Under the crown

This archived article was written by: Danielle Parke

Participating in the Miss USU Eastern Scholarship Pageant was a great experience. I have learned so many things, many of which I expected to learn going into the pageant. What I didn’t expect is what has changed my life forever.
I expected that I would have had fun sharing my talents, and I did. I expected to meet new people and love them, and I did. I expected to be pushed out of my comfort zone and be forced to do things and experience things I had not experienced before, and that I did.
What I had not expected to learn came at a high price and it has changed my outlook on life forever. Many of you knew Taylor Johnson. I only knew her briefly. Though I only knew her for a brief time, I knew I liked her. She was pretty, funny and I enjoyed being around her. Tay was killed in an automobile accident just a few days before the pageant. From her and her tragedy, I learned how fragile life is. I learned how important it is to love the people you love and tell them how much you love them, often. You never know when someone you love may be taken and the chance to tell someone how much you love them may be gone.
In the Miss USU Eastern Scholarship Pageant I had fun performing, met many new friends and loved being challenged. What I will remember the most is how fragile life is and how important it is to never take for granted the opportunity to share your love and cherish those you love. Life is fragile and it is to be cherished.
I am so grateful for the experience the Miss USU Eastern Scholarship Pageant has given me, in addition to learning what I expected, I also learned much more, all of which has made me a better person and will help me throughout the rest of my life.