Month as Miss Metro St. Louis: October Update

Hello, friends! Here is my (late) October update of what I've been doing as Miss Metro St. Louis...........................................................................................................................................................................One of my favorite parts of the Miss Missouri Scholarship Pageant is the Little Sister Program! Each girl (ages 5-12) that participates is partnered with a Miss or Outstanding Teen contestant and gets to experiences the hype, glamour and fun of Miss Missouri week in Mexico, Mo. They participate in dance production, get to meet Miss Missouri and Miss Missouri's Outstanding Teen, have a luncheon with the contestants, ride in the parade....on top of getting to forge an incredibly mentoring relationship with an older role model! If you know of any young gals that might benefit from this experience, send 'em here for more information. Enrollment is due by March 23rd for the 2018 Miss MO production! Tell them Miss Metro St. Louis sent you :)My Lil Sis Maddie and her family have been such a blessing this year. From sleepovers to gifts during Miss MO Week, to Chick-Fil-A in Columbia and swim awards, Maddie + Clara became "little sisters" and faces I searched for in the crowd at Miss Missouri. To see them grow in the past 7ish months since I first met them has been SO fun. They both love the program -- can't wait to see what little sisters join the crew this year! The night after my Chick-Fil-A outing with Clara and Maddie, I got a new "little sister" of sorts! Introducing....Sadie Davis, my "little" in our sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. Sadie is so special to me and I loved her from the start. As her "big", I am her mentor and get to walk her through college, freshman year challenges, and answer any questions she has about anything from sorority life or the best hot wing flavors. :) She is from a small town like me and I have adored getting to share my interests in agriculture and rural life with her so far this year.What I love most about being a sorority woman is the opportunity to be surrounded by strong, capable, motivated women that want to lead and change the world. Kappa Alpha Theta has not only brought me my first "sisters", but has given me friends that challenge me, support me, love on me, and give me hope for the future of our country and world. Some of our state's next doctors, lawyers, lobbyists, teachers, nurses, journalists, food leaders, change-makers, Miss Missouris (hehe), and incredible mothers are in my sorority -- and it's empowering to be among them.I've been stopped multiple times over the past year by curious sorority sisters who want to know what it is like competing in a pageant, and who often tell me that I've debunked the myth or stereotypes that they held about "pageant girls". I am humbled every time by how cool my friends think I am because of Miss Missouri endeavors...but even more humbled to be the avenue, the lightbulb the leads to a new understanding and appreciation of the work that Miss America titleholders do in their communities. A big part of my college career has centered around Tiger Pantry, the University of Missouri campus food pantry that provides emergency food services and assistances to faculty, staff and students facing the detrimental effects of food insecurity. Tiger Pantry celebrated its 5th birthday in October and I was able to help spread cheer across campus with lots of free cake! I am the pantry's resource coordinator so my primary responsibilities consist of: (1) connecting clients and with the resources that they need to be successful and connecting students with resources and organizations to help others in need, and (2) facilitating the campus conversation about food insecurity. During our birthday celebration, I talked to students about our #T2TP Transfer to Tiger Pantry meal swipes program and how to sign up for a canned food drive.I recently started doing 5Ks in my spare time and my goal is to run one by the end of the year. So far I have walked/ran four different races and have increased the amount that I run little by little! I've never been much of a runner but I used to walk/run 5Ks when I was younger and always had such a fun time doing it. I even got to run in a 5K benefitting Children's Miracle Network and the MU Women and Children's Hospital earlier this month. The camaraderie, the atmosphere, the exercise...I'm learning to enjoy running! (Plus...what better way to prepare for Miss Missouri?!)One of my FAVORITE events happened in October....The World Food Prize! Unfortunately, this year's program conflicted with Mizzou Homecoming Week, but I made sure to #fight #tiger all the way from Des Moines, Iowa. The World Food Prize is both a distinguished prize and a 3-day symposium dubbed the Borlaug Dialogue. I've had the privilege of attending their high school Global Youth Institute, spearheading the Missouri Youth Institute efforts, interning abroad in Kenya through their internship program, and coming back for 2 years to serve as a group leader for budding hunger fighters.I have long admired the involvement the University of Missouri has with The World Food Prize and was able to attend a luncheon they sponsored where I met former World Food Prize laureates, university administration, and visiting scholars from dozens of countries. The University's support has been instrumental in getting the Missouri Youth Institute off the ground and I am looking forward to our third program this spring.After the World Food Prize concluded, I came back to CoMo for a week celebrating CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Kappa Alpha Theta's national philanthropy. I was the sponsorship chair for the fall philanthropy event, Flapjacks and Quarterbacks, and was responsible for gathering business support and donations to make our event successful.I did not get pics for all the different activities of October but here are some other noteworthy events: 

• I am a Litton Leadership Scholar, a cohort of agricultural leaders, at the University of Missouri. We had our "Litton Lecture" series at the beginning of this month and got to meet members of the Litton Foundation, introduce ourselves and learn more about the agriculture industry we are preparing to serve.
• As a spring break site leader for Mizzou Alternative Breaks, I attended a retreat at the end of this month. The facilitation was focused on diversity, inclusion, intersectionality, vulnerability, and sparking conversation on difficult topics. What a weekend of learning and opening up!
• Although I could not attend National FFA Convention this year I, along with my brother, received an American FFA Degree! This degree is awarded to the top three percent of all FFA members and I am honored to join the ranks of the individuals denoted with this recognition.

Thanks for reading!Xo,Holly EnowskiMiss Metro St. Louis