Personal appearances help choose Strawberry Festival royalty
Published on Thu, Feb 12, 2009 by Beckye RandallRead More Communities
Poised and confident, the seven contestants in the Strawberry Festival's April Friesner Scholarship Pageant addressed the Marysville School Board at the board's regular meeting on February 2. Coordinator Jodi Hiatt explained that this was one of 25 judging opportunities in which the girls would participate prior to the actual pageant on March 14.
While the pageant outcome relies on the decisions of three impartial judges at the competition, those judges consider comments from the previous public appearances made by the teens. Scheduled visits include those with service clubs like Rotary, Kiwanis, Soroptimists and Lions Clubs, along with the school board, city council and other municipal entities.
The young ladies, all juniors or seniors at local high schools, introduced themselves and provided a short bio to the school board highlighting their school and community activities. Most are involved in volunteer or community service efforts while maintaining exceptional academic records.
At a dance rehearsal later that same week led by choreographer Hannah Taylor of Marysville Performing Arts Center (MPAC), Hiatt invited the local media to visit with the contestants. While each girl exhibited a unique personality and varied personal interests, it was clear that any of the seven would represent Marysville with honor and pride.
Photos and brief bios of the contestants follow (on page ??). To experience the fun and excitement of the scholarship pageant, plan to attend the March 14 event at the M-PHS Auditorium.
Note: Krisel Juco was not available for interviews or photos, and we regret that her information is not as complete as the other contestants.
Samantha (Sami) Hall: A junior at Marysville-Pilchuck High School with a 3.8 GPA, Sami also attends Everett Community College in the Running Start program. Sami is an avid dancer, and has been taking classes at Marysville Performing Arts Center since she was 3 years old. Currently, she studies ballet, jazz, tap, pointe and hip-hop and is active with MPAC's Performing Company as well. She plans to stay close to home in her college choice, and would like to pursue a career in cabinet-building, woodworking or architecture. She shares her Marysville home with her parents, Dan and Deb Hall, three dogs and a cat.
Shelby Hintze: Shelby is also a junior at M-PHS in the Pathways of Choice SLC. A school leader, she is active in ASB and the National Honor Society, and she sings second soprano in the school choir. Shelby is also a Goodwill Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Krisel Juco: Krisel is an active volunteer at care centers and homeless shelters. She is a student at M-PHS.
Jessica (Jes) LaPlante: An energetic senior at Lakewood High School, Jes is still enthusiastic about her recent experience, attending the presidential inauguration as a representative of the North Snohomish County Health and Safety Network. The outgoing teen, who is also a member of the Lakewood High School jazz choir, was one of 8,000 selected by the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference for the honor. While in D.C., she was able to meet Colin Powell, Desmond Tutu and Al Gore, along with members of the popular band Daughtry. Jes, who lives with her grandparents, a younger brother and two half-sisters, looks forward to a career teaching creative writing.
Erinn McPherson: A senior at Marysville's Arts & Technology High School, 18-year-old Erinn admits that she misses the school's old, crowded location just a little bit. "I always loved bumper cars," she said, referring to the jostle of students in the narrow hallways of the commercial building A&T occupied before the new building was completed. Erinn enjoys the school's project-based learning approach and appreciates that she can pursue many of her diverse interests through the flexible curriculum. Following graduation, she plans to attend South Seattle Community College, the only local school that offers the opportunity to study the performing arts, culinary arts and marine biology at the same time. Erinn is the Drama Club president and is looking forward to the school's spring play, its first musical production. Erinn lives in Marysville with her parents, Laurie Rouleau and John Dirvanowski; two older brothers also live in the area.
Azzlinn Morales: Azzlinn knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life from a very early age. Following graduation from M-PHS in 2009, the determined young woman will attend Brigham Young University (BYU) to follow in her grandmothers' footsteps and study nursing, eventually specializing in being a labor and delivery nurse. A student in the Bio-Med Academy, Azzlinn is in the National Honor Society and treasurer of the ASB. She is also the founder of the local chapter of Random Acts of Kindness Everyday (RAKE), which is an outreach for those affected by poverty, homelessness and other social problems. Azzlinn plays piano and oboe, and is also interested in studio arts, particularly drawing and painting. She lives in Marysville with her mother and stepdad, and is one of nine siblings.
Rebecca (Becca) Thomas: Becca is a junior at M-PHS and a student at Everett Community College through the Running Start program. She is a varsity cheerleader, an accomplished gymnast, and a member of the National Honor Society. Her gymnastics training has helped her excel as a cheerleader. Becca also plays the piano and organ and, in a unique presentation, she will play a piano piece in accompaniment to a tumbling video for the pageant's talent competition. A student in the Bio-Med Academy, Becca plans to attend BYU and pursue a degree in psychology. Becca lives in Marysville with her parents, Roseanne and Matt Thomas, and two younger brothers.
