I was able to sign up for a class called Exceptional People, a look at people with disabilities. As a person who is classified as “disabled”, I thought it would be very interesting but never did I think it would be so eye-opening.

Today, we talked about stereotypes in our world. I thought for sure that I was an expert on this, seeing as I am associated with a group that battles with this every single day. I want to share with you what I learned. Lecture mode: ON.

There are key differences between stereotyping, discrimination, and prejudice. Prejudice is an attitude with an emotional response. In the english language, this usually equates to a hostile or negative response toward a particular group of people based solely on their membership in a certain group. Instead of their individual traits being recognized, they are dismissed. On the other hand, stereotyping is a cognitive function, meaning our brain categorizes the information that comes in about people around us in order to simplify the complex world we live in. It’s not necessarily a bad thing or a good thing; it just is what it is. However, the point at which stereotyping turns bad happens when the stereotype becomes so strong that the members of the group begin to accept and perpetuate it.

Wow, right? After processing the information and taking a moment to soak it in, I came to the realization that humans actually do this. We push our own thoughts on other people so much that is actually changes how they feel about themselves. I kept replaying in my head the multiple occasions when people told me how I SHOULD feel or what I SHOULD be. After some more thought, I realized that it is up to me, and all of us really, to change this.

When people say “arthritis”, some of the words that come to mind first are “old”, “bones”, and “weak”. You don’t think “kid”, “immune disorder”, or “number one cause of disability in the United States”. Is this because we, as a society, have pushed the stereotype too far? Have we created this misunderstanding of a major disease? The answer is yes. But what if, instead of accepting the stereotype, whatever it may be, we challenge it. Why can’t the word arthritis be associated with “brave”, “strong”, and “timeless”. Why can’t “pageant girl” be associated with “intelligent”, “caring”, and “selfless”. Whether you’re black, white, gay, straight, woman, man, disabled, or beauty queen, we all have some sort of stereotype working against us. But it is also all of our responsibility to have the courage to reverse them and break them all together.

Peace and love, Sami 🙂

This is the New Year

Happy New Year! Yet another New Year has rolled around and I will still be writing 2011 on my papers for the next couple of months. It seems so unreal! It feels like yesterday I was moving into my dorm and next thing you know…BAM! You’re about to start your next semester! I hope all of you had an amazing holiday season and found an extra spot in your stomach for more pie and more room in your heart to give of your time to those in need.

Before I get into the blog post this week, I wanted to share with you a song that just makes me want to drive with my windows down and dance around my room with an uncontrollable love for life. Check it out!

This is the New Year- Ian Axel

Each year, a majority of people make some sort of New Year’s resolution. For most, it means committing themselves to doing something in order to improve who they are and the life that they live. This song really makes me think about my life differently. The singer is saying that today is the day that you can make a change in your life in whatever way you want. So many people say they will change their diet or spend more time with their family or give more freely or love bigger but soon after find themselves falling into the same routine. In reality, every single day is a a new beginning. Don’t be afraid of who you are. Instead, embrace it and grow through new experiences and challenges. When you make a New Year’s Resolution, you aren’t doing it for anyone else. At the end of the day, you are only accountable to yourself. So accept the challenge, make yourself proud and set some resolutions!

My advice to everyone is to write out your goals and make them visible. Seeing them on paper on a daily basis is a constant reminder of the goal and standards you have set for yourself. I have also learned that making goals realistic and achievable is much better than diving head first into a sea of things that you can’t keep up with. That is the number one way that you will lose your momentum. For me, sweets are a weakness. I always find room for sugar on a daily basis and feel that a meal is almost incomplete without dessert. One of my resolutions is substituting fruit as a dessert instead of opting for the regular sugary snacks. Instead of completely cutting out dessert, I have simply replaced it with something that I know I’ll enjoy and that is better for my body. I’m tricking myself into thinking I’m getting dessert. INCEPTION.

I’m so extremely excited for this next year. 2011 was such an amazing year for me and I am hoping that 2012 will only top it. This past December, I volunteered over 50 hours with the Salvation Army in their Angel Tree program. For a whole

The Salvation Army Staff and I at the distribution warehouse

week, the Gainesville Salvation Army staff and I collected, organized, and distributed gifts to low income families in the community. It was such an eye opening experience for me and I was so glad to be a part of a program that was doing so much good in Gainesville.

I am so excited to see what 2012 brings me. There is so much to be done and only 365 days to do it. Time to get going!

Much love, Sami 🙂

The marking of a milestone

Today, I finished my first semester of college. I keep thinking back over the past few months and can’t get over how fast everything is going. Just 4 short months ago, I was sitting in my very first college class scared to death of what was to come and here I am now. 5 classes, (make that 4 after withdrawing from Chemistry), 3 meltdowns, 2 alarm clock mishaps, and 1 change of my major later, I think I am finally getting the hang of this whole college thing. But with the end of the semester comes finals and, yes, a lot of studying. So, I am going to make this blog post brief but I hope you enjoy it all the same.

