The Miss Washington class of 2009 are welcomed to pageant week on a sun-shiny day in Renton!
The Mayor and City Council of the City of Renton officially declared July 5th-11th to be Miss Washington Week, and have been so generous in welcoming us while applauding the Miss Washington Scholarship Organization’s commitment to service and scholarship. I had the pleasure of attending the city council meeting where the proclamation was made and as always thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Renton administrative staff.
Today I had the honor of watching our 18 incredible contestants walk down the steps of the beautiful Renton City Hall as they were officially welcomed to Miss Washington Week 2009! Joined by friends and family, as well as the Mayor of Renton – Dennis Law, and Brad Brotherton of Brotherton Cadillac, our contestants were in good company as they made their debut on the City of Renton – the Miss Washington Pageant’s official headquarters.
Wow… these women truly have worked intensively to prepare themselves for the experience of a lifetime – as they compete for the title of Miss Washington 2009, and the privilege to represent our wonderful state throughout the year and at the nationally televised Miss America pageant! As I introduced each of our local titleholders, I couldn’t help but remind myself that in less than a week one of them would be taking over my job! After seeing how hard these young women have worked - how much personality, passion, and fervor is among this group, I am confident that our state will be very proud as we support our Miss Washington 2009 throughout the next year, whoever she may be!
One compliment that is given often to our Miss Washington’s is that ‘yours will be hard footsteps to follow’ (or shoes to fill) and it is truly so wonderful to know that you have made your state and loved ones proud – hearing those words is positively overwhelming. I want to just take a moment to reflect on my time as a Miss Washington contestant, and how so many times I thought to myself.. “Wow, it would be really hard to follow that act.” Along with competing for the job of Miss Washington and the excitement that surrounds the entire week is some serious consideration on the part of our contestants. They are not only vying for a title, they are asking for the opportunity to fill a role that would completely change their lives for a year. As exciting as it can be, the ‘unknown’ can also be very intimidating. A message to our contestants – this job and role of Miss Washington is not about fitting a certain mold, doing things a certain way, and is certainly not about filling the shoes of anyone but yourself. We don’t follow in the footsteps of others – we make a path of our own and do it proudly knowing that the best thing we can do as a representative and positive role model is to be ourselves!
I am so proud of each and every one of you for your drive to succeed in this endeavor. Know that the success you will experience cannot be measured solely by the end result, but by the intangible things that you take away from a once in a lifetime experience. This week is about to fly by… take in every moment, cherish the time you have with your Miss Washington sister titleholders and open your hearts and minds to the learning potential that this week holds for you.
Everyone – I hope you will join us in applauding these young women for their scholastic and community service accomplishments and help us support them as they take the next steps to bringing continued success to their communities. Join us this week in Renton as we celebrate each of our 18 contestants and a service and scholarship organization that helps young women around the country reach their educational and community service goals! Turn on your radio's and listen for the public service announcement being revealed around our state on five different stations thanks to our friend Brian Taibl of Komo 4 Seattle, or visit our website for ticket information and join us for the Miss Washington 2009 pageant on July 9th, 10th, and 11th!
Pictured with Mayor Law and Brad Brotherton
