First off I just want to give a huge thank you and appreciation to the staff and 2012 Court for their time, dedication, and patience the past three months. Without their continuance support, this phenomenal show would have not been possible! I would also like to thank my fellow sisters and contestants of the 2013 Miss Vietnam of Northern California Intercollegiate pageant-you all contributed to a journey that will forever stay in my heart! ♥ I’m so very blessed and thankful that I got to meet such a wonderful group of beautiful, intelligent, and talented young ladies! This journey, experience, and opportunity…I am forever grateful! I am delighted to have participated and be involved with such an amazing organization and encourage any ladies who had the slightest thought of participating in a pageant, to join!
And my pageant day experience had come….I just couldn’t believe how fast three months have flown by! All of our hard work and dedication that we have devoted the past few months will finally be showcased to our family, friends, sponsors, and supporters. I’ve been experiencing unsettling feelings of nervousness and anxiousness, but I was definitely excited for the evening and what is to come! What was I really excited for?! Seeing all the lovely ladies in our traditional ao dais and evening gowns!
And….the chaos begins (in a good way =]) once we were let inside the theater. We immediately got to rehearsing and familiarizing ourselves on the main stage. During that instant when I first took a step on stage and looked out to the audience, I was in awed that in a matter of hours, fourteen beautiful ladies will take the stage while our family, friends, and onlookers watch us shine.
Dry run-through was a success and wow, everyone looked absolutely stunning and gorgeous! I couldn’t help but admire the many traditional ao dais and evening gowns that was designed so exquisitely and elegantly!
Soon after, we had some down time to do what we pleased to get ourselves prepped and ready for the evening. As the clock nears 3:55pm, it was time to go backstage and wait to introduce ourselves to the audience through a group dance. I was perfectly fine as I waited backstage, but as soon as the Vietnamese version of the National Anthem ended and the lights dimmed out, my heart immediately began pounding rapidly (this had to be one of the most nerve-racking part about pageant for me)…and then it was time, no turning back now, I took my last deep breath and hit the stage. Everything happened so quickly and before I knew it, the dance was over and all fourteen beautiful ladies took center stage and stood alongside Queen Janet Pham. I couldn’t have felt more proud of all the ladies!
As the night progressed, a three hour show happened in the blink of an eye: on stage, off stage, step repeats. After us lovelies showcased our traditional ao dais and evening gown, we got ready for Top 8 announcements. As we lined up for Top 8, all I can think about was that I was proud of myself for what I have accomplished up to this point, and knew my family and friends were proud too! And then to my astonishment, first person called for Top 8?!? ME!!! =D I was shocked to be called first as I didn’t know what to expect but I was definitely beaming with joy once it all soaked in! As the Top 8 continued to be announced, I realized I began to get nervous…because Questions and Answers was next and I would be the first person to go up for questions. I don’t do very well under immense pressure, let alone having hundreds of eyes staring at you waiting for a response…And so I chose my question and answered to the best of my abilities. I felt my response was not as firm as I would have liked but it didn’t matter, I was fortunate and blessed to make it this far with seven other amazing ladies; no matter what happens at the end of the night, the ladies who got crowned, deserved it! After Top 8 Q&A was done, Top 8 ladies came back out for Top 5 announcement and unfortunately I did not make it but I was still full of smiles and gratitude. I couldn’t have been more excited for the Top 5 ladies who are now vying for the coveted title of Miss Vietnam of Northern California-Intercollegiate 2013. As Top 5 Q&A was completed, all the ladies got dressed in their traditional ao dais for their final look and crowning.
Nine titles were to be awarded and like everyone else, we stood eagerly to find out who the recipient for each title would be…AND I am pleased & honored to be announced as your Miss Vietnam of Northern California-Intercollegiate 2013 Miss Photogenic!!! Thank you!
Congrats to my dearest Yolanda as Queen, Erie as 1st Princess, Agnes as 2nd Princess, and to the rest of the 2013 Royal Court and Pageant Sisters, much love to each and every single one of you! ♥♥♥ I cannot wait to see what this upcoming year has in store for us!!
Lastly, I would like to give a huge shout out and thank you to my sponsors: Dr. Fred Cooper and ESM Electric State of Mind!! Thank you for your love and support, I truly appreciate it! ♥
Photo credit: Rich Yee Photography