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| Subject: Farewell to the "Graduates" of 2013 - REVISED | |
Author: Ernie Koneck | [ Next Thread |
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] Date Posted: 17:15:06 07/10/13 Wed I've been waiting and waiting for someone to post something positive but I got tired of waiting so here goes. A Brief Tribute to the 2013 Contestants who have Aged Out (Let me know if anyone has been left out inadvertently or included by mistake). Also, since we have already heard Laura Berger's parting shot and the endless analysis of it, I've chosen to focus on all the OTHER girls that we'll miss in the future. Echoe Malone (City of Inglewood): A lot of pageant fans look down on monologues as if they weren't a "real" talent. But when they're performed by a real actress, they most certainly are. And Echoe is the real deal. She is also gorgeous, smart, articulate and extremely elegant, and I hope to see her on a red carpet someday - whether it's for a Tony Award, an Emmy or an Oscar, I don't care. I wish her all the luck in the world in one of the most competitive fields out there. Katy Tang (Culver City): Some of you may not remember, but Katy was Arianna's 1st runner-up in the Outstanding Teen pageant in 2005. She took a long vacation from pageants, re-emerged last year, and soared all the way to 2nd runner-up and a prelim talent award this year. What I discovered about her this year was her delightful personality and a terrific sense of humor. Whatever her future has in store, I'm sure it will be very bright. Raquel Fatiuk (Golden Gate): A truly remarkable talent that will be long remembered in the same vein as Angel Blue and Jacquelynne Fontaine. Raquel is not just a voice, however. She is a truly stunning, elegant presence on stage and a unique, interesting person. At the Gala, she said she wished she had discovered MCO sooner. I'm sure the audience agrees. As she embarks on her professional opera career, I have complete confidence that we'll be hearing much more from her in the future. Lauren Smolka (Hollywood): For may people, the first word that might come to mind when describing Lauren is "gorgeous." And she certainly is. For me, the first word I think of is "kindness." I've sat in on or judged many of Lauren's pageant interviews and mocks, and that is the quality that always shines through. One of the funniest things about her is how often she has been cast "against type" in regional theater productions, playing everyone from the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz" to Amber Von Tussle in "Hairspray." Clearly, this girl can act! Look out Broadway and Hollywood (the industry town, not the pageant) - Lauren is ready to charm her way into your hearts. Megan Wisler (Orange County) - Another dazzling beauty who has the unique ability to make everything she does on stage look effortless. She reached new heights in every area of competition this year, and I can hardly wait to find out how many more languages she can sing in. Personally, I can't wait for the Portuguese-Hebrew-Bengali-Urdu number she's planning for her farewell. OK, I made that up, but wouldn't it be funny if she took it as a challenge and actually did it? I would never bet against this girl; I think she can do anything she sets her mind to. Ashley Newman (Sacramento County) - A truly dazzling newcomer who works as a teacher - in a juvenile detention facility. Her talent was fabulous, her wardrobe was great and she dynamic stage presence. Ashley certainly proved to be one of the outstanding "rookies" of the year. Word is that she has seven - yes, seven - job offers to choose from, which means once she makes her final choice, and they fill the rest of the positions she was offered, she will have singlehandedly reduced the state's unemployment rate by 0.3% Thanks, Ashley! Christina Alcaraz (Sierra Nevada) - As a judge at the first local she ever won, I've been following Chrissy's pageant career ever since. In the next edition of the dictionary, they may use her picture to illustrate hard work and perseverance, never more so than this past 2 years. She has always been a contestant in search of the right song, and this year she found it in "I Dreamed A Dream." She also was instrumental in introducing Lorna Jane to the MCO. WHile the final outcome may not have been all she hoped for, the journey proved to be nothing short of spectacular. Courtney Trouten (South Counties) - Another incredible hard worker who faced the challenge of an ankle injury (less than ideal for a ballet en pointe dancer), not to mention a challenging full-time job. Nonetheless, Courtney gave her preparation her all and delivered on all counts. I think of her as genuine, funny, down-to-earth and completely committed to everything she attempts. Her self-confidence grew by leaps and bounds this year, and that, more than anything, may be the most important pageant legacy any contestant could hope for. The sky's the limit! Annie Wilson (Southland) - Georgia's loss was California's gain, as the fierce and fabulous Annie Wilson hit the stage every night at Miss CA. From her soulful, jazzy vocal performance, to her commanding confidence and gorgeous smile in swimsuit and evening wear, Annie looked every part the star. And to think that all came about while she was finishing her master's degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology! Say that fast 3 times. Annie planes to pursue her Ph.D. in that field and work as a consultant to large corporations looking for ways to identify problems in their work environment and fix them. So someday in the future, if your job suddenly gets more enjoyable, you may have Annie, or someone like her, to thank. **ADDITION** Prisca Shiralian (Central California Regional) - Talk about multi-talented! Last year, Prisca showed us a beautiful singing voice we hadn't heard before. This year, she opted to return to her original talent - piano - but played a song she composed herself. It was a beautiful, mature composition that showcased her ever-improving piano skills, and she did it all while finishing her master's degree. Best of luck to one of Fresno's finest Congratulations to all of our pageant "grads". You have all contributed to the Miss California program in your own unique way, whether you competed for one year or several. I think I speak for many people when I say you will be missed. And one final farewell - to Miss California 2012 Leah Cecil, who found new and ever more creative ways to be a state titleholder and in the process practically redefined the job and set the bar ever higher for Crystal and those to follow. While the Miss America judges didn't see it, everyone in California certainly sees that you are one of a kind, and very, very special. Fortunately, you will be back next year in charge of the Duke of Edinburgh program, so we don't truly have to say goodbye. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| [> Subject: Wasn't Prisca so amazing? And her family is so loving and supportive of Prisca and the MCO program. We were so blessed to have such a wonderful class this year with a great support system in family and friends more than other years. Thank you Leah for having the intuition and gift of love and leadership to bring the best out in these girls. This will be a class of women which will be forever remembered by the hostesses and by the ED's as being an amazing, strong, influential, focused group of women who will contribute in ways beyond the goals of MCO. | |
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Author: We are blessed. Leah set the tone and Crystal takes CA into Miss America history. [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 20:12:28 07/10/13 Wed [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Agree about Prisca 's parents. They are really sweet and loving. | |
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Author: Ernie [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 05:32:53 07/11/13 Thu [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |