Latest / Military Broadcast Radio | MBR Talk / The Dog Tag Diva - with Debra Hornick

Transcript

The Dog Tag Diva - with Debra Hornick · Military Broadcast Radio | MBR Talk

0:00
Little, little, little Little Rock and roll, just a little
0:02
little, a little. Rock'n'roll.
0:04
With the kind of move and the hey kind of suit your soul.
0:12
With the kind of whoo, the kind of hey, the kind of suit your
0:15
soul. Get out of my way.
0:35
Good evening and happy Tuesday everybody.
0:38
This is the Dog Tag Diva podcast welcoming you to the show coming
0:42
to you from Clearwater, FL and Delaware.
0:46
City. Delaware and we are very excited
0:49
to have a beautiful guest with us tonight.
0:51
It's Miss Deborah Hornick, the 2025 All American Royal Queen.
0:58
How exciting is that? Well, it's a mouthful.
1:01
Isn't it? I love it.
1:03
How are you Deb? I am wonderful.
1:06
Busy. Busy doing all the things, but
1:10
very blessed in living life. That is wonderful.
1:14
Sounds good. So we, you and I, met back in
1:17
November at the Philadelphia Veteran's Day Parade with all
1:20
the other pageant girls. My goodness, what an array of
1:26
choices that we have to compete at the pageant level.
1:30
Absolutely, absolutely. And.
1:33
And isn't that a wonderful thing to have?
1:36
Yes. Lots of opportunity for women,
1:38
even young girls. The the littlest one, she was
1:41
like what, four or five? I think the little one, she was
1:45
trying the poor little thing. I felt so bad for her too.
1:47
She mom said she didn't feel good and she.
1:49
Was. She was trying so hard to get
1:52
the day. Bless her little heart.
1:56
Oh, oh, she was just the cutest little thing, but she was It was
1:59
cold and she wasn't feeling well and I just felt bad for.
2:03
Her, it was cold, it was. Yeah, the weather didn't really
2:07
cooperate too well that day. Yes.
2:10
And you had on this beautiful off the shoulder sequin jumpsuit
2:13
and those beautiful American flag like glitter sequin
2:17
bedazzled shoes. I did, I did.
2:20
Boy, you have such a great memory.
2:22
Yeah, that was detailed. But did she do the bend and
2:25
snap? I don't question.
2:28
It was too chilly for the bend and snap.
2:30
That day, OK. Fairness.
2:34
So you so the all American Royal Queen.
2:37
That competition is in October, correct?
2:40
It is. It's held in Ocean City, MD, the
2:43
second weekend of October, which is typically Columbus Day
2:47
weekend and car show weekend in Ocean City.
2:52
So we have all the things. We have a pageant for the ladies
2:55
and we have cars for the guys. So or intermingle those two,
2:59
whatever floats your boat, right?
3:01
Well. Sounds like a.
3:02
Big win for like you and if you have a husband, like, hey,
3:05
honey, like come to the car show this weekend while I do this
3:08
thing for myself. Oh, absolutely, absolutely.
3:11
Now my husband knows better that he can't leave my side.
3:15
He knows that he has to take all the photos, carry the crown,
3:17
carry the clothes. Park the car, you know all those
3:20
are. Fatty.
3:23
But my dad, my mom and my dad have had several antique cars.
3:27
They've owned several antique cars in the past.
3:29
So that's how I get my dad to go.
3:32
He's like, OK, well, I can do the cars during the day and I
3:35
can attend the pageant at night. So it's a little bit of bribing
3:38
there. Well, now you This wasn't your
3:42
first foray into the pageant world, correct?
3:45
You've been doing this for quite a long time.
3:47
I have. Don't say how old I am, OK?
3:50
No, ma'am, I just kind of went back in time and went through
3:57
that whole story. I speak at schools a lot for
4:01
career day and empowering our, our young kiddos, especially,
4:06
especially our little girls. I spoke the other evening at a
4:10
non profit event as the keynote speaker speaking on
4:13
volunteerism. And I'm, I, I write these
4:15
speeches and I, I kind of want to tell my journey and, and my
4:18
story and just a little bit of tidbit about who I am.
4:22
And I've realized that I have competed for over 30 years now.
4:26
Wow. So I started when I was 16.
4:29
If you want to do the math, you can do the math, but.
4:32
You told us not to give away your age, man.
4:36
But I started out at 16 and it was something that my pageant or
4:42
my family was not very familiar with other than watching Miss
4:46
America on TV, right? But I had a couple girlfriends
4:50
in high school. I was a junior in high school
4:51
and they were competing. It's a local teen pageant.
4:54
It was a scholarship pageant. And I went to support them and
4:58
watch them and they just had the best time.
5:01
And I sat in that audience and I thought, hmm, I think I might
5:05
want to try it. And so I did.
5:08
And I, I didn't win my first pageant.
5:10
I came in first runner up, but I had the best time and I met some
5:15
of the best girlfriends that I still have now to date and I'm
5:22
very thankful for that learning experience.
5:24
And from then on out, it was kind of in my blood.
5:27
I went back the next year. I worked harder, you know, I
5:31
worked on those things that I needed to improve on.
5:33
Practice my walk, did the rehearsing, practice my
5:36
interview, all the things and went back and won Miss Teen
5:40
Harford County my senior year of high school.
5:43
And it was an amazing experience.
5:47
I earned over $5000 in scholarship for my college
5:51
education. And I, that's when I was really
5:54
introduced to community service and volunteerism.
5:57
And I'm so thankful that that was brought into my life because
6:01
it's, it's something that is that I, it, it's just a part of
6:05
me. That's something that I do.
6:06
It's not something I'm, you know, I have to deal with
6:08
something I want to do. And I think that's really, you
6:11
know, really important. And you know, Lauren has, you
6:14
know, a six year old, almost 6 year old daughter and you know,
6:17
it's, you know, we, it's really important for her.
6:21
And as you know, Auntie, that we, you know, we do the things
6:25
and improve the things that are, you know, positive female role
6:29
models. And I love your, you know that
6:32
you're speaking to volunteerism and being involved and to
6:36
friendship. And because those are all the
6:38
things that we want to teach our girls.
6:41
I don't feel like a girl, but absolutely it's, you know, I
6:45
have a daughter, have a 15 year old daughter, I have a 12 year
6:49
old stepdaughter and a nine year old son.
6:51
So we do all the things and, you know, that's what I want them to
6:56
get out of this. You know, I, I always say I, I
6:59
love the crown and sash. Who doesn't love getting dressed
7:01
up and beautified and, you know, being on stage and doing all
7:05
those things. But the real impact is what you
7:08
do with that crown and sash. And that's what I want my girls
7:13
especially to know that yes, you can be all those beautiful
7:17
things on the outside, but it's the beautifulness that you're on
7:20
the inside and how you're impacting others that are less
7:23
fortunate and helping those that need help.
7:26
Simple as that. I love talking to my elementary
7:29
school students about how they can give back even at their
7:32
young age, you know, simply helping an elderly, you know,
7:36
woman or man lifting their groceries into their trunk of
7:39
their car at the grocery store or picking up up trash at the
7:43
park. You know, it's all these small
7:44
things that add up that we can teach our kiddos at a very young
7:48
age. And then it comes naturally for
7:50
the rest of their lives. And then they, it's cyclical,
7:53
right? They teach their children and so
7:55
on and so. On are you available for hire?
7:57
Cuz I'm like come talk to my kids.
8:01
I'm hire for volunteers. I'm like, look, I'm not a royal,
8:04
no. Charge I will come and.
8:05
Listen to her. Speak to those kiddos.
8:09
Well, so you're now what area now you're in Pennsylvania,
8:12
correct? I am in central PA.
8:15
I'm in Lebanon, PA which. Is very close.
8:17
To. Hershey, PA.
8:20
And what's So what your role as the All American Royal Queen?
8:24
What area do you cover? Or is there an area?
8:29
So I was missus Pennsylvania when I went to the national
8:33
pageant, represented the state of Pennsylvania and won the
8:36
national title. So my title was a national title
8:39
and I'm very much inclined to spread my wings and go outside
8:44
Pennsylvania. So I have travelled to New
8:48
Jersey, Florida, Wisconsin. I if there is an opportunity for
8:54
me to make an impact outside the state, I jump on it.
8:57
So yeah, I, I love to, to travel coast to coast if I can.
9:02
So I have a question that kind of just hit me when you said
9:08
because it resonated with me when you were like, I still am
9:10
friends with some of those ladies.
9:11
Like we're still like core friends to this day, right?
9:14
That's kind of how like Kristen and I when we met in the
9:17
military, like the military kind of helps with that bond as well.
9:20
My and so my brain started going a mile a minute when you said
9:23
that and it was like but I feel like I've heard my whole life
9:27
and seen all movies like the cliche.
9:30
It's very caddy. And so I know in nursing it was
9:34
so old school to eat their young.
9:35
Do people in the pageant eat their eat their mates?
9:39
I don't even know how well. Hey, I'm not going to sugarcoat
9:42
anything. Now we know sometimes the media
9:45
can portray things that aren't always true and what sells
9:49
right, right drama. So unfortunately, that's what
9:54
the majority want to see. They don't want to see the nice
9:56
girls, right, Right. So, you know, I won't lie, there
9:59
are definitely women that I don't mesh with or that just
10:04
have other priorities in their life.
10:05
And that's fine. That's fine.
10:07
You're not going to go through life loving and liking everyone,
10:11
right? And that's, that's kind of just
10:13
the way it is. But I will say for the most
10:16
part, and especially with the All American pageant, and that's
10:21
why I went to the All American pageant, is because I knew
10:24
through other girlfriends that I had met in other pageant systems
10:28
that they had experienced Misses All American.
10:32
And for years my friend Allison Funds has been trying to get me
10:35
to compete at All Americans. She said you won't find a better
10:39
sisterhood. And it it really is true.
10:42
I mean, there was women going through their closet at the
10:46
pageant hotel, finding a dress for other contestants who
10:50
weren't fitting into their gowns, helping each other do
10:54
make up helping each other when when the the former Queens were,
10:59
you know, rushed to get back on stage with quick changes.
11:03
They were helping them. They were holding things and
11:06
everyone was surrounding them with just this support.
11:10
It's like a sorority, you know, and, and just like the military,
11:13
you know, it's, it's finding someone who has that common goal
11:17
and that common ground. And the all American pageant
11:21
truly, truly is that sisterhood. And I'm, I'm very thankful.
11:24
Like I said, I've competed a long time.
11:27
I, I, I don't, I'm not going to name, but there are certain
11:30
pageant systems that really coincide with my values.
11:35
And then there's some that don't.
11:36
And if they don't, you talk it up to that's wasn't it, one
11:40
experience and I'm going to move on and I'm it's going to take me
11:43
elsewhere. It's it's always a learning
11:45
experience for me. Yes, it's sad when you don't
11:49
come home with the crown, but you learn more about yourself
11:54
when you don't come home with that crown, so.
11:56
And I'm sure you grow a little bit with each, with each
11:59
pageant, whether whether it's a crown at the end or not.
12:02
Absolutely, absolutely. You, you realize you're not
12:05
everybody's cup of tea, right? And that's OK.
12:08
That's OK. That's kind of the maturity that
12:10
has come along the way for me. I mean, like I said, I started
12:14
competing when I was 16, and back then I just wanted to tell
12:18
the judges what they wanted to hear, right?
12:20
I wanted to satisfy everyone. I wanted to be everyone's
12:24
favorite. And then as I grew, I continued
12:28
to compete. I got married, I had my
12:31
daughter. I decided to go back to
12:33
pageantry. And that was one thing that
12:37
either maturity or life experience or becoming a mother
12:40
or whatever you want to call it made me realize that I'm not
12:45
doing these pageants to satisfy everyone else's idea.
12:48
I'm doing it for myself because I want to prove to myself that I
12:52
can get up there and I can do it and I can make a difference
12:56
doing it. And I can prove to my daughter
12:58
that mommy's dreams and and values are still valid even if
13:03
she is in her 30s and even if she is a mom and even if she has
13:06
a career. A lot of times women moms, we
13:10
don't have things for ourselves. This gives us something for us,
13:14
a sisterhood for us. If I'm having a bad day, I know
13:18
that I can text message or call one of my sister Queens and be
13:22
like hey I I just need to vent. And if they can, they listen.
13:28
And sometimes I don't need to say anything.
13:30
They're just there to listen. And, you know, I don't have a, a
13:34
tight sisterhood with my own biological sister.
13:37
So to have someone that is a friend that is willing to take
13:42
that role for me is, is a blessing.
13:45
Needless ascent. Yeah, I get that.
13:48
Yeah. That's beautiful.
13:50
Yeah, I. Know, I love that, yeah.
13:52
It kind of clears up the air of what, like the misconception is.
13:55
I mean, there's misconceptions with everything.
13:57
I mean, for a long time I thought Dance Moms was how
13:59
everything looked on a dance pad.
14:00
You like, you know what I mean? But people would want to see
14:03
like the Mean Girls like you had said, or the SO.
14:05
True. And, and I can tell you I can
14:07
speak to that because when I was missus Maryland International, I
14:14
think it was 2005, I was on the show called airline and it was
14:22
put on by Southwest Airlines and the T yeah, I'm, I'm petrified.
14:28
Clearly, I don't watch enough television.
14:31
And so they came out to my house.
14:33
They interviewed me. My, my friend had submitted that
14:36
I was going to Mrs. International in Chicago.
14:39
I'm scared to fly, but I was competing in this pageant.
14:42
He thought it'd be a really cool story.
14:44
And they bit and they followed me out to the pageant and did
14:49
all these things and, and, but there was a lot, a lot of
14:52
editing, right? You know.
14:53
Oh, OK, let's take two on that. Let's do this again, Let's do
14:57
this a little differently or whatever.
14:58
Not that they put pageants in a in a bad light.
15:01
They actually did a great job. But I know from that experience
15:05
that not everything is really as reality as they want us.
15:09
To see? Sure.
15:10
Yeah, because that doesn't sell. Exactly 100%.
15:16
Now you went into the All American Royal Queen pageant as
15:21
Missus PA. Can someone enter the pageant
15:23
without any title ever? So a lot of the pageant girls
15:29
that go to Missus all American are what's called at large.
15:32
So you actually do not necessarily get on a stage and
15:36
win your title, but you apply and those applicants that come
15:40
from the state will all be gone through with the with the
15:46
president and the directors of the pageant.
15:49
They will go through all the submissions and select a
15:52
representative for that particular state.
15:54
So as far as I know, there is no Mrs. Pennsylvania at the moment
15:59
if either of you are looking to compete.
16:04
My my my cup over overflows. So I'm I'm barely hanging on my
16:10
thread if we're being honest. Maybe you?
16:13
Just need an All American Sisterhood I.
16:14
Clearly do. I do.
16:16
Clearly do. Well, it was funny because we
16:18
were, you know, we were research, doing some research to
16:21
prepare for our interview today. And I said to her, I'm like, I
16:23
need to get off this website because if I'm on anymore, I'm
16:26
going. I'm putting my name in the hat.
16:29
Well, you know that I was trying to recruit you at the at the
16:33
parade, so I won't be around the Bush.
16:36
You know, I would love to have you.
16:38
I mean, it is up your alley. We have a Miss Veterans title,
16:45
We have a Miss Patriotic title. We our platform, our national
16:49
platform is Operation We Care, which is a nonprofit 501C3 based
16:55
out of Salisbury, MD that sends over 2000 care packages to our
16:59
deployed troops each year. They've been doing this since
17:03
2007. They are an incredible,
17:06
incredible service and it's an honor to be a part of their of
17:13
their organization and, and that's our platform.
17:15
So we honor our military and our veterans, and I think it's just
17:19
up your alley. Well, I'm not saying no, maybe
17:22
just maybe not just yet, but I'm definitely interested.
17:26
But. First, we're going to take a
17:27
quick break and when we come back, we're going to talk more
17:29
about Deborah and her platform and her pageant experience.
20:38
And we are back. And before the break we were
20:40
talking to Deborah Hornick, All American Royal Queen, about her
20:44
pageant experience and some of the positive things that she has
20:48
experienced along the way. So question, do you do you do
20:52
your own hair and makeup I guess?
20:55
Typically yes, sometimes. Sometimes if I have the luxury
21:00
of having a a close hair and makeup artist I will I will take
21:04
part in that. But yes, for the most part I do
21:06
my own hair and makeup. I'm out already.
21:09
I know that's the thing that makes me the most nervous is
21:12
having my own. I will say if you can have a
21:17
hair and makeup artist do do your your hair and makeup for
21:21
you at a pageant, it does take a load of stress off I'm sure
21:24
100%. Now, what are the some of the
21:27
components of the All American Royal Queen pageant like there's
21:31
I would like to think there's an interview portion and what else
21:33
is encompassed in that competition?
21:35
Absolutely. So yes, interview would be your
21:39
first category. It usually takes place either
21:42
the morning of the pageant or the day before and that is the
21:46
the highest weighing category. I believe it is 35% and that is
21:52
a 10 minute interview with the judges, private interview panel
21:56
style. So you have 3 to 5 judges that
21:59
are sitting at a table. You're sitting in front of them
22:02
and they're asking you the questions.
22:05
There is also some optionals that I'll get into, but there's
22:09
also required is evening gown, where you're modeling your
22:15
evening gown. There is fun fashion where they
22:20
actually ask you to represent the color or the style that
22:25
represents your platform. So my platform has been Alex's
22:30
Lemonade Stand Foundation, which is an organization that helps
22:35
find a cure for childhood cancer and lemons being yellow.
22:39
So I wore yellow. There is also on Friday evening
22:44
there is a parade of where the platform fashion is Friday night
22:51
and an on stage representation of yourself.
22:55
Just a short bio that you have to speak on stage.
22:59
There's optionals, there's a talent optional, there's a
23:03
fitness optional. All these things do not add up
23:07
into your score as far as winning a national title, but
23:10
you can win win side titles such as Miss talent and those types
23:15
of things. So lots of different
23:17
opportunities to win a beautiful crown and sash.
23:21
And how do you prepare for the interview portion?
23:23
They say these are the topics that we're going to be
23:25
questioning you on. Or it could be.
23:27
Just random no, no. Now you do submit a bio or
23:33
paperwork that speaks about who you are resume type of of
23:37
paperwork. So the judges do receive that
23:39
and they typically, and this is all American, will ask you
23:43
questions based off that paperwork, but they don't have
23:47
to. They will stay away from
23:51
political or controversial, controversial questions, but
23:55
they can ask you current events. So you want to be sure that
23:58
you're not living in a hole and kind of up on what's going on in
24:02
the world. But mostly they want to just
24:05
know who you are and what you're about and why they should choose
24:09
you, right? So the work that you're doing
24:12
with your state title or your regional title, who you are as a
24:16
person, as far as your family, your hobbies, they really just
24:20
want to know what you're about and they want to make sure that
24:23
they're finding someone who's going to work hard to represent
24:26
the pageant in a positive way. Yeah.
24:31
And I and I like that they purposely shy away from
24:34
political things because, I mean, at the end of the day, and
24:37
it's less you're going to, you know, you're running for an
24:39
elected office. Why are we bringing politics?
24:41
And yeah. It doesn't.
24:42
It doesn't define you. Yeah, absolutely.
24:45
And, you know, I have been asked those types of questions in the
24:48
past when I was first competing. And you know, I gave a more
24:54
neutral answer and I, I, I, I guess offended isn't the word,
25:00
but I just thought to myself, that's really a private matter.
25:03
You know when. You go into a voting booth and
25:05
you pull the curtain behind you. That's for a reason, right?
25:09
And it doesn't change my character or who I am or the
25:13
work that I'm doing. Should I win your title?
25:16
You know, it has nothing to do with that.
25:18
So they typically don't go down that route, and I'm glad for
25:22
that. Yeah, I, I'm gonna have to agree
25:24
with you on that one. How did you so fun?
25:28
Not not a fun fact, but interesting fact.
25:31
So I used to work at Children's Hospital Philadelphia 100 years
25:34
ago is what it feels like. Oh, my goodness.
25:38
So I but one time I knew I knew Alex, but prior to her passing
25:42
away. So I'm very familiar with Alex's
25:45
lemonade stand. And so how did you come across
25:49
this? How did this become your
25:51
platform? OK so I became an aunt at a very
25:56
young age. My sister is 10 years older than
25:59
me and had her children young. And when my nephew was born, he
26:04
was born with a rare blood disease and although not cancer,
26:08
still just as scary and ended up at Hershey Medical Center as
26:13
well as CHOP, the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania for
26:17
those who aren't familiar. And I got to see those kiddos in
26:22
that, in that cancer ward first hand.
26:26
And even though I was very young at that time, it was just
26:30
something that always stuck with me.
26:32
And when I started competing and started really getting into my
26:37
community service and wanting to make an impact, this was
26:40
something that had instantly come to mind.
26:43
And you know, I've, like I said, competed a long time and had
26:47
this platform for many, many years.
26:49
And I've come across a lot of kiddos with childhood cancer,
26:53
both in and out of the hospital. And I remember working in the
26:58
schools in New Jersey, this would have been about six or
27:02
seven years ago, and having a little girl in one of my
27:06
classrooms. I don't remember how it came
27:09
about, but we were talking about how she was telling me about how
27:13
she didn't have any hair. And I, I'm thinking in my mind,
27:16
oh, she's talking about when she's a baby.
27:19
And she went to show me her port and she said no when I had
27:23
cancer. And it just really hit home to
27:27
me that that's that platform and that place is really where I
27:32
needed to be. And we have raised, my gosh,
27:36
millions of dollars. I, I volunteer for their lemon
27:40
ball every January. They have origin the Alex's
27:44
Original Lemonade Stand, which is coming up in June, which is
27:47
held at Alex's former elementary school, Penguin Elementary.
27:53
They have the Chef's Auction, which is held at the Navy Yard
27:56
in Pence in Philadelphia, coming up just two weeks after the
28:01
lemonade stand will take place. They do some amazing events and
28:05
they do amazing work. They not only help try to to
28:11
find cures for cancer, but they also help families with travel
28:14
and those expenses that occur when a child needs to be in the
28:18
hospital for a long term stay. So they they are incredible.
28:23
Liz and Scott J Scott, the Alex's parents that still are
28:29
super involved. Alex's siblings are super
28:32
involved still. They live and breathe her legacy
28:38
and she is the one who started it.
28:40
She is the one who said I want to help all kids not have
28:45
cancer. I want to find a cure for cancer
28:48
to help others. She wasn't looking to help
28:49
herself, she was looking to help others.
28:52
And boy, if we all just had that heart, right?
28:56
And she raised $2000, her first lemonade stand.
28:59
And then by the second time she had it the year later when she
29:02
was very, very, very sick, it had caught on all around the
29:07
United States what she was doing.
29:09
So all these other folks started at a ripple effect.
29:13
They started having their lemonade stands and lemonade
29:15
stands and lemonade stands. And right before she passed,
29:19
they hit the $1 million mark on her lemonade stand.
29:26
That's awesome she passed away. Shortly after.
29:28
There's a children's book if I'm not mistaken.
29:32
Yep, Yep. They wrote Alex's Lemonade Stand
29:36
Foundation book. You can purchase it on their
29:39
website. I have 1:00.
29:40
There's a lot of times I'll go to elementary schools and read
29:44
about it and in when I was in Jersey, they actually held their
29:49
own lemonade stands there for Alex's Lemonade.
29:52
They were very familiar with what they do and it was just
29:55
inspiring the young kiddos that that headed that and spearheaded
30:01
that. Those lemonade stands in their
30:03
schools were absolutely inspiring and it was just so
30:06
good to see others giving giving to that organization because I
30:10
know what such amazing work they do.
30:12
Now does that organization not what you give, but like in
30:16
general the the overhead organization do, does that 100%
30:20
go to the research for childhood cancer or does it like does some
30:24
dispense to certain hospitals or?