Last weekend, I was able to be a part of the Jingle Bell Walk in Tampa benefitting the Arthritis Foundation. I was so excited to see people I knew and connect with people I did not know. It absolutely amazed me how many people were there

The organizers for the walk (right) and the Chair for the Arthritis Foundation Florida Chapter

supporting this amazing foundation and, in turn, supporting me. People of all ages, races, genders, and health came out to walk for those who struggle with pain every day of their lives. This touched me so much and I began to think “Why should this stop today? I know there has to be some way that I can reach out in my community to spread awareness of the disease that has effected me for the past 4 years.” The gears in my brain started turning and I have since committed myself to holding some sort of event in the spring to raise awareness and money for the Arthritis Foundation. I am so excited to already have the support that I do and will be updating you all on the progress as it develops.

This week, I would like to focus on connecting with nature this holiday season.  One thing that I absolutely love about this time of the year is the changing of the leaves and the crisp smell the air takes during the late afternoons and into the night. A lot of the time, especially in the summer, I sit in my room to escape the heat of Florida. I’m never able to take the time to appreciate the color the sky turns as the sun slowly drifts down to the horizon or the sound of the wind in the trees or anything. I have recently taken quite a liking to studying outdoors because it is so incredibly calming. Being able to look up from a book full of calculus and see this beautiful creation in front of me just waiting to be admired calms me. It reminds me every day that each one of us has a responsibility to this Earth.

I understand that my passion sometimes exceeds that of others but I can not stress enough how important it is to take time to connect with the thing keeping us all alive. Earth. Nature. Oxygen. Trees. Animals. Sunlight. The list goes on and on. We take these things for granted every day and yet they are right there in front of us. We need air to live just like we need our family to love. I leave you with a challenge to connect with your family in the great outdoors in some way this holiday season. It doesn’t have to be much. Whether you make snow angels and wonder at the beauty of frozen water or go to a park, play frisbee, and have a picnic, you are enjoying the natural world and, in turn, reminding yourself why it is so crucial we take care of it.

Much love, Sami 🙂

Black Thursday?

I hope all of you had an amazing Thanksgiving Break. I know I did! I was able to relax, visit family, eat, sleep, and get revved up even more for the holiday season. I even got the chance to read more of my favorite series, The Hunger Games. If you have not heard of these books and don’t know what all the commotion is

Me in my dorm with The Hunger Game series!

about, trust me. These books are incredible. I finished the second book, Catching Fire, last night…I started it the day before. Yeah, they are incredible! If you have any time during this holiday season to read, I encourage you to pick up a copy of The Hunger Games OR all three of the books in the series! You’ll be obsessed!

Despite my complete state of euphoria this past holiday weekend, there was still something that was really bothering me. No, it wasn’t my pants being too tight from all of the food. It was the fact that Black Friday is practically Black Thursday nowadays. I don’t know if anyone else experienced this feeling but I had this extreme feeling of disgust in the companies opening at 9pm or 10pm…on Thanksgiving! Next thing you know, we’ll be waking up at 5 am on Halloween to get the deals of the year! Now, don’t get me wrong. I am all for a good deal. You can catch me at any sale at Target or JC Penney and I am quite proud of the deals I find. But we must ask ourselves: when does seeking a good deal become getting lost in the hype of constantly buying for the sake of spending money?

Well, I struggled to find an answer to this question for at least a couple of days. But then, I remembered a video I once saw that was all about this same subject. It’s called The Story of Stuff. The video is 20 minutes but is jam-packed with information on the product life-cycle and what companies do to make us want more things. I encourage you to watch the video really quick and then keep reading! Click here to watch the video

Wow, right? I know the first time I watched that video I thought to myself “What am I doing? I’m giving in to this whole cycle that’s completing depleting our resources and contributing to the destruction of our natural environment!” Well, I hope that gets you as frustrated as me. There should be no reason that WE should be the cause of all of this. But luckily, there is a way to slow the negative impact we have and maybe even make it come to a complete stop.

Buying less and buying smart. These two simple ideas can do so much and make such a huge impact! When you go to the store and see something you really like think to yourself, “Do I really need this? Will this make me happy?” If so, go right ahead. But if not, I encourage you to put it down and walk away. You’ll not only save money but also help the environment! Easy right? Well let me make it even EASIER!

I have a new obsession called Pinterest(click the link to see what I mean). It’s an amazing website that allows you to share ideas, quotes, crafts, and more! This past week, I’ve been compiling all of these great ideas for DIY Christmas gifts using recycled material or materials that have a low impact. One idea inspired me

Melted crayon art!

to start making melted crayon art. This is so incredible and yet so simple, inexpensive, and creative. If any of you would like to Join the Pinterest community and get crafty this season, I will gladly send you an invite. Consider it a gift from me to encourage you to green up your holiday and buy less!

