WASHINGTON CITY – The annual Miss Washington City pageant is a scholarship pageant, funded by the city, which presents the crown princess with a $2,500 check to be used at the college of her choice.
This year’s pageant will take place at 7 p.m. March 31 at Pine View High School.
Weekly workshops for the pageant began March 1, and continue for five weeks. The workshops are designed to help the contestants prepare for the main event and will be held at the Washington City Community Center.
Pageant officials anticipate several girls will attend the initial workshop, but after learning the strict requirements of participation only eight to 10 girls will remain through the pageant.
“Ten hours of community service is required in order to enter the pageant,” Pageant Director Carolyn Callahan said.
Each participant will have a personal interview the morning of the pageant and on the night of the event each girl will present a talent, entertain an on-stage interview, and strut in an evening gown.
Each applicant must have lived in Washington City for at least six months and be at least 14-18 years of age before Sept. 1, 2012. Each girl can participate as many years as she wants as long as she remains within the age and residency restrictions; except that a participant who receives the princess title cannot participate again.
The reigning princess is Brooke Dalley* who is a 17-year-old student at Pine View High School. Dalley participated her first year and received the title as second attendant and the next year she received the princess title.
Dalley has plans for her scholarship fund she received last year.
“I am going to major in communication and TV broadcasting, but I haven’t chosen the school yet,” Dalley said.
Dalley’s talent is singing and she encourages this year’s participants to “own the stage and put yourself out there and there is no reason why the judges shouldn’t choose you.”
The reigning second attendant is 16-year-old Alyssia Johanson, who plans to participate for her third time this year.
“[Participating] is a lot of fun and it really gives you a chance to get involved in your community,” Johanson said. “It’s great to see how the little girls look up to you and the people of the community have a lot of respect for you to be an example and be involved.”
Johanson said even if she doesn’t win princess this year she is OK with simply participating for the experience of meeting new people and being involved in the community.
“Be yourself,” Johanson said. “A lot of girls get into it and get really nervous and act like who they are not and answer the questions for what the judges want and not what you represent.”
Thus far there is no parallel pageant for young men of Washington City. WCCC Director Wendi Bulkley said, “We have talked about whether or not to do a Mr. Washington City. We have one citizen in the six years I have worked here that has expressed interest [in such a contest].”
Other opportunities that provide opportunities and scholarships to Washington City youth both male and female include the Washington City Power Scholarship and the Washington City Youth Council.
For more information on the Miss Washington pageant, contact Carolyn Callahan at 435-669-6753. Pageant applications are placed in the front office at Pine View Middle School and high school or at the WCCC.
Joyce Kuzmanic contributed to this article.
* Editor’s Note: Reigning princess Brooke Dalley is the daughter of St. George News columnist Kate Dalley; this story is given as an exception to our general policy against news anecdotes personal to St. George News contributors due to its relevance in the current year’s City pageant.
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Copyright 2012 St. George News.