Jade Monfils at the Scottish Rite Children's Hospital

I was excited to go to the Scottish Rite Children's Hospital and bring a craft to do with the kids. I chose to have the craft be "inspiration boards" where you find pictures in magazines that piece together your ideal future, and cut them out and put them on a piece of poster board. I got the idea from "The Secret", this technique helps you visualize what you want, so that you can make it happen. Also I thought that since the kids are stuck in hospital rooms, these "inspiration boards" might help brighten it up some, and since they are small they can transport them easily. I invited my friend Ashley (Miss Fort Worth) to come and join me at this event, and we had a great time!

Houston Training Update with Pageant Sponsors

Pageant preparation takes time and dedication, I was excited to go down to Houston and San Antonio to meet with a number of sponsors of the Texas International pageant. On my stop at Valerie Hayes (the best interview coach- www.valeriehayes.com) I met up with Bonnie Hubert my sister queen and the Mrs. division winner. On this trip I also met up with Sheila Ybarra (www.pageantfaces.com) who gave me my sponsored make-up lesson, and in San Antonio I met with my personal trainer Kris (www.bodiesbykris.com). I am so inspired by these professionals and motivated to better myself, not only for the upcoming pageant but also in life!

The S.M.A.R.T. Girls program

Yesterday I went to my local Boys and Girls Club to meet some prospective students for my 12-week summer class. The program that I have developed is called S.M.A.R.T. Girls (Which stands for skills mastery and resistance training) and the classes will be held once a week at the Boys and Girls Club. It is important that in gang prevention that the female counter parts are not forgotten. A lot of times young girls also have a need to belong and will turn to other things such as drugs, alcohol, teen pregnancy, and abusive relationships. My goal with this program is to educate these young ladies about the dangers out there such as STD's, AIDS, and female victimization. Giving them the knowledge, so that they can make smart decisions. Also educating them about the importance of career goals and being active in their community. I want for them to have confidence so that they do not have self esteem issues, which is why diet, exercise, and etiquette are all part of the curriculum. I cannot wait to get this program rolling!

Jade Monfils at the Carrollton Bea's Kids

I stopped by the Bea's Kids after school program in Carrollton. Once there I helped the elementary school kids with their writing and math homework. 5:00 is when all the teen and pre-teen kids come, and I was able to talk to them and share with them my personal stories of high school and college. I let them know that everything that they do today reflects what will happen to them tomorrow. I talked with them after my speech and got the "low down". I now know that Facebook is not cool, but MySpace still is.... haha. As you get older you get more out of the loop. I am glad that I can still communicate with these kids on a personal level and hopefully have an impact on the choices that they make!

Jade Monfils Emcees the 19th Annual Dallas Asian Festival

Saturday was the 19th annual Asian Festival held at Dallas City Hall. There were over 60 booths, and different performances on the main stage. May is known as Asian-Pacific Heritage month and I was fortunate enough to have been asked by the Greater Dallas Asian Chamber of Commerce to Emcee the day's events with Chris Flannagan, one of Dallas's own WFAA Channel 8 newscasters. Although the day was scheduled for thunderstorms, most of the morning was okay and there was a very large turn out to see all the performances. Cultures from all over Asia were recognized, from India, Thailand, China, and Japan. I finished the day by drinking one of my favorite Asian drinks........ bubble tea, which is a flavored tea with tapioca "pearls" on the bottom, it is drank with a wider straw!

Jade Monfils at the AHA Go Red Luncheon

One of the best things about the International Pageant system is their dedication to the community and helping their queen's champion their own personal platforms. The pageant has their own platform with the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" campaign. Heart disease is the #1 killer of Americans, women included. The "Go Red" initiative is targeted at women and educating them about prevention of heart disease. Simple steps you can take in your life include eating lean foods, exercising daily, and limiting your amount of alcoholic intake, and of course no smoking! The fun thing about the luncheon was that AHA gave seminars on how to live healthy, one of them was with Chef Chamberlain who has two restaurants locally. He taught us how to cook lean beef so that it tastes good, but without all the extra oils and fats. I even got my BMI tested at one of the booths that were giving out free screenings. Luckily I am at a healthy BMI of 20 and an athletic body fat. It is pretty intimidating getting your body fat measured, but it is essential in preventing heart disease. One of the most touching stories that I heard during the event was from a woman who at 30 years old, was diagnosed with heart disease. She was an active cheerleader and athlete, didn't even smoke or drink, and had just had a baby. One day in January 2005 her heart collapsed and she had to have a heart transplant. She got a second chance, but many other women do not. Her daughter now 7 came to the stage and gave her flowers. Everyone in the audience, myself included, was trying to fight back tears. Heart disease can be prevented, you need to have annual check ups and keep your body healthy through exercise, making smart eating choices, limiting alcohol intake, and no smoking! Please educate those that you care about, because it can be prevented and not have to take another life too soon!

Jade Monfils at Coppell Relay for Life

I attended Coppell's annual Relay for Life that benefited the American Cancer Society. This was a special day because a dear friend of mine detected a small lump in her breast this year, she is a cancer survivor and has had the lump replaced with a radioactive particle. The relay started in the evening and ran all night until morning. These cancer survivors are all heroes..... they have triumphed over their cancer and are living the life that God intended for them. It was a pleasure to honor those that have both survived and also those that have passed on. I also got to spend the day with other extraordinary young pageant women that compete in the Texas America pageant on July 5th! Best of luck to them, you guys will be great!