Thinking of becoming a contestant for the upcoming Miss Thurston County Scholarship Pageant? Wanting to learn what it means to become a title holder in the Miss America Organization (Miss Thurston County and/or Miss Washington)? Every young woman is strong in her own way. Building life-long skills and memories happen as we experience new things. The Miss Thurston County Scholarship Program (MTCSP) is an excellent way to build confidence, develop new and/or build upon current skills, meet new people, demonstrate skills and talents, and help obtain financial resources towards reaching academic goals. Becoming a contestant is the first step toward adding a new chapter to your book of life. The program and team of volunteers work together to help you be all that you can be, while having fun too!

The following information provescribes the qualifications needed to submit an application to become a contestant in the upcoming Miss Thurston County Scholarship Pageant. After reviewing the information below, the next step is to complete the Contestant Application.

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MTC Contestant Applications are due July 1, 2008
print out and complete application and mail in
(see link at bottom of page)

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Contestant Qualifications:

• Resident of Thurston County for a minimum of six months immediately preceding Miss Thurston County Pageant; OR

• A full-time employee (40-hour weeks) in Thurston County for a period of six months immediately preceding Miss Thurston County Pageant; OR

• An active student in a college or university that is located in Thurston County, provided she has successfully completed one semester as a full-time student (minimum of 12 credit hours) and maintains uninterrupted status as a full-time student attending classes, and no more than six months have elapsed between the completion of the first semester and the beginning of second semester; and

• High School graduate by June 23 of the pageant year; and

• Between the ages of 17 and 24 (by September 30 of the pageant year); and

• Never been married; and

• Of good moral character; and

• Possess a talent; i.e., dance, vocal, instrument, drama; and

• A United States citizen; and

• Have level of intelligence and meet character requirement as set forth by the Miss America Organization; and

• Work to promote a platform/cause; and

• Able to commit to a ‘Year of Service’ if selected Miss Thurston County; i.e., working on platform, community speeches, conducting appearance requests, completing requirements preparing for Miss Washington Pageant; and

• WANT TO HAVE FUN, MEET NEW PEOPLE, GAIN/BUILD VALUABLE SKILLS, OBTAIN LONG-LASTING MEMORIES!

Judging Categories, Criteria, and Ratings:

Following is a breakdown of categories that pageant judges will be asked to score for pageant day/evening. All competitions are scored on a scale of 1 to 10, using whole numbers only.

Interview = 25%
• Overall first impression
• Naturalness and relevance in speaking
• Strong communication competency (speech, vocabulary, grammar)
• Validated aspirations, opinions, and responses
• Personality, personal appearance
• Leadership and sense of accomplishment
• Knowledge of and commitment to a community service issue
• Qualities, abilities, and sincere desire to be Miss Washington and Miss America
• Not judging necessarily on right and wrong answers

On-Stage Question = 5%
• Overall first impression
• Ability to articulate both a sincere, engaging personality and her opinions
• Confidence in stage presence
• Ability to answer question in time allotted and in context
• Looking for potential spokesperson for Miss Washington and Miss America

Talent = 35%
• True talent and entertainment ability
• Interpretive ability
• Technical skill level (execution, technique, control)
• Stage presence and on-stage personality
• Elements (costume, props, voice, use of body)

Evening Wear = 15%
• Overall first impression
• Physical beauty
• Sense of confidence and stage presence
• Walk, posture, carriage, and grace
• Style and personality
• Appropriate, contemporary evening wear

Casual Wear = 10%
• Overall first impression
• Sense of confidence, personality, and stage presence
• Sense of style; ability to be reflective of women of generation
• Ability to naturally draw young people to her by her presence and charisma

Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit = 10%
• Overall first impression
• Beauty and attractiveness
• Physical fitness
• Sense of confidence and presence
• Drive, energy, charisma, and composure

TOTAL RATINGS = 100%

If you have any questions about the information above, application process, time commitment, or other areas, please contact

Wendi Fernandez, Executive Director
Miss Thurston County Scholarship Program
wendi@missthurstoncounty.com

Sharon Forberg, President
Miss Thurston County Scholarship Program
sharon@missthurstoncounty.com

The MTC Team looks forward to meeting you!

CLICK HERE FOR:
Contestant Application to print, fill out and mail in to:

MTCSP
7125 Mirasett Street SW
Tumwater, WA 98512