Megan Price Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has a new visitor! Megan Price is an advocate for organ donation, a former sports reporter, and the current Miss Lakeland. I was excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more.

So let's see what happens when Megan Price visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Lakeland crown?
Honestly the first thing I did was go eat chicken tacos at Chilis and drank a big Dr. Pepper. Haha. I was lucky to have my family members supporting me at the competition, so we all went out to dinner and then I went to the hotel, took a hot shower and went straight to bed. 

What did you learn about yourself at the Miss Lakeland competition that will help you at Miss Florida?

Miss Lakeland was honestly the first time in my years of competing that I felt like I was 100% myself. I truly was authentically Megan and kind of let myself go. My motto when I do pageants is “do your best and let God have the rest” and this was the first time that I felt like I really took that advice and just enjoyed and soaked in every moment of the competition. That is definitely something that I am going to try and take with me to Miss Florida. 

Do you have a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your time as Miss Lakeland?

Of course, I have several goals in place with my social impact

initiative but the city of Lakeland will always hold a very special place in my heart because it is where I went to college. That being said, my biggest goal this year is to create relationships and memories with the businesses and community in Lakeland. It is an up and coming city and has an incredible downtown district so being able to get into that circle and really serve those people is my main priority this year. 

How did you select your social impact initiative, Organ Donation - Be a Lifesaver?

When I was a sophomore in high school my best friends little brother contracted a brain-eating amoeba and after 16 days of fighting, he succumbed to his injuries. Although I was not competing in the Miss America Organization at that point, the selflessness that his parents and family showed by choosing to donate his organs in such a time of grief made such an impact on me. I knew when I began competing in the MAO that I wanted to honor my friend’s legacy and my platform of organ donation does that. Witnessing the kindness that it takes to give someone else a second chance at life when you are facing one of the hardest moments of yours really is incredible and impactful. 

What is your favorite part about performing your dance talent on stage?

Dancing is a special form of expression. For me, it represents dedication, hard-work and perseverance. Every time I get to step on stage and dance, it is another opportunity to prove that you can do anything if you have the grit and will to do it. 

What is your personal fitness routine?

Being a dancer, I spend lots of time in the dance studio, that includes lots of stretching and working on technique. Besides that, I got to the gym 3-4 times a week to work on strength and endurance training. Of course, staying hydrated is super important and cucumber water is my absolute favorite. 

While in college, you were able to work as a sports reporter covering FSC athletics. What did you enjoy most about that position?

Some of my greatest memories from my time at Florida Southern College send me back to when I was standing on the sidelines reporting for FSC Athletics. I really enjoyed the fast-paced environment and thrill of each game being different. It was never a job where I came to work knowing what my day was going to really consist of and I loved that each day there was something new. I am forever grateful for the opportunity that I was given at FSC and who knows … maybe pursuing a career in sports reporting is going to be in my future soon. Either way, I will carry the experiences I got at FSC with my forever.

As a Yankees fan, who is your favorite Red Sox player? Why?

Although I am a die-hard Yankees fan, I will acknowledge a great athlete when I see one. My all-time favorite has to be Babe Ruth. I know he was a super-famous Yankee, but he pitched for the Red Sox before he played in New York. I always wish I could go back and time and watch him play ball. Currently my favorite is probably David Ortiz, better known as Big Papi, not only because of his athletic abilities which are insane, but I have a friend who he very selflessly helped during a hard moment in her life, and he didn’t even mention his name. She had no idea who he was until after he left when he was done helping her. I have the upmost respect for someone who is so famous and talented and still knows how to be a great human being and lend a helping hand when it is needed. 

You had the opportunity to see a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium. What was that experience like?

This might have been the best day of my life. Seriously. It was INCREDIBLE. Growing up, my younger brother and I had always begged to watch the Yankees play in the Bronx. My stepdad’s family is from Long Island, NY so as kids were traveled there pretty often but we never caught a game. It wasn’t until 2017 that I stepped foot in Yankee Stadium and I’ve never seen anything like it. We sat in right field in the “Judge’s Chamber”, we are big Aaron Judge fans, and the atmosphere was electric. It actually rained during the game that I went to, but I didn’t care, we sat out in the pouring rain the whole time and marveled at the sights around us. My favorite part of the whole game was at the very end, after the Yankees won, they played “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra and the entire stadium stood up and sang it. It was definitely an item checked off my bucket list and I can’t wait to go back. 

---

I hope she gets to go back! It would probably be good to see a Yankee loss...just to compare.

As always, I want to thank Megan for doing this interview, and for sending along the wonderful pictures. They help make the post a lot more fun.

As Megan continues her time as Miss Lakeland, I encourage you to follow her on her official Facebook page. You can also check out her official and personal instagram accounts. They're great ways to see what she’s up to during her time with the crown. And, of course I want to wish Megan luck when she competes for Miss Florida. There's quite a group of Section 36 visitors forming who will be on stage for that event. It would be wonderful for one to come home with the crown.

Thanks again Megan, and good luck!