My voter registration drive has been very successful! The most rewarding part is I get the feeling that some of the voters I am registering were not going to vote on November 4th. After the conversations we have had...they will!
My most memorable story from the last two weeks however did not come from one of the high school or college campuses I visited. It came from a nursing home I visited last week. I was asked to go to Morrisville and perform for the residents. I sang some of my favorites and some of theirs. After singing, we had a question and answer time. The residents asked me many questions and one asked me about my platform. When I spoke about "Your Vote is Your Voice" and shared with them my travels registering voters I could not help but notice one woman's eyes swell up with tears. After the Q and A session, while I was signing autographs, that very elderly woman with tears in her eyes wheeled her wheelchair over to me, hugged me, and said "I remember when women could not vote. I have cast a ballot every time I could and plan on doing it again November 4th. Thank you for doing what you are doing." I have thought about that woman a lot during my travels this week. Her name was Ruth and I won't forget her.
As great as my travels have been since returning from LA, I am looking forward to having some time to prepare for Miss America. Sometimes I get so caught up in having a presence in the state I forget that in only 95 days I will be on stage at Miss America. As I move forward I pray for patience and guidance to be able to balance being the best Miss Vermont I can be while striving to walk off that Planet Hollywood stage as Miss America 2009.
With Love,
Ashley
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3 comments:
Ashley,
It was great to see you during your trip down in Southern Vermont to register voters! I'm so proud of you and your efforts to engage students in the importance of using their voting voice! Keep up the great work and good luck in your preparations for becoming the next Miss America!
:)
Ellen
Great work Ash!
Congratulations on your voter registration drive. This was an important election and according to the polls, a record number of voters turned out this year! I am sure that you helped reach this goal. Good luck in the upcoming months as you prepare for Miss America and remember: there's no reason to be nervous with all of your friends rallying around you!
loves
such inspiration!!!
xoxoxo aims
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