It has been my pleasure and honor for 6 years to work with these outstanding young women. My goal was never to change any of them but only bring out their strengths and improve on their weaknesses. These are life skills that they can use for a lifetime.
Getting to know these intelligent, talented, funny and strong women on an personal level meant so much to me. When they left Camp, they knew what they needed to do to be prepared at Nationals. Seeing their hard work in Mobile showed that they really "got the message" I was trying to instill in them. It wasn't about winning - that was out of their control - it was about making new friends from around the country, being their best selves and making memories to last a lifetime.
I now have Boot Camp memories to last a lifetime. Thank you girls!
Dee Ann's Boot Camp was located in the "Land of the Waterfalls" in beautiful Western North Carolina. It was an intense preparation for Nationals in Mobile.
As a judge for many state programs, I have seen the importance of having the input and guidance of a judge as part of the process in preparing for Mobile. I wanted the girls to feel confident, organized, fine tuned and ready for the challenges they would face at Nationals. Being prepared helped them relax, have fun and perform their best.
The program included one-on-one hair and makeup consultations, mock interviews and critiques, talent evaluations, a self-expression workshop, fitness sessions, motivational and inspirational talks.
After "BOOT CAMP" the girls made new friends, met new challenges, worked hard and had the help of a judge along the way.
For the class of 2010, I was proud to see 8 of my 11 Campers receive additional scholarship awards, totaling $73,000, at Nationals. Five Campers
were in the Top Ten Finalists with Idaho winning Nationals and South Carolina receiving 2nd Runner Up!