30:26
It does some does dispense to certain hospitals, but when you
30:30
give you can actually dictate what you want your dollar to go
30:34
towards. You can even dictate down to
30:36
the, the type of cancer that you want to to dedicate your money
30:41
to. I'm actually holding my own
30:44
lemonade stand just in a few weeks be the last weekend.
30:48
Thank you for putting that up, Kristen.
30:50
The last weekend of May, I'm I'm holding it in conjunction with a
30:53
car show here in Lebanon. You can see my QR code.
30:58
You don't have to be there to give.
31:00
You can certainly scan those codes in and give at your own
31:03
discretion, but the the money will go straight to Alex's
31:06
Lemonade Stand Foundation 100%. We'll have to post this on the
31:11
on the page later for anybody that didn't see it.
31:13
That would be awesome. We appreciate that.
31:14
Yeah, for sure. We can post it on our on our on
31:17
the podcast page and on the our personal pages and we can post
31:23
it on the MBR page. As well, of course.
31:25
Thank. You I'd appreciate that
31:27
spreading the word and awareness is half the battle, right?
31:31
Absolutely. And it's bringing me, bringing
31:33
me back to my day working at CHOP in the pediatric intensive
31:37
care unit. And I can remember seeing her in
31:39
the lobby of the hospital as we they were getting ready to kick
31:42
this off. So it's really, it's this kind
31:45
of like how some things, you know, come full circle and you
31:48
know, we're kind of meeting you at the parade and now you're
31:50
here talking about this. And it's so it's such an
31:53
important topic and it's, you know, really a worthwhile,
31:57
worthwhile cause for sure. We're going to take a quick
32:02
break and we're going to talk more about Deborah's platform
32:06
and, and pageants as well. Stay tuned.
35:10
Welcome back and we are continuing our conversation with
35:12
Deborah Hornick, the All American Royal Queen of 2025.
35:16
S 2 questions While we still have time #1 did you like how do
35:23
you control? Like can you just do interviews
35:26
and things or like you have to have permission to do certain
35:29
things as your reign as the Queen?
35:32
And then #2 how do people get a hold of you if they want you to
35:35
come speak at their child's school or an event?
35:38
Awesome, awesome. I do have a director and I work
35:42
with her and in conjunction with her on deciding, you know, which
35:48
appearances and things like that that are in a line with the the
35:53
pageant. I guess it is a blessing that I
35:56
have been competing and and a title holder for many, many
35:59
years. So it's kind of second nature
36:02
for me. I and I know with what aligns
36:05
with my values and, and my, my thoughts months and, and where I
36:09
want to be. I, I'm a very, I guess you could
36:14
say I'm a working queen. I think if you asked Pat, my
36:18
director, she would definitely tell you I'm a working queen.
36:22
To date, I think I have made 73. This is my 74th appearance since
36:27
October. My goal is to have over 100.
36:32
I do not leave dust, let dust settle on my crown.
36:36
I am very much empowered to make a difference and to put it to
36:41
work. I think that if you're blessed
36:44
enough with a title such as Misses All American Royal Queen,
36:47
then you need to do some great things with it, right?
36:50
So I work in conjunction with her and the other Co directors
36:53
to to make sure everything we're doing is in a line.
36:56
But they pretty much let let me decide what is best and I'm sure
37:01
they would let me know if I wasn't doing a good job.
37:03
But I haven't heard anything yet.
37:04
So I, I think they're, I, I hope that they're happy with, with my
37:08
performance so far. So it's probably a stupid
37:13
question, but do you actually? So is it for a year and then you
37:17
give everything back or like do you get to keep the crown sash?
37:20
It is for a year, our titles are yearly.
37:24
I will crown my successor in October, but fortunately I do
37:30
get to keep my crown in sash, so that was part of my prize
37:34
package. So I can wear this now.
37:37
I can't necessarily go out and make appearances, but I can wear
37:41
it around my house just as much as I.
37:42
Want to get girls? It's so funny.
37:48
So I mean, Kristen already said I have an almost 6 year old and
37:51
I also have a four month old and Bluey's big in our house not
37:54
because of the four month old, but because of maybe because of
37:56
me a little bit too. But one of the things the Mama
38:00
Bluey says is a queen is not afraid of a little hard work.
38:04
And that stuck with me cuz she's pretending, she's playing with
38:07
her kids pretending to be queen, but she's also trying to clean
38:10
the house and do all the things that moms have to do.
38:12
But she's showing them, hey, you can, she's emulating a job,
38:16
right? But also doing all the things
38:18
that somebody has to do in life. And the kids don't see that like
38:22
we know as adults what's being what's, what's the undertow of
38:25
it all. And so when you said that, I was
38:27
like, in my head, I hear this Australian dog say the Queen is
38:31
afraid to get to hard work, you know, And I'm like, well damn.
38:34
That's like the fact that you said that it's like a real life
38:37
queen, royalty or not, OK, right.
38:39
Is, is saying the same thing. And it's I was like, I really
38:43
need Sophia to watch this. And there's no cuss words.
38:46
So we're really good. So.
38:47
Hi, we're really. Here to watch this?
38:48
My daughter grew up with old school Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,
38:52
so I'm right there with you. I understand.
38:54
But it's so great that they're showing it as a job because it
38:57
really is a job. And I take it very seriously.
39:01
And I I think that queen should that it's a responsibility.
39:06
You're only doing a disservice to the ladies who didn't go home
39:09
with the crown if you don't make the most of it, right?
39:12
So shame on you if you just let it sit in the crown box and not
39:16
put it to good use. And it's so much fun.
39:19
So you're only missing out. But you know, I get the question
39:23
a lot when especially when I go and speak at elementary schools.
39:28
Am I rich? Right.
39:31
Just something as simple as that.
39:33
Because I, I guess, you know, when you see someone in a crown
39:37
and I get asked, are they real diamonds and those types of
39:39
things? No, they're not.
39:40
But they are expensive rhinestones, right?
39:43
But you know, I explained that I'm not and that and I've been
39:47
asked if I live in a castle. Oh, I love it.
