Hello Everyone! I am Amanda Murphy, Miss Midwest. I was raised in Glencoe, MN and currently attend the University of Minnesota in Morris, MN, where I am majoring in Management with a Financial emphasis, and minoring in Economics. I plan to attend graduate school for Marketing and Finance. More personally, my favorite color is blue, and I enjoy playing trumpet and following the stock market. I also love art, and am a freelance apparel designer. My family and friends are an important component in my life, and I am so grateful for their support.

My platform is "America's Troops: In Need of Our Support Today." This platform was inspired by a friend who is currently serving in Iraq, who told me that he does not want this war to be a waste of his time and a waste of the ultimate sacrifice others have made. What we as Americans need to realize is that the troops are in desperate need of our support; and I firmly believe that every person - whether or not the support the war or President Bush - can, and should, support our troops. As part of this platform, I have been traveling to local schools, talking to children and encouraging them to say thank you and make greeting cards to send to the troops. I have also been collecting supplies to send to military men and women who are from the areas I have visited. This has been a very rewarding platform, and seeing children's enthusiasm is simply uplifting and inspiring in itself.

I must echo everyone else in saying the Miss Minnesota weekend was definitely enjoyable! It was wonderful to meet everyone and I am looking forward to our week in June! I am sure we will all be busy until then - I know I will be! - but it sounds like a great week! Best of luck to everyone as we prepare for June!
~Amanda