Amy Diaz Miss Rhode Island USA 2008

"Some people exude an essence that everyone around them wants to be a part of, it isn't necessarily charisma... it's something else, elusive to those who envy, unfathomable to those who notice from afar, but a blessing to those who can share in such inimitable and gracious beauty. I will never know another Amy Diaz, you are truly a remarkable young woman. Thank you for being such a great Suitemate, Sister, and friend!!" ~&Phi &Sigma &Sigma Ecua &Phi &Sigma &Sigma
"Excellence is the result of caring more than others think wise, risking more than others think safe, dreaming more than others think practical, and expecting more than others think possible.”
THE WINNING CROWN It’s not the title, nor the crown that counts. It's not the weight that's lost that really amounts. It's not the makeup design, or the gown that you wear, or the shape of your build or the length of your hair. You see, the growth of a Queen is all done inside. It's nothing support hose or makeup can hide The real preparation is done in the mind. It's leaving your fears and your faults behind. It's lifting your soul to a place that’s far seen. It's molding a woman to the height of a Queen. It's hard and its work, it's not easily done. But when it is over, you’ll know who has won. When the pageant is through and the lights are turned down you’ll know you’re a winner and you’ll have your crown. You see, all crowns are different, it’s really an art. Yours can be rhinestones or the growth of the heart!
A LEADER? I went on search to become a leader. I searched high and low. I spoke with authority, and people listened. But a last, there was one who was wiser than I and they followed her. I sought to inspire confidence, but the crowd responded, “Why should we trust you?” I postured and I assumed the look of leadership with a countenance that glowed with confidence and pride. But the crowd passed by and never noticed my air of elegance. I ran ahead of the others, pointing new ways to new heights. I demonstrated that I knew the route to greatness. And then I looked back and I was alone. “What shall I do?” I queried. “I’ve tried hard and used all that I know.” And then I listened to the voices around me. And I heard what the group was trying to accomplish. I rolled up my sleeves and joined in the work. As we worked I asked, “Are we all together in what we want to do, and how we’ll get the job done?” And we thought together and we struggled towards our goal . I found myself encouraging the faint hearted. I sought the ideas of those too shy to speak out. I taught those who knew little at all. I praised those who worked hard. When our task was completed, one of the group members turned to me and said “This would not have been done but for your leadership.” At first I said “I did not lead, I just worked with the rest.” And then I understood – leadership isn’t a goal. It's a way of reaching a goal. I lead best when I help others to go where we've decided we want to go. I lead best when I help others to use themselves creatively. I lead best when I forget about myself as a leader and focus on my group, their needs and their goals. TO LEAD IS TO SERVE, TO GIVE, TO ACHIEVE TOGETHER!
PSALM 18:32-36 "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn."