A Scholarship for KJ!

Today was a great day for one of my close friends on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. She made an unexpected appearance on the show today and was awarded a $15,000 scholarship! Who is she? She is my definition of a hard-working, independent, driven woman. Her name is Keren Johnson.

Keren is one of the most admirable and hard-working persons I know. She works multiple jobs to fulfill her payments for students loans, as she plans to continue her education and pursue a career in politics. I had already admired KJ when I met her after learning she had worked on one of the front-runner's campaigns in this past Presidential election. After getting to know more about her, I understood why she had done such great things and received so many blessings in her life.

During my time knowing KJ, I've been inspired to continue my college education and pursue my dreams. I have been more successful with her as a friend and a model to follow, and a person who is also willing to assist me with anything.

Cheers to you KJ! I'm proud to know you and call you a friend.

With Love,
Tia

Miss District of Columbia International

So during the weekend, I had the opportunity to serve on the panel of judges for the Miss and Teen DC International Pageant. As you can imagine, this was a great experience for me.

I offered nothing but smiles to keep each of the contestants feeling confident.

The best and nicest judging panel ever. I wished I could be judged by us. We were definitely fair, honest and realistic.

Focused: Someone's dream is in my hands.

And the crowns and sashes are placed on Amanda Lewis and Juliana McKee. Congratulations on a job well done!

Litterers Anonymous

So I randomly see people litter sometimes and I usually confront them about it. Pretty courageous of me, huh? I would like to call this part of my blog "Litterers Anonymous." People usually do feel bad about littering when they are caught in the act and confronted about it. I would like to use these entries to give you insight into some people's thoughts on why they litter and what I tell them that gives them a reason to change their habit.

"The Drinker"

I was enjoying a walk along the Georgetown waterfront with some of my friends this past weekend when one of my friends stopped to talk to her friend who was on one of the boats. I had noticed some guys enjoying beer on their personal boat. For some, stopping along the waterfront dock is a great way to relax and unwind. For me, it is annoying to watch some carelessly discard their empty bottles into the water. I noticed "The Drinker" kick a bottle off the dock and then I confronted him about it.

Me: Did you just kick that bottle into the water?
The Drinker: What are you, one of those Earth lovers or something?
Me: Yes. Actually, I'm Miss Earth Maryland.
The Drinker: I didn't meant to kick the bottle in the water; that was an accident. Me: Why would you want to throw bottles into the water anyway?
The Drinker: Look at the water, it's dirty already.
Me: I just participated in a watershed cleanup and you would not believe what type of things I found. An oxygen machine, cell phone, crime scene tape and pretty much anything else you could think of.

He looked at me in amazement. It was as if he thought he was the only person guilty of littering. I saved him the lecture on our ecosystems and how important they are to our survival, but I think I got my point across based on the look of guilt in his eyes. So as to not mess up his moment of leisure, I moved on.

"The Confessor"

After one of my friends overheard me talking to the drinker, they decided to tell me about their view on littering and why they do it.

The Confessor: I am not going to lie. I litter sometimes too.
Me: (Sigh) Why?
The Confessor: Because I don't want the stuff sitting in my car and I know someone will clean it up.
Me: You can get excessive fines for littering and that is the purpose of the public trash cans. You don't usually have to drive too far to find a trash can. Or why can't you dump it at your next destination?
The Confessor: Well, that makes sense.
Me: The people who usually clean those things up are usually volunteers like me. I've put on a neon vest and cleaned up a few places before.
The Confessor: Really, I thought that inmates and people who do community service did that. I didn't know people volunteer for that. Thanks for letting me know that. I will do my best not to litter again.

I do realize that there will always be someone to clean up our land; however, we could work on not purposely contributing to that task. These jobs exist for the betterment of our environment, not for the convenience of people.

So in closing, let's take ownership of our environment and treat it as we would a treasure. The environment and the Earth is our treasure and a gift. It takes care of us in many ways, so it is our duty to in turn take care of it and continue the circle of life and love.

XO

Tia

Sponsorship Opportunities!

Your opportunity to be an official sponsor of Miss Earth Maryland has arrived. Please send an e-mail to missearthmd@gmail.com to receive a sponsorship brochure.

With Love,
Tia

Vegetarianized!

So as Miss Earth Maryland, it is my duty to do whatever I can to protect Mother Earth and reduce my carbon footprint as much as possible. I recently made a pledge to PETA to become a vegetarian for 30 days; however, I think I should make it a permanent lifestyle. PETA will be sending me recipes for those 30 days, so I think that will get me on the right track to adjusting to this new eating habit.

If you're wondering how becoming a vegetarian can reduce my carbon footprint, then pay close attention. While improving my health and lowering my risk of heart disease, cancers, stroke and diabetes, I'll also be helping to improve the efficiency of food production. According to Dr. Pimentel on letsactnow.org, animal protein production requires more than 11 times as much fossil-fuel energy than production of plant protein.

I regret saying this, but the only food I will miss is the Daytona Wings from Hooters that I love so much, or any Buffalo wings for that matter. I had a fond love for bacon for a while but I've managed to wean myself off of that a while ago. Honestly, I've made attempts at trying to avoid meats in the past, but I never stuck to it because I didn't make a pledge for the change and I didn't believe in my reasoning enough to commit. I tried to use my love for animals as the reason for my change, but that didn't seem to be enough; as my friend always says: you can get my attention if you involve Mother Earth.

For more information on how you can join the movement, visit http://www.letsactnow.org/. There are vegetarian starter kits available for download on the site.