12 • Thursday, October 17, 2013
People
A Positve Experience
Hoover ENT Welcomes Dr. Marcus Moody Marcus W. Moody, M.D.. below, recently returned to the Birmingham area to join Dr. Edwyn L. Boyd at Hoover Ear, Nose & Throat Associates, P.C. Dr. Moody lived in Birmingham during his middle school and high school years and attended Vestavia Hills High School. He also did a Fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Birmingham. Dr. Moody returns to Birmingam from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock where he served as Associate Professor of Otolaryngology and as the Director of the Nasal and Sinus Disorders Division. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Virginia and attended medical school at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, TN. He completed his surgical internship and ENT residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. “I was fortunate to train with Dr. Rodney L. Schlosser in Charleston, who is an internationally recognized expert in sinus disorders and endoscopic surgery.” Dr. Moody has also been very active in community service and medical mission trips. Since graduating medical school, he has served as part of multiple surgical mission trips to developing areas such as Honduras, Nepal, Moldova, China, and Kenya. “The practice of medicine for me was truly a calling. God opened a lot doors for me to enter this field, and I had a strong desire to help people with nose and sinus health issues. I had similar sinus problems of my own growing up, and I feel like I’m able to empathize with my patients.” Dr. Moody is excited to be at Hoover ENT because his and Dr. Boyd’s specialties compliment each other so well. “Dr. Boyd is a nationally recognized expert in the treatment of allergies, and with my background in nasal and sinus surgery, we feel strongly that we offer a very well-rounded approach to complete nose and sinus care.” Hoover ENT is located at 2116 Data Park in Hoover 733-9595
OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal
Vestavia Junior Is Miss New Mexico High School
By Jessica Jones
That was really the only kind of preparation I had,” Blaudeau said. Under her coach’s direction, Blaudeau learned tips and rules that would help her win, including walking, ianna Blaudeau of Vestavia Hills said she smiling, poise and how to be relatable. never expected to be crowned Miss New While training with a coach can give a contestant Mexico High School but that’s exactly a slight advantage over another competitor without what happened when she entered the Miss High School America Pageant on a whim this summer. professional direction, the benefits go only so far, Blaudeau said. The title came as a surprise to the Vestavia Hills “I felt as prepared as I could,” she said. “Your High School junior, a longtime competitive dancer coach can only do so much.. Then it’s up to you. I who had never before entered or competed in a pagcould never prepare myself for the pressure that you eant. have on you when you’re on stage, but also the rush, “I’ve been a competitive dancer for 15 years,” the pure excitement takes over all your nerves, and Blaudeau said. “I was planning on doing Miss Dance, Gianna Blaudeau of Vestavia Hills was awarded you just shine.” which is a dance competition in Montgomery, which the at-large title of Miss New Mexico High School Part of her preparation was preparing for an interis really about dancing.” after winning first runner-up in the Miss High view. no easy task since the contestants don’t That’s Blaudeau needed headshots taken for the competiSchool American Pageant. Photo special to the Journal know the questions beforehand, Blaudeau said. tion and made an appointment with a local photogra“When asked on how I would change the commupageant, the state selects a pageant participant who pher, Frank Carnaggio. nity, I said that I would reach out to those who aren’t didn’t win her state to represent that state at Nationals, A makeup artist, Mellisa Bogardus who works for involved and help them become a part of the comBlaudeau said. Carnaggio first suggested Blaudeau compete in the munity,” Blaudeau said. “I got asked a lot of different Of the competitors who were also approached Miss High School America pageant, she said. questions about how I would change my community for at-large titles, Blaudeau had the highest interview “I didn’t know anything about it, and I kind of just and what I’d do to help enforce Crown C.A.R.E.S., score. After having her name submitted as a posjumped in,” Blaudeau said. which is an anti-bullying program that we support.” sible representative for the state, New Mexico chose Despite the makeup artist’s certainty that she Blaudeau said the Crown C.A.R.E.S. program Blaudeau, awarding her the title of Miss New Mexico would be pageant material, Blaudeau said that given began as a way to curb bullying among school-aged High School. her inexperience, she wasn’t as confident that she students by reaching out to students and suggesting As first runner-up in the Miss High School should compete. nonviolent ways to handle confrontation. The proAmerica Pageant, Blaudeau advances to the national “I was very hesitant about entering the pageant competition, which will be held in the summer of because most of the girls had competed in this compe- gram is focused not only on bullies and victims but on bystanders, helping them understand their roles in 2014 in Alabama. tition three or four times, and it was my first one,” she reporting and interfering with confrontation, she said. In addition to the Crown C.A.R.E.S. outreach, said. “I found out about the pageant about two days Blaudeau’s inexperience with pageants made the Blaudeau is also involved in several other school and before the deadline to enter, so I didn’t have much To: Janis community activities. announcement of her first runner-up title all the more time to contemplate.” From: The Mountainsurprising. Journal, PHONE: 205-823-9646 She dances at the Jackie O’Neal School of Dance Because she didn’t know the ins Over and outs of the FAX: with 205-824-1246 and is a Vestavia Belle. She is a member of Youth “All the other girls were saying, ‘I thought you pageant world , Blaudeau met and worked a Date: Oct. Leadership at Vestavia Hills High School, a member won,’” she said. to her by her2013 photogracoach, Terri Bowlen referred of Interact Club and a member of the Dance National The day after she was named first runner-up for pher. The coach prepared her for what she would face This is your AD PrOOF the OvEr THEAmerica, MOuNTAiN JOurNAl for theSociety. Honor Alabama High School Blaudeau was Missfrom onstage. Oct. did 17,my 2013 otmj approached issue. Please fax approval or changes 824-1246.Blaudeau said she also enjoys hunting and attendby pageant officials about an at-largetotitle. “She got me ready for my interview, ing “as many Alabama football games as possible.” ❖ When a state doesn’t have enough girls to host a walkthrough and helped me learn the dos and don’ts.
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From left: Zoe Nichols, Lydia Estes and Maya Leonard of Girl Scout Troop 350.
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Girl Scouts Honored for Reading Project
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School have been recognized for their efforts to help other students learn to love reading. They were honored with the Girl Scout Bronze Award. Maya Leonard, Lydia Estes and Zoe Nichols of Girl Scout Troop 350 were recognized with the highest award a Girl Scout Junior can earn for Read All About It!, a reading project they initiated. The girls threw a party for secondgrade students in the Start the Adventure in Reading program. The STAIR program tutors Birmingham second-graders who need extra help in reading. At the party, the girls gave the children book bags they had decorated and books to read.
Sitarz Completes West Point Cadet Basic Training A recent graduate of Vestavia Hills High School has successfully completed cadet basic training at the United State Military Academy at West Point. Hans Christian Sitarz, the son of Gloria and Hans W. Sitarz Jr. of Vestavia Hills, entered West Point on July 1 and successfully completed
six weeks of cadet basic training. Cadet basic training is one of the most challenging events cadets will encounter over the course of their four years at the academy, according to academy officials. The initial military training program provides cadets with basic skills to instill discipline, pride, cohesion, confidence and a high sense of duty to prepare them for entry into the Corps of Cadets. Areas of summer instruction included first aid, mountaineering, hand grenades, rifle marksmanship and nuclear, biological and chemical training. Sitarz began classes Aug. 19. The West Point curriculum offers 37 majors balancing physical sciences and engineering with humanities and social sciences leading to a bachelor of science degree. Sitarz is a 2013 graduate of Vestavia Hills High School. He plans to graduate from Hans Christian West Point in Sitarz 2017 and be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.