And so my journey officially begins towards Miss New York

Last year proved to be a very challenging year for me. When I first came to NYC, I had just finished my first graduate degree from the University of Miami that December 2009. Despite having what I considered to be an impressive resume displaying a highly educated and skilled individual, I had no immediate job offers, a harsh reality that faces my cohort. So I took a non paid internship in Manhattan to gain "experience," packed my bags, and moved to New York City last February. But, my chance to live in New York City had finally come.....and it was my dream come true. And now I'm working towards my second masters degree at New York University, starting a career as a consultant, and I've developed relationships that mean everything to me.

Do you know why people come to New York when they aim to make a somebody of themselves? It's because New York is the capitol of everything possible. I want to pursue my goals and make things happen in my life, and that is why I've come here. I might have been born on the west coast in Los Angeles, spent my early childhood years in the midwest in Denver, and had my early adulthood in southern state of Florida, but it is the pursuit of my goals - ever upward - that makes me a New Yorker.

I compete in the Miss America system not because I get to wear a pretty tiara, but because it is empowering, and the crown is my microphone which allows me to reach audiences that I as an individual would not be able to reach. It's my stepping stone to a successful career, my opportunity to finance my education, and the chance to make a social statement and be heard. I am grateful for this upcoming year as Miss Metropolitan 2011 - a year of service on behalf of the Miss New York / Miss America Organization, a year to live experiences that shape and strengthen who I am, and a year full of people I hope to inspire and give hope to with my platform "Promoting Hope, Preventing Suicide."

03/13/11 Being crowned Miss Metropolitan 2011

by Claire Buffie, Miss New York 2010