FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jillene Szostak, Illinois’ Junior Miss State Chairman
illinoisjuniormiss@yahoo.com
(773)-573-5544

ANNUAL ILLINOIS’ JUNIOR MISS COMPETITION SET FOR APRIL 4;
WINNER WILL REPRESENT STATE IN NATIONAL FINALS

Senior girls from across Illinois will compete for a share of $10,000.00 in college scholarships at the 2009 Illinois’ Junior Miss Scholarship Program on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at Bolingbrook High School in Bolingbrook. The program will begin at 3:00PM and tickets will be available at the door.

The 10 young women will be competing for the title of Illinois’ Junior Miss and the opportunity to represent the state of Illinois at the 52nd AJM National Finals in Mobile, Alabama, on June 25, 26, and 27, 2009, where she will compete for a share of over $150,000 in cash scholarships and the title of America's Junior Miss 2009. The young woman who is selected as Illinois’ Junior Miss will also win a $3,500.00 cash scholarship and college granted scholarships to colleges and universities across the country.

The categories in which the contestants will be evaluated are scholastics (20%), interview (25%), talent (25%), fitness (15%), and self-expression (15%). 
 

The young women who will compete in the 2009 Illinois’ Junior Miss Scholarship Program are:

• Mary Margaret Beecher of Lemont (Benet Academy)
• Allison Gudjonis of Mount Prospect (Rolling Meadows High School)
• Hannah Jahn of Bolingbrook (Bolingbrook High School)
• Gabriella Kissinger of O’Fallon (O’Fallon Township High School)
• Kelsey Koster of Aurora (Waubonsie Valley High School)
• Betsy Kuckuk of O’Fallon (O’Fallon Township High School)
• Kristen Milsap of Chicago (Kenwood Academy)
• Caryn Rubanovich of Northbook (Glenbrook North High School)
• Emily Yedinak of Lake in the Hills (Huntley High School)
• Brianna Zrinsky of Naperville (Waubonsie Valley High School)

Illinois’ Junior Miss 2008, Heather Siemienas, will also participate in the program. Heather is the daughter of Gerald and Barbara Siemienas of Arlington Heights. Heather currently attends Elon University in Elon, North Carolina and was recently named to the President’s List for the 2008 fall semester. Heather was a 2008 graduate of St. Viator High School.

America’s Junior Miss 2008, Lindsey Brinton of Utah, will also attend and participate in the program. This is the first time in almost 20 years that an America’s Junior Miss has attended the Illinois program. Lindsey won preliminary awards in scholastics, interview, talent and fitness, and ultimately the title of AJM 2008. Lindsey attends Harvard University and plans to pursue a career in biomedical engineering.
For tickets to the show or more information about Illinois’ Junior Miss, please contact Jillene Szostak, State Chairman, by e-mail at illinoisjuniormiss@yahoo.com or phone at 773-573-5544.

Illinois’ Junior Miss Scholarship Program is an official preliminary of America’s Junior Miss (AJM), the oldest and largest scholarship program for high school senior females of its type. Since 1958, AJM has awarded more than $90 million in cash scholarships and provided thousands of young women with college granted scholarships to colleges and universities across the nation.

In addition to providing scholarships, AJM challenges each participant to share its national outreach program, Be Your Best Self (BYBS), with young people across the nation. Through BYBS, Junior Misses encourage self esteem and excellence in all young people through the program’s five principles: Be healthy, Be Involved, Be Studious, Be Ambitious, and Be Responsible.

The 2008 - 2009 National Sponsors for AJM are the City of Mobile and Mobile County. Category sponsors are Alabama Power, Encore Rehabilitation, Mobile Gas, and Regions Bank.

For more information on AJM, contact Cassidy Grimes, Public Relations Director, at (800) 256-5435 or visit the AJM Web site at www.ajm.org.
.

~AJM~