Hey everyone,
Happy Titleholder Tuesday! Today, we will be shining a light on Amanda Witkowski’s achievements. From Saddle Brook, New Jersey, she currently holds the title of Royal International Miss New Jersey. In the past, this 21-year-old has held the titles of 2017 National American Miss New Jersey, 2017 USA National Miss Garden State, 2016 National Garden Miss Teen, 2016 Miss New Jersey Teen America, Miss Grand Supreme All American East Coast USA, 2015 Teen Northeast American Nation, and 2014 Teen Mid Atlantic American Nation. This well-decorated queen absolutely loves traveling and once was a cheerleader in the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!
Be sure to follow her Instagram.
Take it away, Amanda!
Always wear your invisible crown.
I pretty much stumbled into pageantry through a mailer that came from National American Miss. I took the mail in one day and read it, and told my mom I wanted to be in the pageant. Apparently we had received the offers before but she always discarded them. The difference this time was that I had a gown from an 8th grade coronation ball, and an Aunt who said to give it a try.
I enjoy every part of pageantry from preparation through the finale. I like envisioning wardrobe, how I will walk, what I will say, and who I will make friends with.
I have so many favorite memories. There is always the moment I am called out for recognition, at any level from runner up to winner for things like casual wear modeling, academics, and my favorite which is role model.
Then there is the time I did a pageant where you advance through rounds. I didn’t understand that not being called meant you moved forward, so I stood backstage thinking they forgot me. I was so sad, and then suddenly I was the Grand Supreme with confetti flying all around me.
But my favorite just might be a friend I made when I forgot a critical piece of wardrobe (it may or may not have been a bra, wink wink). I was about to panic as this girl said: “here I have one you can use.” She saved the day and we have been friends ever since.
I am committed to supporting individuals with autism spectrumdisorders. Starting in 2014, I organized and hosted skate-a-thons as awareness events (Autism Skates 2014 and Autism Skates 2016), and have since co-founded the Morgan Marie Michael Foundation 501C3, with a stated mission to raise awareness and funds for individuals on the autism spectrum. Much of our fundraising is done through events such as the Shop. Sell. Strut! series of high fashion runway productions. We also have an amazing group of Autism Awareness Ambassadors, who really embrace promoting kindness, sensitivity, and acceptance. It takes a village, so while I have a platform, the results would not happen without a team. And the results are impactful. Each year, we donate upwards of thousands of sensory toys to school programs and child life teams. We enrich elementary schools across the state with our “Friends Who Are Different” lesson during Autism Awareness Month to foster acceptance and tolerance for autism in our schools and in the minds of young learners. Primarily, the proceeds raised allow us to place iPads, essential learning software, and protective cases into the hands of families living with a child who has autism.
I love The Queen Next Door because it shines a light on the positive aspects of pageantry.
XOXO Amanda
This philanthropic, compassionate, and focused Miss will be competing for the title of Royal International Miss this July! Amanda and I have been sister queens before and I can’t wait to see her represent New Jersey on the international stage. Good luck!
Stay tuned for next week’s Titleholder Tuesday.
Jordan<3