Taylor Blatchford Visits Section 36!

Section 36 had another visitor! Taylor Blatchford is passionate about online safety, a talented violinist, and the current Miss Nevada. I was so excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. 

So, let's see what happens when Taylor Blatchford visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Nevada crown?

I enjoyed the big win by celebrating with my Miss Nevada family at a reception after the show. Everyone that has been part of my journey to Miss Nevada was present. Volunteers that I have known for as long as I can remember were there and it was wonderful celebrating with them. I also had the opportunity to interact with the amazing sponsors of the Miss Nevada Organization and recognize the contributions they make to our program. It was a whirlwind of a night and I did not make it to bed until 3 a.m., but it was unforgettable in every way! 

What is something Heather Renner did as Miss Nevada that you would like to emulate?

Heather facilitated an incredible amount of change. She led change on social media, positively engaged with everyone she met, and brought attention to the Miss Nevada Organization in a way that no other titleholder has. I can confidently say that Heather changed the trajectory of the Miss America Opportunity as a whole and I am honored to follow her legacy. More than anything, Heather left a legacy of joy for everyone around her. I plan to do the same! 

What part of the upcoming Miss America competition are you most nervous about?

I am most nervous about how fast the next six months ofpreparation are going to fly by! Six months seems like it is such a long time, but I know that it will pass in the blink of an eye. My goal is to enjoy every moment of Miss America preparation. After all, I only get to be Miss Nevada once. I will only have one opportunity to compete at Miss America. I do not want to waste a single second!

How did you select your Community Service Initiative, “Text 2 Regret”?

I remember when my friend JoJo and I were freshmen in high school and new to the world of social media. My favorite app at the time was Instagram and JoJo’s was Snapchat. One day at lunch JoJo told me that a complete stranger added her on Snapchat and asked her to send explicit photos of herself, which she did. I was concerned, and told myself that something like that would never happen to me. Three years later, I found myself in a situation that was equally uncomfortable. My boyfriend was trying to pressure me into sending explicit photos of myself. Reminded of what happened to JoJo, I did not send them. I broke up with him instead. It confused me when I confided in my friends about the situation and most of them agreed that sexting was completely safe. The reality is that online safety is at the core of many social issues including human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and mental illness. That’s when I realized online safety education is severely lacking.  

This story ultimately inspired me to take a stance on online safety education and create Text 2 Regret into a nonprofit organization with the mission to fundraise, educate, and advocate for online responsibility and implement internet safety curriculum. I lead this initiative through a partnership with a national organization named Cyber Civics, which provides online safety curricula to middle schools around the world. I am proud to be an ambassador for their mission and have successfully fundraised for 44 Cyber Civics workshops by speaking about Text 2 Regret at various civic organizations.

I am also proud to have worked with other internet safety nonprofits, such as the Family Online Safety Institute, and lobby for digital safety legislation on Capitol Hill. 

As a talented violinist, what do you enjoy most about performing on stage?

My favorite moment on stage will always be taking my final bow! That is always the moment I feel most proud of the work I poured into my talent piece. I have been playing violin since I was four years old and owe so much of the opportunity I have received in my life to that talent. I graduated from one of the most prestigious performing arts high schools in the nation and am proud to have maintained the skill through college. I cannot believe that I will be playing violin on the Miss America stage in just a few short months! 

What is your personal fitness routine?

I love a good Orangetheory Fitness (OTF) class! Every day at OTF is a one-hour, full-body workout with half of the class spent on weight training and the other on endurance cardio. The reason I love OTF so much is because of how well balanced it is. It is not solely cardio or strength based. It allows members to focus on what benefits their personal health goals. This aligns perfectly with the new era of #MissAmericaFit. Fitness does not have to look any particular way. It is up to the individual and what kind of fitness appeals to their lifestyle.

As a frequent traveler, what’s your favorite place you’ve visited?

My favorite city in the world is Paris. I simply cannot explain how beautiful it is. Of course, it does not hurt that I am a huge history nerd and Paris is filled with enough history to last a lifetime. My family and I had the amazing opportunity to take a walking tour of the city and hear from an actual Parisian about the landmarks we visited. I am also a huge fan of Washington D.C. This past November, I lobbied the policy teams of Senator Cortez-Masto and Senator  Rosen about pertinent internet safety legislation. That opportunity allowed me to understand what it will really take to protect children online. 

If you had an extra ticket to Reno Aces baseball game, who would you take with you? Why?

I would bring Miss America 2007, Lauren Nelson. She is the only Miss America to have a community service initiative dedicated to protecting children online. I have already spoken to her on the phone once about her experience in that position but I would jump at the opportunity to meet her in person and learn even more about her thoughts about online safety for children. It is an issue that has evolved so much over the last sixteen years and there needs to be more role models facing the issue head on. If taking Lauren Nelson to a baseball game would offer the opportunity to discuss all of these subjects, it would be wonderful! 

Is there a feature or activity at a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?

I have always wanted to throw the first pitch at a baseball game! I cannot promise that it would be a great throw, but I will do my best! One of the coolest opportunities about being Miss Nevada is that you get the chance to experience things that you would never have the chance to do otherwise. I have heard from my directors that a first pitch might be in the works, so stay tuned!

---

Throwing out the first pitch is definitely something I want to try!

As always, I want to thank Taylor for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

I also want to wish her luck when she competes for Miss America! It would be fantastic to have another Section 36 Forever wear that crown.

I'm sure you'd like to follow along with Taylor during her journey. You should be sure to check out her title's Instagram account and website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on, and you'll be sure not to miss anything. 

Thanks again Taylor, and good luck!