39:50
So, and I'm a huge Disney gal, so the Elsa vibes were just
39:55
coming out. But, you know, I explained that
39:58
I'm not and that you don't need to be to be a queen or, you
40:04
know, a pageant title holder that, you know, I get a lot of
40:07
my clothes second hand. And that's another good thing
40:11
about the pageant sisterhood, because we usually kind of just
40:14
trade and swap and sell each other, You know, sell our things
40:18
when you've wanted a few times and you've been pictured in it,
40:21
you kind of sometimes don't want to continue to bring out the
40:24
same things from the closet. So I tend to sell things so that
40:28
I can recycle and buy other things.
40:31
But no, you know, I said no, I actually have a full time job.
40:34
I'm director of community development for United Way here
40:38
in Lebanon County. So I'm blessed with that.
40:41
I, I get to promote volunteerism on a professional level as well.
40:45
But I said that pays the bills. The, the, the crown and the sash
40:49
and the queen part are the fun part.
40:51
So. It's it's.
40:54
All the things that kids ask. Yeah, you're doing such
40:56
beneficial work with it. So I love that yeah and I didn't
41:01
know when Kristen was like, hey, we need to research a little
41:03
bit. I was looking and I'm like, I'm
41:06
going through your Instagram and I'm like well hot damn, there's
41:09
a 97,000 titles and I don't even know where to start So I didn't
41:13
even know there was that many pageants, right like I'm so one
41:16
I've been so uneducated and kind of in the dark a little bit.
41:20
Well, if. You're not in that world.
41:22
You wouldn't know. Right.
41:23
It's just Miss America, right? Like in my head, my in my world.
41:27
Sure. And a lot of times, you know,
41:28
people don't even understand the difference between Miss America
41:31
and Miss USA. So I had, you know, the
41:35
blessings to be a part of both. I competed in the Miss America
41:38
system for five years, came as close as first runner up to Miss
41:43
Delaware. Unfortunately, I aged out.
41:46
At that time you could only be up to age 24.
41:50
So college bound, that college bound era that that ladies are
41:54
in. So 24 was the age out and I was
41:58
devastated. I'll be honest with you.
42:01
I worked for five years to if somebody asked me, I would have
42:05
told them I want to be Miss America.
42:07
And that's really was my my guiding light into I believe how
42:14
I developed in in the character because I had a goal and I had
42:19
my eye on the prize. And when it didn't happen, that
42:23
was that was tough. But God had a different plan for
42:29
me. And six months later I won Miss
42:32
Delaware USA and I went on to compete on national television
42:36
at Miss USA. So, you know, things came full
42:41
circle. But you know, a lot of people
42:43
don't even understand the difference between Miss America
42:46
and Miss USA and they are very, very different.
42:51
But there is pageants for everyone.
42:53
And that's really what I love about this is all American.
42:59
There is no certain size, age, color, creed.
43:05
There is, you will see all types of women there and we all
43:10
embrace each other's assets and capabilities and talents.
43:17
And it's really, it's an amazing sisterhood.
43:21
I'm very blessed to be a part of it.
43:22
But yeah, who would have thought that they would have pageants
43:25
for moms or for women that were married, right?
43:28
Like, you're not young anymore. So you're done.
43:32
You're. Correct.
43:33
I mean, you can stay long, tall and thin forever, right?
43:38
We get babies and we get hips and hello, I got shimmer in my
43:42
hair. I don't call it Gray.
43:43
I'm like in your life. That don't allow you to go to
43:46
the gym for three hours. Hello.
43:49
So, you know, and there's more to us than what's on the
43:52
outside. Yeah, and there's more to us
43:54
than us being moms also, so it's nice that.
43:57
Exactly like. Like.
43:58
That's. Why I love?
43:59
Pageantry because it gives us something for us, right?
44:03
We don't have to be mom. We don't have to be a wife.
44:05
We don't have to be whatever career we're in.
44:07
We can just do something for ourselves and, and let go a
44:10
little bit and have fun. Like, oh, the idea of a mom
44:14
having fun, right? I love that.
44:19
And and so you get to go be, you get to go be Deborah Door in
44:22
those times. I do, I do.
44:24
And I am very lucky that my daughter goes with me on a lot
44:27
of my appearances and participates in a lot of
44:31
community service events with me.
44:32
So I almost get to kill two birds with one stone, right?
44:35
I get to go out and, and wear this crown and sash and, and
44:40
make impact in the community, but I get to share it with my
44:42
daughter. So it's pretty cool.
44:45
I have two quick questions, Kristen.
44:47
Sorry. Yeah, go.
44:48
What? So I know there's a million
44:51
pagets now. What makes you choose the ones
44:54
you choose? What like pulls your
44:55
heartstrings and and guide you to that particular pageant you
44:59
know in that time frame? First and foremost, 100% is a
45:04
pageant that has a platform and that honors community service.
45:09
And that is the number one priority of Miss Royal American,
45:14
excuse me, Misses All American is community service and it's
45:18
actually part of our scoring system.
45:21
So that spoke to me right there. Like I said, I've been
45:25
volunteering. I'm a lifelong, lifelong
45:28
volunteer ever since I was a teenager.
45:30
And to me that is the most important part.
45:33
It may not be to everyone and that's, that's fine.
45:36
There's pageants out there for everyone and they they do their
45:40
thing. But for me it's 100% community
45:42
service first. That's awesome.
45:44
OK. And then the last question was
45:47
my second question was, so you said you were Miss Delaware, but
45:52
that you live in or lived in Pennsylvania.
45:54
Do you have to live where you're running?
45:56
So you do so or you have to go to school or you have to work.
46:01
So it's one of three things. And I won't give you my whole,
46:06
you know, long lost history, but I have lived in several
46:09
different states. So when I was in college, I
46:12
lived in Delaware and commuted to University of Maryland
46:15
Eastern Shore. So I had lived in Delaware for
46:20
gosh, 3 or 4 years, so that after for your first six months
46:25
of living in that state, you are eligible to compete there.
