Judges Select an Ambassador for Ramona
And the winner is...
By Tracy Rolling

Ashleigh Schulte, Miss Ramona 2006

As spring brings newness and beauty to Ramona, a select group of contestants prepares for the annual Miss Ramona Scholarship Pageant.

Pageant Director Janelle Castrejon says that this year there are 15 "dynamic women" between the ages of 17 and 25 competing for the title of Miss Ramona and a $1,000 scholarship that can be applied toward any approved college or vocational program. The winner also will receive various gifts from community business and local sponsors.

Castrejon, a former Miss Ramona, won the title and $250 in 2000. As pageant director for the past five years, she has converted the cash prize into a $1,000 scholarship and enhanced the pageant by putting a greater emphasis on education.

The contestants are residents of Ramona and participate in a variety of activities, such as dance, drama, athletics and 4-H. One competitor is even in the San Diego County Sheriff Explorer Program (a program for those who are considering law enforcement as a career).

The daylong competition begins when the contestants are introduced and interviewed by five out-of-town judges. This activity accounts for one-quarter of their overall score and is followed by the sportswear competition, where contestants deliver a prepared speech. Next on the agenda is eveningwear, and afterward, they answer an impromptu question.

Sara Barnat

The winner will be selected based on her poise and personality throughout the entire process.

The responsibilities for serving as Ambassador of Ramona include attending the Ramona Rodeo, the Ramona Fair and various Ramona Chamber of Commerce mixers. In addition, she will receive invitations to attend an assortment of social activities such as The Mother Goose Parade and events sponsored by Soroptimist International.

Castrejon says, "Every girl makes her year her own." The winner will have the ability to use the crown for the betterment of the community, but regardless of title and tiara, each contestant is a champion for experiencing this opportunity of self-growth, she adds.

The public is invited to attend the pageant finale at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 21 at the Ramona Performing Art Center at Olive Peirce Middle School. Tickets are $12.

Katie Bebinger

The Miss Ramona 2007 Contestants are:

Jenna Field Morgan Thomsen Katrina Toll Lynsi Tuiofu Megan Guile Kelly Haynes Kristle Peck Melissa Villegas Andrea Williams Jessie Wilson Chloe Pedersen Brianna Roberts Kayla Romero