There she is, Miss Alamo City Smithson Valley senior represents Alamo City in Junior Miss competition
By Richard Zowie Times Guardian Staff Writer
Catherine Jenkins, a Smithson Valley High School senior who was crowned Alamo City Junior Miss 2005 in March, is hoping to expand upon that title. Last weekend, the 17 year-old was one of 23 girls across the Lone Star State competing for the Texas Junior Miss 2005 title. From July 30-31 in Seguin at Texas Lutheran University's Jackson Auditorium, she competed in the finals for the TJM program. During the week, she and the other junior misses made personal appearances (such as at Methodist Children's Hospital) and worked on their routines for the finals. At the finals competition Jenkins and the other young ladies will be interviewed by the judges, answering random questions about themselves. They will also draw a question at random and answer it on the spot; they will also be judged by how confident and poised they are in their answers. "We will also have the poise contest where we had to dress in formal wear," Jenkins said. "We will then perform our talent and will be graded on how well we perform and present it." Even if she doesn't win the Texas Junior Miss title, Jenkins can expect to be making a lot of public appearances. They consist mostly of speaking engagements. "I'm looking forward to meeting all kinds of people," she said. "Since I usually stay up in the Smithson Valley area, going outside the circle and meeting people will be exciting for me." The young ladies participating at the Junior Miss Texas 2005 competition could potentially receive scholarship money, depending on how well they do. Jenkins is actually one of three young ladies representing the Bexar County area: there's also a San Antonio Junior Miss and a Bexar County Junior Miss. "I was so excited when I found out," recalled Jenkins, who learned of her selection while in Florida at a dance team national competition. "My father called me and told me. Representing the Alamo City is something I'm looking forward to." Getting selected to be a junior miss, which organizers prefer to distinguish from the term "pageant", is based more on academics. Those competing submit a video showcasing their talent (in Jenkins' case, a dance routine), a résumé detailing their community service and extracurricular activities and their school transcripts. Such requirements seem to play right into the Smithson Valley senior's strengths. She serves as captain of the Smithson Valley Silver Spurs Dance Team, which competes against other schools and usually performs at the Alamodome. Jenkins is enrolled in AP classes at school and says French, math and science are her favorite subjects. Currently, she's ranked in the top four percent of her class. After graduation, she plans to attend the University of Texas and study either business or pharmaceutical science. Said Karen Jenkins, her mother: "We're just real proud of her and she's excited to represent Smithson Valley. She's a great all-around girl." Ms. Jenkins added that America's Junior Miss is not about pageantry but about education. AJM's mission statement reads: "To emphasize education by providing scholarship opportunities to outstanding, college-bound high school girls, and to encourage personal development in all young people through the "Be Your Best Self" outreach program. | ||||||||||||||||
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