FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rod Woods, Kansas’ Junior Miss State Chairman
785-527- 5624

48th KANSAS’ JUNIOR MISS COMPETITION SET FOR MARCH 28th;
WINNER WILL REPRESENT STATE IN NATIONAL FINALS

Ten high school senior women from across the state of Kansas will compete in the 48th Annual Kansas’ Junior Miss scholarship competition on Saturday, March 28th in Belleville at the Republic County High School gymnasium. The program will begin at 7:00 p.m. General admission tickets will be available at the door: $10.00; Children ages 5 and under are free.

Each contestant will be vying for the title of Kansas’ Junior Miss for 2009, a share of cash scholarship awards and college-granted scholarships from schools throughout the nation. The overall winner will receive a cash scholarship and will travel with all expenses paid to Mobile, Alabama, in June to take part in the 52nd annual America’s Junior Miss National Finals. There, she will compete for the title of America’s Junior Miss and a share of more than $150,000 in cash scholarships.

The categories in which the contestants will be evaluated are scholastics (20%), interview (25%), talent (25%), fitness (15%), and self-expression (15%). Contestants for the 2009 program include: Mallory Gilliland of Concordia; Angela Sutton of Marysville; Katherine Cristiano of Lansing; Jennifer Waters of Salina; Melissa Mayer of Overland Park; Shalynn Loring of Scandia; Angel Vann of Lawrence; Lynsey Hergott of Belleville; Mariela Alexander of Topeka; and Melissa Hunter of Berryton.

The host for the KJM program is Betty Lou Pardue of Topeka. Choreographer for the program is Tamara Howe from Salina, assisted by Kendra Brown of Belleville. Kenny Johnston of Concordia has written and will perform an original musical composition for the evening.

Kansas’ Junior Miss is pleased to have the Republic County High School Jazz Band and Show Choir performing during the evening. Other special performances include Kansas’ Junior Miss 2008, Jairrah Mansfield of Kansas City; 2007 1st runner-up, Elizabeth Cristiano of Lansing; 2006 Kansas’ Junior Miss Kendra Brown of Belleville; and 2003 Kansas’ Junior Miss Moriah Wagner of Mankato.

For more information about Kansas’ Junior Miss, please contact Rod Woods, State Chairman, at 785-527- 5624.

Kansas’ Junior Miss scholarship program is an official preliminary of America’s Junior Miss (AJM), the oldest and largest scholarship program for high school senior girls. The nonprofit program’s goal is to honor young women who excel and encourage them to obtain a college education and assume roles of leadership in their communities and professions. During the past 50 years, AJM has awarded scholarships totaling more than $87.7 million to girls across the nation. More than 700,000 young college-bound young women have competed in the program, including Diane Sawyer, co-host of ABC’s "Good Morning America" and co-anchor of "Primetime Thursday;" Deborah Norville, host of both "Inside Edition" and MSNBC’s "Deborah Norville Tonight;" and Debra Messing, co-star of NBC’s "Will & Grace."

AJM’s national sponsors for 2008 - 2009 are the City of Mobile, Mobile County, and the Mitchell Company. Category sponsors are Alabama Power, Encore Rehabilitation, Mobile Gas, and Regions Bank.

The 52nd Annual AJM National Finals will be held in Mobile, Alabama in June.

~AJM!~