While the pageant outcome relies on the decisions of three impartial judges at the competition, those judges consider comments from the previous public appearances made by the teens. Scheduled visits include those with service clubs like Rotary, Kiwanis, Soroptimists and Lions Clubs, along with the school board, city council and other municipal entities.
The young ladies, all juniors or seniors at local high schools, introduced themselves and provided a short bio to the school board highlighting their school and community activities. Most are involved in volunteer or community service efforts while maintaining exceptional academic records.
At a dance rehearsal later that same week led by choreographer Hannah Taylor of Marysville Performing Arts Center (MPAC), Hiatt invited the local media to visit with the contestants. While each girl exhibited a unique personality and varied personal interests, it was clear that any of the seven would represent Marysville with honor and pride.
Photos and brief bios of the contestants follow (on page ??). To experience the fun and excitement of the scholarship pageant, plan to attend the March 14 event at the M-PHS Auditorium.
Note: Krisel Juco was not available for interviews or photos, and we regret that her information is not as complete as the other contestants.
Samantha (Sami) Hall: A junior at Marysville-Pilchuck High School with a 3.8 GPA, Sami also attends Everett Community College in the Running Start program. Sami is an avid dancer, and has been taking classes at Marysville Performing Arts Center since she was 3 years old. Currently, she studies ballet, jazz, tap, pointe and hip-hop and is active with MPAC's Performing Company as well. She plans to stay close to home in her college choice, and would like to pursue a career in cabinet-building, woodworking or architecture. She shares her Marysville home with her parents, Dan and Deb Hall, three dogs and a cat.
Shelby Hintze: Shelby is also a junior at M-PHS in the Pathways of Choice SLC. A school leader, she is active in ASB and the National Honor Society, and she sings second soprano in the school choir. Shelby is also a Goodwill Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Krisel Juco: Krisel is an active volunteer at care centers and homeless shelters. She is a student at M-PHS.
Jessica (Jes) LaPlante: An energetic senior at Lakewood High School, Jes is still enthusiastic about her recent experience, attending the presidential inauguration as a representative of the North Snohomish County Health and Safety Network. The outgoing teen, who is also a member of the Lakewood High School jazz choir, was one of 8,000 selected by the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference for the honor. While in D.C., she was able to meet Colin Powell, Desmond Tutu and Al Gore, along with members of the popular band Daughtry. Jes, who lives with her grandparents, a younger brother and two half-sisters, looks forward to a career teaching creative writing.
Erinn McPherson: A senior at Marysville's Arts & Technology High School, 18-year-old Erinn admits that she misses the school's old, crowded location just a little bit. "I always loved bumper cars," she said, referring to the jostle of students in the narrow hallways of the commercial building A&T occupied before the new building was completed. Erinn enjoys the school's project-based learning approach and appreciates that she can pursue many of her diverse interests through the flexible curriculum. Following graduation, she plans to attend South Seattle Community College, the only local school that offers the opportunity to study the performing arts, culinary arts and marine biology at the same time. Erinn is the Drama Club president and is looking forward to the school's spring play, its first musical production. Erinn lives in Marysville with her parents, Laurie Rouleau and John Dirvanowski; two older brothers also live in the area.
Azzlinn Morales: Azzlinn knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life from a very early age. Following graduation from M-PHS in 2009, the determined young woman will attend Brigham Young University (BYU) to follow in her grandmothers' footsteps and study nursing, eventually specializing in being a labor and delivery nurse. A student in the Bio-Med Academy, Azzlinn is in the National Honor Society and treasurer of the ASB. She is also the founder of the local chapter of Random Acts of Kindness Everyday (RAKE), which is an outreach for those affected by poverty, homelessness and other social problems. Azzlinn plays piano and oboe, and is also interested in studio arts, particularly drawing and painting. She lives in Marysville with her mother and stepdad, and is one of nine siblings.
Rebecca (Becca) Thomas: Becca is a junior at M-PHS and a student at Everett Community College through the Running Start program. She is a varsity cheerleader, an accomplished gymnast, and a member of the National Honor Society. Her gymnastics training has helped her excel as a cheerleader. Becca also plays the piano and organ and, in a unique presentation, she will play a piano piece in accompaniment to a tumbling video for the pageant's talent competition. A student in the Bio-Med Academy, Becca plans to attend BYU and pursue a degree in psychology. Becca lives in Marysville with her parents, Roseanne and Matt Thomas, and two younger brothers.
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