Words cannot explain how much this program means to me. I am empowered by each and every young woman in this program. To Caroline Carter, I am so proud of you. I am blessed to think that you are a soul sister, and to have been the first person to hug you and hold your hands when they called your name as our new Miss New Hampshire. I am excited to take the No. 319 Express Bus from NYC to Atlantic City during the second week of September to see you ROCK that stage at Miss America! To the other 26 young women that shared that beautiful stage, thank you for your friendship. I am a better person for knowing each and everyone of you and your stories. To Holly Blanchard: thank you for your commitment to service... whether it be making my mom's kids feel like your best friends in the world or standing up for local titleholders when we needed it most. Thank you to Christopher Piccolo, Matt Lane, Denise, Heidi Noyes-Bourgeois, Heidi Laroche, our entire cast and creative for working tirelessly to put on an amazing show, Brenda E. Keith, Bill Haggerty, Claudette Jolin, and Cindi Rice Conley for your dedication to empowering hundreds of young women, and Paula Moore and Nhot Co-Director Lamontagne for creating a home for us over the past week. Thank you to my sponsors Serendipity Day Spa, Tyler Sinclair and Madeline's Event Central for making me feel fabulous, and directors, Karrye Krecklow Berglund, Susan Folger K, and Regan Elizabeth Hartley for their unwavering love and support. Thank you to my family (including non-related family members!), especially my brother Christopher Percy and parents Suzie James Percy, Michael Percy, who raise me up. I am thankful to have been named the First-Runner-Up to Miss New Hampshire 2016, and the Over All Interview Winner. With my scholarships earned from the Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Organization, I will be able to graduate with my Masters in Arts in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Columbia University debt-free. To my future students at Columbia: I hope that you know YOU WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN MISS NEW YORK. Even though you do not know it yet, and I do not even know you, get ready for the most amazing experience of your lives. Welcome to the Miss America family. I believe in this program, and I will always fight to support young women discover their potential.
