What are your Hobbies?
Singing, Dancing (Ballet, Jazz, anything!) Teaching and doing aerobics, Kickboxing, Reading, Spending time with friends and family, cooking, shopping and speaking Spanish!
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What makes you special and unique?
Me encanta Espanol! (I love Spanish!) I speak Spanish fluently! I am a Spanish major at the University of Mississippi and I have been to Spain. I love hot and spicy Mexican and Cuban food and I love Spanish music and the Spanish culture! In the future I want to study abroad. I also enjoy meeting people of other cultures and learning about their way of life.
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What is the best advice you have ever received?
My favorite high school English teacher always told me to "Go for it!" and this has been one of my mottos in life! I truly believe that if we "Go for" whatever our passions in life are, you will find success and happiness. Likewise, if you reach for the moon you will at least land among the stars!
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Name one thing you cannot live without.
I cannot live without my family photo albums. Looking at pictures of family members when they were growing up and of my parents and grandparents when they were young, makes me feel extremely proud! Whenever I need a reminder of who I am and where I come from I look at family photos. In them are memories I will always cherish.
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What's the most valuable lesson you've ever learned?
I feel the most valuable lesson I have ever learned is to always be yourself. Growing up can be a challenge, but in all of my life experiences I have found that you are most successful when you are true to who you are. Stand firm in your beliefs, know who you are and what you believe and everything else will fall into place!
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Who is your most valued role model and why?
My most valued role model is Laura Bush. I feel she is the essence of an American Woman. She is a well educated woman in the public eye that remains calm and genuine under public watch. She always has a smile on her face, gives back to the community in many ways, and stands behind her husband regardless of the negative press he may face.
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What was your most unexpected moment?
My most unexpected moment occurred when I was doing an internship in New York City one summer. I was walking through Times Square with a friend after eating lunch when we were approached by a young woman handing out wristbands. The wristbands were given to members of the live audience for MTV's show Total Request Live! My friend and I were completely excited and nervous, but we went on the show and even had the chance to announce our names and where we were from on air! It was so exciting and definitely unexpected! I will always remember that day!
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What is your workout routine?
As a workout instructor, I am working out a lot which is great because it is something I love to do! When I'm not teaching classes I swim, do water aerobics, take Pilates and run! I also do some weightlifting and of course I love to dance! I think the main component to staying fit is varying up your exercise routine so that you have fun and stay motivated to work out!
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What has been your biggest accomplishment to date?
My biggest accomplishment was being selected to do an internship in New York City with Broadway Dance Center. While doing a work study program and I had the opportunity to learn from some of the most talented choreographers and performers in the dance industry. I developed so much as a performer and individual. New York City was a life changing experience! I also met great friends who shared my passion for performing!
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What is the best compliment you have ever recieved?
One of my fitness students once told me "You make me want to work out!" which was a huge compliment because I felt I had made a healthy impact in someone's life. Staying healthy is vital in today's world as so many Americans are overweight, and if I can give someone the motivation to work out and take care of themselves, I feel I have helped!
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What is your secret wish?
I secretly wish to be Miss America!
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What was your most embarrassing moment?
In high school, I went to lunch with a guy I had a crush on. We decided to go to a cafeteria- style restaurant where you hold your food tray as you pick out the food you want. Well, everything was going great. We were talking, and all of a sudden as we were walking to our table, I dropped my tray of food. I don't really remember how I dropped it, I just remember I made a complete mess on the floor and I was super embarrassed! I tried to play it off cool and just smiled really big and said "Oops, How did that happen?" My date was a true gentleman and actually tried to clean up the mess! I still laugh about that lunch date today!
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What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
My biggest guilty pleasure is watching Reality Television! Whenever I get the time to watch TV I find myself watching the latest Reality TV show! I like to watch "Top Chef" on Bravo and the show "Bridezillas" on the We network, and of course "Project Runway"! It's somehow very appealing to watch people go through real-life events on national television.
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What is your favorite movie and why?
One of my favorite movies is Gone With the Wind. This timeless classic was extremely well done for the time period in which it was made. Gone With the Wind reserved a place in Hollywood for Southern history as well. The costumes and characters fascinated me when I was little and sparked my personal interest in the true events of the Civil War.
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What do you like to do for fun... relaxation... recreation?
To let loose, I love to sing and dance! There is something about singing a song or dancing to your favorite song that just makes you feel good! I love to hang out with my friends and watch movies also. I think I have the most fun when I'm goofing around with my older sisters! We are too funny when we all get together!
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What would be your dream vacation or destination?
My dream vacation would be a trip to the Balearic Islands of Spain! I love the Spanish culture and I have heard the beaches of the Balearic Islands are some of the most beautiful beaches! I would love to travel there someday!
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What do you like best about the state of Mississippi?
The state of Mississippi has so many wonderful qualities! From the Mississippi Delta, the "Home of the Blues" to the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast, our state has so much to offer! I suppose what I like best about Mississippi is that it is my home, and it is a place I'm proud to call home. The people of Mississippi are some of the most giving in the nation and are people you can truly call "neighbor". Mississippians have a very strong history and that adds to their genuine spirits.
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Where do you see yourself in ten years?
In ten years I see myself having fulfilled my goals to become a broadcast journalist. I would also like to have taught Spanish to low income students in urban or rural areas. In ten years I will hopefully be starting a family of my own as well! However one of my favorite sayings is, "If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans"! Only God knows what is in store for me!
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Who am I?
I am the youngest of three older siblings. I have one brother and two older sisters, all of whom I greatly admire. My family is where I find my strength; they are extremely important to me. I have many passions in life and I can proudly say I have achieved most goals I have set for myself. Only through the support of my friends and family have I been able to do everything I have done!
When I was very little I wanted to be so many things when I "grew up". I wanted to be a professional ballerina, a news anchor, a movie star. I wanted to go to Ole Miss and I wanted to travel to Spain and learn to speak Spanish and I wanted to be Miss Mississippi. Whew, what a list! I didn't know where to start.
I began taking ballet lessons at age four and kept dancing throughout high school. My father's love of Spanish inspired me to begin taking Spanish classes in middle school and I had the opportunity to travel to Spain my senior year of high school for a week. I am now a Spanish and Journalism major in college. Growing up I always heard my oldest sister talking about her experiences at the University of Mississippi and in the fall of 2004 I became a student there as well. At Ole Miss I have also had the opportunity to work as a News Anchor and radio D.J. for the campus Media Center. Through hard work and focus I have been able to live the dreams I always hoped to experience. My mother has always said, "Remember who you are" and I have. I am Emily Aldridge and I cannot wait for the future ahead of me!
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Tell us about your platform.
My platform is "Shaping healthy Lifestyles Across Mississippi", and the focus with my platform is obesity in our state. Mississippi ranks second in the nation in obesity. With my platform I want to educate the public on the urgency of this issue in our state and encourage and motivate others to make a healthy change in their lifestyles. I am a certified aerobics instructor through the Aerobic Fitness Association of America (AFAA). As an instructor, I understand that exercise is vital in fighting obesity and maintaining a healthy weight. Obesity is also the second leading cause of preventable death after smoking according to the American Obesity Association.
Throughout the year I will be educating the public on the importance of healthy living. The Mississippi Gulf Coast especially needs this message as we rebuild a healthier Gulf Coast in the year 2007. Exercise is a positive outlet for stress, can prevent disease, and promotes a happier state of mind. Together we can begin to Measure up Mississippi! Let's leave the list of overweight states in America instead of lead it.
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