Welcome to the big leagues, Julia Rae.

A few years ago, Julia Rae Schlucter competed in the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen program is Miss Pennsylvania 2008. Being a titleholder was unlike anything she had ever experienced before, and she knew that she wanted to stay involved with the Miss America Organization. In fact, she’s confident that the experiences she gains from competing will help her further down the road in life, as she pursues “real life” dreams and careers. She gave the Miss Pennsylvania Organization a round or two before school brought her to the Big Apple. Here, she decided to promote her very personal platform and compete at the MAO Miss New York City pageant. Now, as Miss Metropolitan 2014, Julia Rae will be going to Miss New York for the first time this year!

Unlike world peace, Julia Rae’s platform is something that touches her very closely. During her reign of service, she is advocating for the support and awareness of cystic fibrosis; a chronic, genetic progressive lung disease. Basically, her body produces a thick mucus that builds up in her body, and without proper treatment will actually suffocate her. She was diagnosed before she was even born, and has been singing on the top of her lungs since she could.

I quite literally live and “breathe” my platform every day. Research is the key in advancing treatment for the 30,000 Americans fighting CF. My mission is to support that crucial research and hopefully add tomorrows for CF patients while changing the quality of their todays.

Since Julia Rae is so close to the Children’s Miracle Hospital, it comes to no surprise that one of her favorite events so far has been to benefit the Network. She recently attended The Stand; New York’s Dance Marathon for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. She was able to hear the stories of several families who’s lives have been touched thanks to CMN, and was even able to share her own story. Julia Rae has been a Children’s Miracle patient for her entire life, and so she is able to stand before us and first hand explain how the Miss America Organization’s partnership with CMN truly makes a difference.  She hopes to encourage other CMN patients by sharing her story. Being a titleholder gives the opportunity to show other CMN patients that life’s challenges to not have to define them. Nothing life throws at you is designed to stop someone from pursuing their dreams. One of the rolls of a titleholder is to be a Goodwill Ambassador for CMN. Before she crowns her successor next year, Julia Rae hopes to visit as many CM Hospitals in the state, as well as hold karaoke nights to raise money for both Cystic Fibrosis and the Children’s Miracle Network.

Go for it! If it’s something that will make you happy, don’t let anything or anyone hold you back. It is an incredible opportunity to raise the bar for yourself, network and meet new friends.

Julia Rae can inspire with her story, but also her words. Hopefully she will wow the judges in her interview, blow them away during talent, and rock the stage all around. It may be her first time on the Miss New York stage, but fingers crossed: the next stage she competes on is in Atlantic City!