Final Competition Day: Monday April 28th, 2008

As I sit awake tonight reflecting on this past week a sense of peace comes over me.  Over the past week I have had the opportunity to work with a great hosting team, Beauties of Canada, excellent choreographers, fascinating runway coaches, and 58 beautiful inspiring women.  

We all have a dream, and mine is to make the world a better place for all people.  Wow, I know that sounds extreme, how can one woman from a small town in northern Manitoba "change the world"?  That is a very interesting question, one which I still don't know the answer to; however, I do know that I am getting closer every day, and I do know that if I make a difference in at least one person's life every day, that I am getting closer and closer to my goal.  I remember sitting in front of the tv with my sister as a little girl with a pad of paper and a pen.  We would write down the contestants and then judge them accordingly, picking our favorites and then cheering for them along the way.  We waited for that day every year!  It seems almost surreal that I am now the one being judged.  

No matter what happens tomorrow (Monday), I am proud to say that I've done everything that I could have done to prepare for the pageant.  I can't even start to describe what it feels like to be standing on stage in the bright lights smiling from ear to ear.   This past week has been an experience of a lifetime, a dream come true, and a great opportunity to make some life long friendships.  All 59 of us have worked so hard this past week and every single one is deserving of the honor to represent our country in the Miss Universe Pageant.  

I want to thank everyone who has helped me along the way, everyone who has sponsored or donated, and every little girl who sits in front of her TV watching the pageant hoping that someday she too can represent her country and use the Miss Universe Canada title to change the lives of others in a positive way.

Tomorrow I will be on stage for all of you, for everyone who has ever had a dream, for the girl who will wear my evening gown to her graduation, for the little girl sitting in front of the TV, for the children in Africa that I am going to help build a school for, for everyone from the small town of Cranberry Portage and Flin Flon Manitoba, for my family who have always supported me in everything that I've wanted to do, and for all of the young women out there who are concerned with body image (you are beautiful for who you are on the inside and that will reflect on the outside, the most important thing is staying true to yourself and realizing that our external features are just a shell that en-capsules the beautiful souls that we hold within).  I will be smiling from ear to ear and holding my head high with confidence knowing that I have done my best.

Thank you everyone, Peace and Love.

Shannon