Applicant #10: Melissa Nicewaner

Melissa Nicewaner is a 21-year-old from Crestwood.

Melissa's video application:

Melissa online:

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Melissa's current situation:

Melissa Nicewaner is currently residing in Crestwood. She is planning a July 2011 wedding to her fiance John. She attends University of Missouri-Saint Louis and works part time for a bank. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her 6 month old Nephew and go out with her girlfriends.

Melissa's blog post:

The other day while filming my application video, I was bitten by a spider. I was in intense pain and as my left arm was swelling, I had two choices. Leave the park to go home, or stay and finish my video. What did I do? I stayed. I didn’t want something as insignificant as a bug bite to get in the way of something I want so badly. I’ve grown up with the notion that no matter what happens to you, finishing what you start is a tremendously important thing.

The same can be said for students what have to pay for college without help from family. When I started college, I had to get loans. There was no way an eighteen year old girl could pay for college tuition all by herself! At eighteen, there isn’t a credit history to depend on! Companies don’t give money easily without one! Around the end of July that year, it seemed like there was no way I was going to be able to pay for school. I had every right to give up my search and forfeit my dreams of going off to school. Finally a few weeks before school began I came across a small company who approved me for a loan. That year at school was terrific. I can still picture the day we woke up to a snow covered campus (Which was on my roommate’s birthday! December 6, 2007), or having late night Grey’s Anatomy marathons, and eating WAY too much junk food! I guess what I’m trying to say is that there should never be a reason to give up on what you want! We are all new to the adult world and there is a lot to figure out! Determination is a very important quality to have.

When there’s a will, there’s a way. This couldn’t be any truer! I’m a very strong-minded person. When I want something, I WANT it. Last April, Cornbread on 92.3 WIL was giving away free tickets and meet/greet passes for the Taylor Swift Concert. I. Freaked. Out. I was planning on going to her concert at the time but I was struggling with my budget. Seeing her in concert was my dream. I was going to get there somehow, someway. What did I have to do to win tickets? Write a love letter to Taylor and mail it to the WIL studio. This was SO easy for me! I’ve always been a good writer, and I knew exactly what I loved about her! Seemed like I should have this contest in the bag!

Over the course of the preceding week, one letter would be read at 6AM. The seats would get better as the week progressed. On Monday, fifth row tickets were awarded. Tuesday brought fourth row tickets, and so on until Friday the first row tickets were given away. I spent the two weeks before the contest devising my plan and writing as many letters as my hand permitted. I remember hearing on the radio how colorful the envelopes were, with stickers and everything! I was so mad! How could I not even think to put stickers on the envelopes?! I revised my plan. From then on, I only mailed letters that were colorful and eye-catching. I made envelopes out of photos of Taylor, and I even made a gigantic envelope out of hot pink poster board with glitter and so. Many. Stickers. (I really, really, REALLY wanted to meet her!)

Monday came; I tuned in and I didn’t win. Tuesday came; I listened and didn’t win. Wednesday came; I tuned in and I didn’t win. Thursday came; I listened and didn’t win. That afternoon, I was so bummed about not having won yet that I was on the verge of forgetting about the entire thing. I spent the night rearranging my bedroom to get my mind off of it. Friday morning arrived far too quickly and I woke up early. I flipped my radio on and got back into bed. There was no reason to get up because I knew I wasn’t going to win.

When I was lying there, I heard the intro playing for the contest and I kept telling myself that there was no reason to be listening. It was only going to upset me when I didn’t win. Cornbread was going on and on about how ADD the winner’s envelope was. There were so many drawings on it. He even started reading what was written on it: “Place prize winning photo here!” and “Letter number 73; WHOA! This girl wrote a lot of letters!” The moment he said those two things, I FREAKED out. My stomach was in knots and I remember telling myself that surely there was some other girl who wrote those things too!

When he started into the love letter , “Taylor, you are an amazing person…” I knew I was the winner. My mom came in, hugged me while screaming “You won!!!!” After all that, It’s hard to believe I could have given that experience up by just…GIVING up! What If I hadn’t tuned in?

Although, now that I think about it, I think I won because my room had been Feng Shui’ed the night before!

Melissa

Comments

[Amber Hinck]

Great video! The video was fun, clever, and you seem like a very good spokesperson! I want you to be my voice!