Features Editor

Six Pike County young women will compete Aug. 3 for the coveted title of Pike County Junior Miss.

Laura Givens, chairperson of the Pike County Junior Miss Program, called the group "the cream of the crop."

Givens said the committee visited with about 200 young women of the Class of 2003 in a recruitment effort for the Junior Miss program.

"We went to visited every high school in the county and these six girls are the ones who chose to participate," Givens said. "We have a small number of contestants this year, but they are all outstanding young women. We had two workshops in early June and I knew then that this would be a tough decision for the judges. All of these young women are winners."

Competing for the title of Pike County Junior Miss will be Candy Kilpatrick and Hope Wheeler from Goshen High School, Celeste Sanders from Pike Liberal Arts School and Virginia Smith, Lacey Bassett and Meghan Kelly from Charles Henderson High School.

The Junior Miss Program is the largest scholarship program for college-bound young women in the United States. More than $10 million has been awarded on the local, state and national levels for young women to further their educations, Givens said.

"The contestants are judged on poise, fitness, talent, interview and scholarship. The theme of the Junior Miss Program is ‘Be your best self’ and the contestants have to write an essay on what it means to ‘Be your best self.’ There is a winner in the essay category, too."

A special award, the Spirit of Junior Miss, is voted on by the contestants.

"This award is given to the girl who displays courtesy and kindness throughout the program activities," Givens said. "We will have two weeks of practice before the program and the girls will have several opportunities to introduced themselves to the community."

At 10 a.m. Friday, they will perform their talents for the residents of Pike Manor Health Care Center and they will appear often in the local media.

Each contestant has a "little sister" who will be her companion, supporter and assistant during program activities and the night of the Pike County Junior Miss Program.

Little sisters are Mandy Kilpatrick (Candy Kilpatrick), Stephanie Grissette (Hope Wheeler), Tara Rodgers (Celeste Sanders), Erin Debruyne (Virginia Smith), Adrianne Bazzell (Lacey Bassett) and Shay McCaffery (Meghan Kelly).

The program will be at 7 p.m.,

Aug. 3 at the Claudia Crosby Theater on the campus of Troy State University.

Admission is $5 and tickets will be available at the door.