As I wrap up this blog post, please don’t think I am shaming all of you! Absolutely not! I am guilty of buying things I don’t need, too! But what I am trying to do is hold myself and those around me accountable for how we spend (both our money and time) this holiday season. At the end of the day, happiness is in the relationships that we share with one another, not the things we fight for on Black Friday…or Thursday.

Much love and buy smart, Sami 🙂

Support me and the Arthritis Foundation

So I know that I said I would give you all some tips on how to have a “greener” Christmas but first I want to share with you something that I have committed myself to.

This past week, I registered to walk in the annual Jingle Bell Walk 5k benefitting the Arthritis Foundation. For me, this is a huge step. When I was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis four years ago, I could barely walk a couple of feet much less a whole 5k. Now, I am proud to say that I have been able to take control of my arthritis and I am ready to walk a 5k in honor of those who still can not. This walk not only raises awareness but also funds for the Arthritis Foundation to use for research, education, health care, and so much more. I am personally hoping to raise $300 for the Arthritis Foundation to continue to work towards and cure and support all of us who struggle with the number 1 cause of disability in the United States. I would love for each of you to support me in any way that you can. Please consider giving what you can; every dollar helps towards a greater goal!

Visit my site: Click here to Donate now!. Thank you for supporting me!

Greening your Christmas- The Basics

Most of you might be wondering what having a Sustainable Christmas really means. It may sound hard but it is actually really easy once you know the basics. To me, having a sustainable Christmas means spreading the joy and giving spirit without spreading your impact on the environment. The main points that I am going to address in the upcoming blog posts are:

1) Buying less and buying smart

2) Connecting with nature

3) The ultimate guide to “Green Gifting”

4) Alternatives to the holiday norms

and 6) Recycling Christmas

If all of that sounds good to you, I would love for you to subscribe to my blog and stay updated with each post. ANTSO has truly opened doors for me and I am glad that you all are supporting me by reading my posts and getting inspired yourselves.

Much love, Sami, America’s National Teenager 2012

Christmas in November!

This past weekend, my roommate and I decorated our room in holiday decorations. Lights were put up (to fire safety standards, of course), snowflake garlands were hung, and room was made in the middle of the floor for our future fake Christmas tree. To top it all off, we whipped up 40 homemade, Christmas

My roommate (Left) and I ready for some sugar cookies!

themed sugar cookies and enjoyed Elf, a classic movie to get the holidays going. You could say we are a little obsessed. Okay…a lot obsessed. A couple of our friends have taken on the role of Scrooge already saying things like “It’s not even Thanksgiving!” and “We’re not even a month away! Chill out!”. Bah Humbug to you! Christmas is awesome. In fact, the holiday season is an amazing time where the weather cooperates (in Florida at least), people have this automatic cheeriness about them, and families are able to celebrate being together. I don’t recall a song becoming popular because it said “It’s the most terrible time of the year”.

One of the other things I enjoy about the holiday season is that giving is second nature. Instead of thinking about ourselves, we are encouraged to take a step back and truly give back to those who need warmth, support, and love during this important season.

For this reason, I say it is never too early for Christmas. I am glad that I have started my holiday season early and feel a little guilty that I didn’t think of it earlier! I encourage everyone to give back this holiday season and continue it throughout the year. America’s National Teenager has taken this same idea and developed monthly service projects that will benefit different nonprofit organizations each month. How awesome is that? It’s like Christmas all year

Children opening their boxes from OCC

round! To get your year round holiday season started, click on my “ANTSO Gives Back” tab to learn more about these monthly service projects and how YOU, yes YOU, can make a difference in your own community. This month, make a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. This simple gift can change a child’s life in an instant. Click here to visit their website and learn more.

So, Christmas has started early for me. Spreading Christmas cheer only takes love and a willingness to serve.

My question to you is: Where will you start?

Much love, Sami 🙂

Time is Flying

Wow! I still can’t believe it’s been over 3 months since I was crowned America’s National Teenager. I apologize for not posting as much as I’d like. With moving in to college, getting through my first couple of college exams, trying to decide what I want to do with my life, helping with my sister’s wedding, traveling, AND volunteering, I’ve had my hands a tad full!

To catch all of you up, here is just a brief overview of the past couple of months!

Since being crowned, I have been able to continue my environmental presentations for elementary schools, youth, and other community

Environmental Presentation at Williams Elementary

organizations. It makes me feel so amazing that I can make a difference by simply teaching the next generation about what they can do to help our planet. It has been really interesting to witness the faces of each of the kids I talk to when they realize that they really CAN do something. That one moment where everything clicks for them reminds me every single time that I am truly making a difference in the health of our earth and future generations.

