Jeanette Morelan's résumé is quite the spectacle. At a mere 14 years old, Jeanette won the monumental honor of Miss America's Outstanding Teen - a tremendous feat encompassing trips to the White House and speaking to thousands at a time. Since, Jeanette has been admired as a role model for countless women. The recent graduate of Belmont University is the current titleholder of Miss Nashville, gearing up for the coveted Miss Tennessee crown in one short month.
For almost every young woman in the country, any notion of the Miss America pageant immediately floods the mind with vivid memories of watching the coveted showcase year after year. Messy pigtails, fuzzy pajamas, and the sweet aroma of stovetop popcorn from the kitchen accompany thoughts of the electrifying event. The serendipitous narrowing of women constitutes the spectacle to be as unpredictable as a Superbowl overtime.
“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.” - Zen Shin
It's pretty safe to say (just about) every girly girl has had a dream at one point or another to become a Disney Princess. Cinderella... Belle... Elsa... they're chic and glamorous and alluring in every way possible. From their gowns to their glass slippers to their tiaras to their (charming) grit, they are, well, perfect.
Oh, isn't it so, so easy to spend a full hour lying in bed scrolling through instagram? I mean, they've got stick thin models, celebrity gossip, selfie tips, bloggers... it's all good for us, right?
Often, young women in showbiz treat themselves as eye candy or a prop, placing all their marbles in their "beautiful looks" basket, sacrificing their morals, education, or relationships with friends, family, and God.
Taylor Kalupa breaks that stereotype. She is obviously gorgeous, yet that's not all that defines her! In fact, it doesn't even break the surface.