My third Miss America experience

Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures for the final night of competition. I got to see Mel right afterwards, as I was her backstage person, and helped her gather her things up in the tent behind the theater. It was pretty cool seeing behind the curtain, so to speak. Most of the girls honestly seemed relieved to be packing up and going home. Mel and I had the chance to share a special moment and tell each other how great it was to have experienced this together. Mel is like a lil sis/daughter to me, and it just felt right to be the one to pick her up, dust her off, and send her on her way again. She came home and rightly became the best Miss Ohio she possibly could be. It all seemed to come full circle. The year before when we came to Vegas to watch Marlia compete she said to me that she was going to be the one on that stage the next year. She believed it through and through and there we were. It was one of the greatest feelings to know that she had a chance to live out her dream.