Pageant winners, more than pretty faces?

Miss Teen Placer County, Kayley Marshall, and Miss Placer County, Ashley Gibbian, have shown that the annual scholarship competition is about more than just pretty faces.  As they near the end of their terms, they have compiled a resume of community service, personal accomplishments, and service as ambassadors for Placer County and the Placer County Fair that is wide-reaching.  Keyley and Ashley can serve well as role-models for the young men and women currently applying to compete in the Miss Placer County contests to be held during the June Placer County Fair.

Participating in parades and appearing at events throughout Northern California gave Kayley an opportunity to grow as a spokeswoman for Placer County, especially enjoying talking to all the young girls who approached her while she was wearing her crown.  In December she made a personal sacrifice by having 18 inches of her hair cut off for Locks of Love, an organization that creates wigs for children who have lost their hair due to serious illness. She stepped into service at Thanksgiving and Christmas, serving dinners to senior citizens and visiting with them. During the year she ‘Scouted for Food’ with the Boy Scouts, walked for fund-raising events, and visited retirement homes. 

When asked about her experience, Kayley had this to say, ‘I have had a chance to learn more about Placer County and it has given me more experience in talking with people in our community.  I’ve learned poise, gained confidence and matured in many ways.  It’s nice to be able to make a difference at 16 years old.  The Placer County Scholarship Pageant is not an empty title where you get crowned, wave to the crowd and never do anything else.  It is an opportunity to compete, learn, serve and mature. I highly recommend it!’  

Since winning the Title of Miss Placer County 2007 in June, Ashley has been very busy with community service activities and appearances.  She jumped right in at the Placer County Fair where she assisting at the Jr. Livestock Auction. Other community activities this year have included the Alzheimer’s Memory Walk, the KNCI Make-A-Wish Foundation and 101.9 the WOLF St. Jude’s Radio-thons, partnering with the Semper Fi Association of Lincoln on two toy drives for Toys for Tots, two fundraising events for the Boys and Girls Club of Auburn, and more. This year, she used her Spirit of Excellence Award scholarship money to help her favorite charities –  the Boys and Girls Club in Auburn and Toys for Tots. One of her favorite community events is the Auburn Boys and Girls Club’s annual Breakfast with Santa. 

Even though Ashley is just 20 years old, she’s already been volunteering in the community for half of her life, following in her mother’s footsteps, with over 1000 hours of community service in less than 6 years. The Scholarship Pageant experience has given Ashley many opportunities to host events and improve her public speaking skills and she had this comment ‘If you’re looking to gain life long interviewing and public speaking skills, increase your poise and confidence, are interested in becoming more involved in community service, or just looking for college scholarship opportunities, competing for Miss Placer County can give you all of these!’ 

Entries are now being accepted for the Miss Placer County and Miss Teen Placer County, the Teen Ambassador programs, and the Wee and Little Miss Placer County Fair scholarship competitions. The deadline for registration is May 1, to allow for training and rehearsals prior to the events in June. The pageants & contests will be held again in conjunction with the Placer County Fair, according to Director Patty Kennedy. They are scheduled for June 19th and June 20th, during the annual Fair, where the winners will have their first experience representing the Fair and Placer County. 

Scholarship awards will be: $1,300 to Miss Placer County, $1,000 to Miss Teen Placer County. Junior Teen, Junior Miss and Mr. Ambassadors will receive up to $100 in scholarship dollars. Eligible ages are: Miss Placer County – ages 18 – 25; Miss Teen – ages 15-17; Junior Miss and Junior Teen Ambassadors– ages 10-14; Mr. Ambassadors – ages 7-15; and Wee and Little Miss Placer County Fair – ages 3-9.  

An information orientation will be held on May 1 at the Fairgrounds Garden Room at 6:00 p.m. Applications for the pageants are available on-line at placercountyfair.org or from the Placer County Fair office at 800 All America City Boulevard, Roseville. Competition is limited to 20 entries per title. Complete applications, with entry fees, are due in the Fair office by June 1. For more information call Patty Kennedy at 916 781-3036.

*KE Spencer