Get to know Miss Texas Angelica Alcala-Herrera!

Dear NAMily,

Being given the opportunity to represent my community, my city, and my state twice as your Miss Texas 2015 and Miss Texas Teen 2012 has been my greatest honor, and I will never forget the amazing memories I have made along the way.

Throughout this year I was able to experience and achieve so many exciting things – I attended 8 state pageants where I met so many new friends and sisters from around the country and left a little bit of Texas everywhere I went!

I had the pleasure of donating to the children of MD Anderson Cancer Center the books, learning tools, and coloring supplies collected from the contestants that competed in the National American Miss Texas 2015 pageant.  Through my non-profit organization, Angels Daydreams, I was able to make special visits to the pediatrics department of MD Anderson to share precious times, laughter, joy, and smiles with all of the children!

The highlight of my reign was hosting my very first charity gala event through my non-profit organization, Angels Daydreams, called The Heroes of Freedom Ball.  The Heroes of Freedom Ball was a large charity event to raise funds for our men and women in the military who are now part of the Wounded Warrior Project.  There is truly no greater feeling than to serve those who have served our country, and I was humbled by the generous donations from all who attended, that went directly to the Wounded Warrior Project.

After kicking off the start to my reign with all of my charity work, before I knew it, I was off to Nationals where I had the time of my life!  Seeing old friends, creating new friendships, and making memories that will last a lifetime will always be the highlight of nationals for me! I was honored to have placed top 5 in the nation in every optional competition I entered, including first runner up in 4 of them.

This year would not have been such a success if it were not for some very special people in my life. To the National American Miss staff, thank you for always welcoming me with open arms (literally!) at every NAM event I have ever attended.  To Mr. Steve and Ms. Kathleen Mayes, thank you for creating an organization that feels like home and helps young women find their place in the world.  I was given the opportunity to grow into the person I was meant to be because of you.  To Ms. Lakishia, Ms. Janie, and Tiffany, thank you for always making every pageant weekend a blast (and Tiffany thank you for always saying my complicated last name correctly all these years!  J) You all hold such a dear place in my heart.

To my Mom and Dad, thank you for giving me the most important tools to succeed in life - your love and support.  Without both of you I would not be where I am today or where I am going in life.  I love you so much. To Xavier, thank you for being my biggest cheerleader and supporter in everything I do!  You make my life so much fun and I wouldn’t want anyone else to be my pageant brother.  I love you endlessly and consider you my greatest blessing in life. To my best friend and soon to be sister-in-law Courtney and my dearest Nicholas, life would not be the same without all of our adventures together, and I am so happy that God has brought both of you into my life.  You have made this year so wonderful for me.

Finally, to the lucky girl who gets to wear this crown and banner next, best wishes and blessings as you take on this prestigious job. Enjoy every moment! Texas is a big state for big ideas and big accomplishments waiting to happen.  You have one year to make a difference, so don’t waste a second, as it goes by fast.

Throughout my time at NAM, I set out to leave a positive mark on the world, and I hope I did just that. As I now move forward to achieve all that God has planned for me, I am forever and always, with gratitude, your Miss Texas 2015, Angelica Alcala-Herrera.