Bittersweet.
That’s the best way to describe how I felt as I heard my name last Sunday with the words “And your new Miss Coastal Shore is…” before it. When I was 17 years old, I entered my first local pageant and there I was, at 23, competing in my last.
An extremely emotional experience, encompassed with a rollercoaster of experiences that I attribute to who I am today.
I very sincerely don’t know where I’d be without this organization. My interview was all over the place, touching on integrity, marriage, drunk driving, drugs and alcohol, tastycakes, the Jersey Shore (the real one- not the wacky show), basketball, cheesesteaks, physical fitness, and beyond. If you know me, you’re smiling and nodding your head saying “that’s totally Anna.”
The nervousness and anxiety I experienced the entire week, topped with a minor breakdown, brought me to Sunday July 20th. The consistency of wanting to make a difference in the lives of others and wanting to be Miss New Jersey is so very important to me. When I entered my first pageant at 17, the dream was very much alive and burning. A college degree, five internships, a breakup, friends made and lost, two years on a dance team and whirlwind of other things and the dream, at 23, is STILL ALIVE AND BURNING. No matter what adversity you experience in your personal or professional life, those who may support you or doubt you, boys who will be stupid or cherish a true queen, your dreams matter. Don’t let anyone tell you any different.
I am beyond excited to spend this last chapter with my beloved Shore family and look forward to my year of service. The Thank Yous could go on for days, but my heart is so warm and happy with the support I was shown and love I receive on a daily basis. I am grateful for your kind words, messages, hugs, etc. You know who you are!
I kicked off my celebrations with a much-needed Cheesesteak and then hit the ground running! I had the opportunity to host the Princess Pageant at the PAC this past Sunday and gained two wonderful little sisters, and our ‘Coastal Shore’ family will be complete August 10th when our Outstanding Teen pageant will take place!
I have a few appearances lined up with CITGO, the Bridgeton Invitational and the Department of Veteran Affairs this August so stay tuned!
xo,
Anna- Miss Coastal Shore 🙂
Anna Negrón 