A big shout out to the participants and families from across New Hampshire (plus one from Maine) who spent five weeks working with buddies to prepare as they engaged in the first-ever Virtual Miss Amazing event across the U.S.

Maria Found led the charge behind the scenes for all the Zoom setups so that six judges could celebrate the abilities of these girls and women with disabilities. The buddies met weekly for hours with the participants to practice interviewing skills, help with the introduction speeches, give feedback on passion presentations, along with helping with their evening wear walk and an uplifting COVID-19 video. The online interview portion of New Hampshire Miss Amazing took place May 14. Judges were rotated through Zoom breakout rooms where the girls (with support from their buddies) engaged in dialogue. "It could not have gone better!" Maria Found reports. "Such a wonderful experience for girls to shine who otherwise would not have had the chance this year given the pandemic situation! We were so pleased with the final Zoom event on May 24 and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from all involved!"

One of the junior teen category moms shared her gratitude for Brewster's buddies involvement and Maria Found, who stepped up last year to direct the Miss Amazing pageant for the entire Granite State when the program seemed at risk of shutting down. "This year's event has taken an even more special spot in our hearts," the mom said. "With all the uncertainty, Maria has made sure that the event and our girls continue to have normalcy. The Buddies from Brewster are exceptional! Everyone has been so supportive of my daughter—she felt full of joy and was so proud! The girls working with her are certainly going to be lovely women in their adult years. Thank you!"