Shining lights feature future beauty stars

She’s beauty and she’s grace, but she’s not Miss America.

Well, at least not yet.

Fifteen women gather this weekend for the chance to continue up the royal ladder collecting scholarship money along the way for the Miss Redwood City Scholarship Association. The group has called Redwood City home since 2001. Although the competition has gone through a variety of names at the local level, over the years one thing always remained the same — this is a platform for education and community service.

For 22-year-old Lauren Nelson of San Carlos, a win could give her a financial boost into medical school, while Stanford University feminist studies student Renata Sanchez just wants a second shot at becoming Miss California.

While money for school is a big draw for participants, for others it’s just the chance to live out a princess dream. But regardless of why the women chose to participate, the program helps train them for life and support them monetarily while offering the platform to dress up, perform and chat about issues important to each participant.

The all-volunteer organization hooked G.H. Armour, executive director, when some of her daughters were able to pay for school through the program. She said this is her turn to give back.

"One of the things that’s really important is we require community service. You have to have a community service background. We don’t care what it is. There’s a huge range. It’s whatever social issue you’d like to champion,” she said.

Jessica Pedden, Miss Redwood City 2005, turned her platform of affordable health care for the uninsured worker into a career. The 25-year-old Redwood City resident opened her business, Heuristic Associates in 2004 with the goal of making doctors practices paperless.

Although Pedden was lucky to find an interest with an issue that affected her life because of the program, she’s the first to say she wasn’t the traditional candidate for such a competition.

"I’m the girl from the band who’s very comfortable playing with a group. But as a soloist standing on my own it was totally different. ... The person who started this journey is different from who I am today. Through my involvement I became more confident,” she said.

Women 17 to 26 years old can participate as long as they meet a few guidelines. Participants must live or work in the county, be at least a senior in high school, be a U.S. citizen and have never been married. Armour makes sure each woman who participates walks away with at least a $200 scholarship, and it most certainly is a scholarship. Before any money is given away Armour must see a bill from an accredited university. She then writes the check directly to the academic organization.

It’s an incentive-based program which girls can participate in year after year, assuming they aren’t crowned.

The competition is a two-day event in which the women compete in various categories including a 10-minute interview with a set of judges, casual wear, talent, lifestyle and fitness, swim wear, evening gown and an on-stage question session. But the training starts long beforehand with mock interviews for practice, choreography to accompany the opening numbers, rehearsals and any other help a girl needs beginning months in advance.

Judges aren’t judging girls against one another, however, it’s a competition of meeting standards set by the Miss America organization. The competition is scored like the Olympics with the highest and lowest scores thrown out.

The reigning champion, who has four years of experience with the organization, said the best thing to do is relax and be you.

"Don’t try and be what you think they’re looking for. You’ve just got to be yourself,” said Pedden. "You may walk in there as someone else and what they were looking for was you. Just be true to yourself.”

Once a woman is crowned, she spends the year working with the community and gearing up for the Miss California competition. The local helpers stay with the girl working on everything from interview skills to wardrobe and fitness up until the competition. It’s all free of charge.

In between the busy schedule, the volunteers and pageant winner work with anyone in the community who asks for help furthering their cause.

Pedden was a traveling storyteller in the community prior to winning the crown, but her community service afterward took a fun twist.

"Now girls bow when I wear my crown. They always ask, ‘do you live in a castle?’ No,” she said with a giggle. "That’s the kind of reaction I get now. I was a traveling storyteller before, but not with a princess theme. I’m used to reading to kids but not from the perspective of being a princess.”

The show starts 7 p.m. Sunday, March 5 at Carrington Hall, Sequoia High School 1201 Brewster Ave., Redwood City. Tickets are $10 for students, $15 general admission and $25 for reserve gold patron. Money goes toward continuing the program. For more information visit www.misscalifornia.org or www.missredwoodcity2005.org.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.

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