This past September, I was also invited to speak at the Florida Arthritis Foundation’s Annual Conference. This organization is so close to my heart and I feel so honored to be a part of what this organization is doing for kids living with Juvenile Arthritis. Not only have I met families affected by Juvenile Arthritis but also had the chance to encourage kids living with this disease by talking to them and showing them that you can control how you use your gifts, even if you can’t control your arthritis. This coming weekend, I will be participating in an Arthritis Connect Day, a day where families can come together and develop a support network for them and their children.

In addition to all of this, I have done more flying and traveling in the past 3 months then I think I have in the past 5 years! In September, I flew to San Deigo to participate in a beach cleanup and city beautification. I loved being on the west

Time to "get dirty" and help clean San Diego's beaches!

coast. The weather, the people, and the landscape completely took my breath away. Promoting ANTSO also brought me to Nashville, where I was able to participate in Boot Camp for Beauty Queens with the amazing motivational speaker, Dale Smith Thomas. This was a once in a lifetime experience jam packed into one weekend. Not only did I learn more about the tools I need to succeed in the pageant world but also in life. The skills I took away from this one weekend are things that some people never get a hold of and I feel very fortunate for that. As a side note, you can visit Dale’s website here to learn more about her and Boot Camp for Beauty Queens.

Whew! And that’s just the brief summary! I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have to make a difference in many ways. Not only can I spread awareness about the things I am passionate about but also break this stereotype that people have about pageants. If you haven’t gotten to know the America’s National Teenager system, I highly encourage you to visit our website and ask me questions. It’s such an awesome organization that is giving girls like me the opportunity to do big things.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Halloween weekend!

Until next time,

Sami 🙂

Leap of Faith

One of my favorite movies is Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. I remember watching it when I was little because my parents wanted me to be “cultured” and not really appreciating the awesomeness that was Harrison Ford. But when I was about 14, I saw this clip and it gave me chills!

They just don’t make stuff like this anymore! Sure, a little movie magic makes the whole scene feel so real but I think we can all relate to Indiana Jones at some point in our lives.

Take one of my best friends, Rebecca Kirby, for instance. This past week she decided to do probably the most terrifying thing anyone could do voluntarily: Skydive.

Rebecca jumping out of a plane over DeLand, FL!

When I asked her why she was doing such a thing, she simply responded, “If I don’t do it now, I don’t think I ever will.” The answer for her was clear as day and I just kind of sat there and thought, “I guess so…I mean if you really want to jump out of a perfectly good plane and all”. But after I started thinking about what she said, I thought about my own life and my personal (somewhat safer) “leaps of faith”.

Not all of us are going to jump out of a plane and be at the mercy of gravity but we are going to have to face those things in our lives that make us shudder or feel unsure. Whether it be telling that person you care about how you really feel or going out for that job that you’ve always wanted or even entering a pageant for the first time, you have to trust your gut and just pray the parachute opens. As my mom always said “You can’t win if you don’t enter”.

Much love and blessings,

Sami

Pinch me!

It’s down to the Top 5 and all I’m thinking at this point is, “Self, I am so proud of how far you’ve come. No matter what happens, I’m proud of you”. I squeeze the hands of the girls next to me and await the moments ahead. 4th runner-up (Miss Louisiana) is called and it’s not me. I’m already freaking out and this completely threw me for a loop. 3rd run up (Miss Virginia)…2nd runner-up(Miss Connecticut)…and then there were two. As I’m staring the incredible Miss Oklahoma, Sarah Staats, in the face and shaking, I think to myself “Wow, Sami, you actually got 1st runner-up! You did better than I expected” I then waited to hear Sarah’s name called but instead heard “Your new America’s National Teenager 2012 is Miss Florida, Samantha Head”

Picture courtesy of Brad Helton.

Wait….say what now? To be honest, the first thing I thought was “SHUT UP!!!” but instead my face read “duhhh what???”

Do you know that face that you do when you aren’t really sure what’s going on and later when you look at pictures that capture that moment, you realize you truly don’t remember anything but just crying and thinking to yourself, “You actually did it!”? That’s exactly how I feel.

This journey has been more than just a year in the making for me. Ever since I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, I knew I wanted to prove that nothing could define me and that I would break down the barriers that my body created for me. I realized that though I wasn’t in control of my body and the way my immune system treated my joints, I was in control of my attitude and where I developed from there. Since then, I’ve become a confident young woman who isn’t going to let anyone or anything get in the way of allowing me to reach my goals and dreams.

This crowning moment is just the culmination of everything I have been working towards these past four years and I am ready to take on the responsibility.

Picture courtesy of Brad Helton

I want to show every single person that I meet that you can do extraordinary things by just being yourself and loving every single thing about yourself…even the things you can’t control.

Follow my year and I’ll show you what being America’s National Teenager means to me.