| Article :Site author Update :2007-9-3 9:38:40 |
The Miss Iron County Scholarship Pageant took place Saturday, Aug. 11, bringing 10 young women to the stage to compete for the title, prizes and scholarship money, and a chance at Miss Utah.
A panel of seven qualified judges chose Kiersten Gray as Miss Iron County 2007. Her platform was "Discover, Develop, Dedicate: Service Learning in the Classroom."
Janelle Johnson was chosen as first attendant and Jessica Vickers earned second attendant.
Gray said she was "thrilled" to earn the title of Miss Iron County, and she wants to be a true representative of the area and help different organizations and groups.
She said she is passionate about her platform and wants to implement service learning in Iron County schools. She defined service learning as taking what one learns in the classroom and applying it in the community.
Gray hopes that through working with educators and demonstrating how to teach service learning, it will be implemented in classrooms all over the county. She believes this can help create more democratic citizens, she said.
She is attending SUU in history and English and plans to be a teacher. She wants to teach service learning in her own classroom someday.
She said she also wants to expand SUU's current service learning program and hopes to make it statewide. Though Iron County is her primary focus, she hopes to also benefit the state as a whole.
She said she wants to be very involved in the communities and already has something in the works. She will be preparing some community activities for the National Learn and Serve Week, which is Sept. 17-21.
Gray is originally from Lehi, but is in her third year at SUU and she said she has come to love the community.
For her talent, Gray played the piano. She has been playing for 12 years, she said.
Mari Burgess, pageant co-director, said Gray did a great job and is a wonderful piano player. She was very happy with the result.
Misty Prisbrey, who directed the pageant with Burgess, said they were happy with the pageant and plan to continue directing it.
"We were really happy with the outcome and we hope it encourages girls to compete," Prisbrey said.
In honor of the pageant's past 50 years, many previous Miss Iron Countys were in attendance, and Miss Iron County 1956 Jackie Winterrose Fullmer, the first ever Miss Iron County, welcomed the crowd.
There was also a slide show of former Miss Iron Countys and Misty's husband, Scott Prisbrey, performed, accompanied by DEl Beatty.
The pageant, which was at 7 p.m. at Canyon View High School, included an on-stage interview, a swimwear competition, a talent competition and an eveningwear competition. Also contributing to the contestants' points were private interviews that took place earlier Saturday.
The scoring percentages were 35 percent for talent, 25 percent for the interview, 20 percent for eveningwear, 15 percent for swimsuit, and 5 percent for the on-stage question.
As Miss Iron County, Gray received a Miss America Local crown, a Miss America plaque, a one-year full tuition scholarship to SUU, a wardrobe and photography allowance for the Miss Utah Pageant, $1,100 in Miss Utah fees, a full-year gym membership to Spirit Fitness and a teeth whitening kit from Dr. Barrack at Cedar Dental.
Johnson and Vickers each received a $1,000 scholarship to SUU, a tiara, a Miss America plaque, and teeth whitening kit.
Awards were also given in the individual categories and were sponsored by various businesses.
Burgess said there were many people who helped support the pageant and it wouldn't have been possible without them. She particularly wanted to thank the county commissioners, Alma Adams, Lois Bulloch, and Wayne Smith for their generous and willing support.
Prisbrey said she also appreciates all those who contributed and believed in the program. It is a beneficial program for young women in Iron County, she said.
She and Burgess are previous Miss Iron Countys, and she said they volunteered because they feel the program benefits the contestants.
The scholarship money is valuable to the girls and can help them get an education. Scholarships are not always easy to obtain, and they wanted to help offer them that one extra opportunity, Prisbrey said.
Burgess said she believes the pageant is an important program that helps the girls grow and improve themselves. They have the opportunity to win the scholarship money, and they can also gain important skills while preparing.
Learning interview skills will help them throughout their lives, she said. The pageant also encourages community service and involvement.
Gray said the pageant is beneficial to the contestants. She said she entered because she saw it as an opportunity to promote service learning and to improve herself. The scholarship money was also attractive, she said.
She said to prepare for the pageant she had to develop herself on many levels, and she feels she is improved as a person.
"Even those who don't win the crown still win," she said. "You're making yourself a better person. You walk away with more than what you came with."
Prisbrey and Burgess said it is important for Gray to get involved in the community and have many speaking opportunities. As Miss Iron County, Gray said she will be happy to speak and make appearances at events for different clubs and organizations in the county.
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