46:29
So that's how I transitioned. I competed in Maryland most of
46:33
my life and then lived in Delaware, competed there while
46:36
it. And I also thought too, why
46:38
would I? I could travel back to Maryland
46:40
because that was my home state. I could still compete there if I
46:43
chose to. But if I'm in Delaware, I can be
46:47
doing more with my title if I'm living and working and doing all
46:51
the things where I am in that time of my life.
46:54
So that's when I chose to switch on over and compete in Delaware.
47:00
And then when I married, I moved to Pennsylvania and, and have
47:03
been here for many years, lived in Jersey for a couple of years.
47:07
My my ex husband's job had taken us to New Jersey for a couple of
47:11
years and and then unfortunately we divorced but I moved back
47:16
here to PA to my to my roots. OK.
47:20
Yeah, that's good information for, I think anybody to have
47:24
because I'm sure that people that are like, Oh, well, I'm
47:26
only here for, you know, the eight months I'm in school.
47:29
Yeah. That's good.
47:30
You know what I mean? So that's.
47:32
And especially the at large titles, they're 10 and it
47:35
depends on the pageant system, but some of them are a little
47:38
more lenient. Like I, I don't know how to
47:42
explain it, but sometimes if they say, for instance, you're
47:45
from Pennsylvania, but there's already a Pennsylvania title
47:48
holder and you still want to compete in this pageant, they
47:52
could either make you a regional title like Missus Mid-Atlantic
47:56
or Miss East Coast, or they may offer you a state adjacent to
48:02
Pennsylvania. So they could offer you the New
48:04
Jersey title or the Delaware title or something like that.
48:07
So it's a little more flexibility with the at large
48:09
titles as well. OK.
48:11
Yeah. Very interesting, but I, I love
48:13
the, you know, the idea of finding what fits you and what
48:16
works for you because, you know, I'm sure we're all aware there
48:19
are some pageants out there that are of higher quality.
48:22
Should be sad. It's fair.
48:24
For. Others and finding the one that
48:26
speaks to you and has like you've been saying, like carries
48:31
the same values that you carry now.
48:34
Do you do coaching as well for those up and comers who want to
48:37
compete? I do.
48:40
I do. I have my own.
48:43
I have pageant prep with Deb and I can send you that link as
48:46
well. But I love, I love helping,
48:51
especially the young girls. I have a young lady now that's
48:55
just a freshman in college and she is doing such amazing things
49:01
in our community and she has expressed interest in competing.
49:06
And so because community service is such an important part of her
49:10
life, I am steering her towards the Miss America program, which
49:14
is community service driven. So yes, I love helping young
49:20
ladies reach their goals and and develop them to who they want to
49:24
be and and reach reach their dreams.
49:27
Do you find it it competing, win or lose, that competing instills
49:32
more confidence in these ladies and in yourself even?
49:35
Oh, 100%, OK, 100%. I mean, it's tough getting up
49:39
there on a stage, especially those pageants that might have
49:43
swimsuit. That you're thinking.
49:45
OK, I am 40 some years old and I'm competing against a 27 year
49:49
old that hasn't maybe had any children yet but the names.
49:53
You were dead. You were tired.
49:55
At it and I look good. So yeah, it definitely instills
50:00
confidence. And just like I said, for a
50:03
woman who is a mom, is career driven, who does all the things
50:07
for everyone else, just having something for yourself already
50:12
builds that confidence. And that's that sisterhood that
50:15
you can lean on, that you might not have had before.
50:19
Yeah, no, that's, yeah, that's important.
50:20
I think there's a lot of lost moms out there and a lot of lost
50:23
women. Like you don't have to be a mom
50:24
to be lost, by the way. Let me just segue with that.
50:26
Absolutely. Yeah.
50:27
Absolutely. It's just having that sisterhood
50:30
and you know, mental health, it's their struggles right now
50:34
and you need that, that support system no matter where it is.
50:38
And for me, it is definitely this sisterhood.
50:41
That's awesome. Yeah.
50:43
It's your own version of a battle buddy.
50:44
Like, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Now.
50:49
Oh, God, I love this is. But by the way, what being a mom
50:51
does to two kids that don't stay off of you.
50:54
You bring these guys midway through a conversation, I'm
50:57
like, I knew what I was going to ask, and now it's gone.
51:01
Jesus, take the wheel. I don't know, Kristen.
51:03
You get the next one, it'll come to me.
51:06
I'll bring it back. What's next for you?
51:09
So we have the All American Royal Queen pageant coming up in
51:12
October in Maryland. What is next for you after this
51:16
when you hand over this title? You know, Kristen, that's a
51:20
loaded question. I don't know.
51:25
I I've definitely been thinking about it and I really feel at
51:30
home with All American. Like I said, I've been doing
51:34
this a long time and I guess some things have good things
51:39
have to come to an end at some point.
51:43
There is some opportunity there. They do crown an ambassador and
51:50
I have heard that I'm qualified for that.
51:53
So we will see where that takes us.
51:56
If that happens, regardless, I will be crowning my successor as
52:01
the Royal Queen and you know, we'll see if if that happens.
52:06
If not, I'll be taking a year off and then may maybe be
52:11
stepping back on the All American stage and trying to
52:15
secure another national title. I did see you, it came to me.
52:20
I did see you do coaching for mindfulness.
52:23
Is that correct? Do you use a lot of what you
52:26
coach others? Did you start that on yourself
52:30
and that's what led to you wanting to help others and.
52:32
Yeah, I think it was just, you know, my life experience of
52:38
being in pageants and working through all the things and
52:44
becoming a mother, surviving divorce, if I can say it that
52:51
way. Just all those life experiences
52:56
and just wanting to pour that on to someone else and help them
53:02
work through their process. That's awesome.
53:04
Yeah. I don't think people realize
53:06
half the battle's actually in your mind, but more than half
53:08
the battle. 80 to 80% is all is all.
53:10
Absolutely. I can be my own worst enemy, and
53:13
I'm sure most of us can be right.
53:15
We get in our own way. Oh my goodness and doubt and
53:18
doubt myself. As long as I have been doing
53:21
this. I still stand on the side of the
53:24
stage when they're getting ready to call the winner, worried that
53:28
that might not be me. And what does that mean for me?
53:32
And what does that mean for my family?
53:34
Are they going to be disappointed?
53:35
Are my children going to be disappointed?
53:39
My stepchildren and my daughter have seen me lose, and my poor
53:44
stepdaughter is in tears. And I have to explain that it's
53:49
OK that I had an amazing, amazing experience and that I'm
53:55
going to do it again. And I explained that to my
54:00
stepson at his wrestling matches, too.
54:02
It's the same thing, right? It's we can't always win.
54:06
There will always be someone who might be better at that
54:09
particular thing. And that's OK.
54:13
But the important part is that you learned and that if you
54:18
choose that it's the path for you, that you pull your
54:21
bootstraps up and you work hard and you work at it and go at it
54:26
again and don't give up. If it's important to you, then
54:29
it's worth trying again, right? And that's just what I have
54:33
learned throughout the years. I mean, there is definitely been
54:37
somewhere. I just shake my head and I said,
54:39
I don't know what I did wrong. I don't know what I could have
54:42
done better. I competed a few years ago at
54:47
Missus Earth in Roanoke, VA, and I really thought I was on my A
54:57
game. But the judges weren't aligned
55:01
with that. And it's not that maybe the
55:04
other women were better. It's just on maybe that
55:07
particular day and those particular judges, they wanted
55:10
somebody different. You know, it, it is subjective,
55:13
right? There is a scoring system, but
55:15
it's still subjective. Maybe that particular judge
55:18
don't like blondes. We're human.
55:22
And you just have to realize that.
55:24
You have to realize that. And you know, my daughter will
55:26
get upset with herself when she doesn't get an A in school.
55:29
I was like, you just got to put your put your heart into it and
55:33
go back at it. If it's important to you, it's
55:36
important to try again. Yeah, go ahead, Chris.
55:40
I. I always say I'd rather try and
55:42
fail than always wonder. Yes, yeah, yeah, I think.
55:46
I've learned more. Along the way at losing than
55:49
when I win, right? And that's kind of what I was
55:52
going to. Trail into I think we've got we
55:55
have this new. I mean, I'm I'm damn near 40.
55:57
Chris is in her 40s. I'm doing some math.
56:00
I'm assuming you're right there with us.
56:04
That's not my Forte. OK, but but I mean, you know, we
56:10
grew up in a different genre and generation all together.
56:13
And like you, you worked hard and you hustled and if you
56:16
failed, you tried again. You didn't stay down.
56:18
And there's this era in between the ones we're raising and us
56:23
where they just throw in the towel and they don't know how to
56:25
handle failure and, and, and a bunch of other things.
56:28
But everything that you're preaching and, and talking
56:30
about, I'm like, I could listen to this forever because that
56:32
kind of ties into your mindfulness as well.
56:34
And I'm like, I feel like you need to be at every, well,
56:39
started an elementary school, every elementary school, middle
56:41
school, high school, and, and telling these young children,
56:44
not just women, but these young, these young adults, young
56:48
adolescents and these children that it's OK to fail.
56:51
It's OK if you don't win. You know, like you said, you're
56:53
not everyone's cup of tea. And and that's going to be it's,
56:55
it might hurt and it might suck for a while.
56:58
And I tell some of my friends when they go through things, I'm
57:01
like, you know what, you can cry and you can be down, but girl,
57:03
don't stay down. Get back up.
57:05
Come on. We got things to do.
57:06
Yeah, Yeah, That's what I love how you put that.
57:09
That's. What makes you who?
57:10
You are. Getting back up and trying again
57:14
and, and sticking to it, you know, and, and I'm glad you're
57:17
saying it because it's so true that the upcoming generations
57:22
just want to give up and throw in that towel.
57:25
And that's what I'm trying to teach our kids is that if it's
57:28
important to you and you want it that bad, you have to work for
57:33
it. And it might not be easy support
57:34
you, but you. Have to put in the work 100.
57:37
Percent I can I can imagine. She'd be great to listen to as a
57:41
teenager, right, Kristen? Like someone is still in this,
57:43
in you. Absolutely.
57:45
So Deb before we have. To hop off where can people find
57:48
you if they want to book you for you know, an event or what are
57:52
your where can we find you on social media to reach out to
57:54
you? Absolutely.
57:55
Please check me out. I'm on Instagram.
57:57
I'm on Facebook Missus PA Queen is my handle on on Instagram.
58:04
Simply my name Deborah Hornick on Facebook.
58:07
Please reach out Pageant prep with Deb.
58:10
You can seek out me on my website, Missus All American.
58:16
You can seek me out there on our national website.
58:19
But please, I, I love what I do. I love being able to give back
58:24
and, and I'll travel to come out and see us.
58:27
So please reach out. Well, Deb, this was an amazing
58:32
interview. Thank you.
58:33
So much for your time and all the hard work and dedication
58:37
that you are putting in to be a role model for everyone that
58:42
that is. Around you thank.
58:43
You and for what you're doing for the community that you're
58:46
vested. In That's beautiful.
58:48
Thank you. Thank you.
58:49
I I really I. Really enjoy it and hope it sets
58:52
a ripple effect. You can come into our circle and
58:55
be our friend. We like Yeah, we.
58:57
Always want people that are not trying to be.
58:59
Crazy gamers. So we're about that one
59:00
delicate, delicate roster here. Shortly at the pageant so yeah
59:05
so hang on afterwards and we'll we'll have a.
59:07
Little talkie talk. OK now.
59:08
OK, sounds good for the dog tag. Diva, I'm here to remind.
59:13
You to greet each day with purpose, passion and tenacity
59:16
and be kind to each other. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you.
59:23
For tuning in to. Military.
59:25
Broadcast radio As we wrap up today's show, we want to remind
59:30
you that the podcast of today's episode will be available right
59:35
after we go off the air. So if you missed any part of the
59:38
show or want to listen again, be sure to check it out.
59:43
And remember, we're here to support and honor our veterans.
59:50
Your stories and experiences matter, and we are committed to
59:54
giving you a platform to share them.
59:58
That's right, we're here to give our veterans a voice.
1:00:02
So don't forget to catch the podcast and stay connected with
1:00:05
us giving our veterans a voice.