Sue Herman, Wisconsin State Chairman
(414) 525-9283
wijrmiss@wi.rr.com

Wisconsin’s Junior Miss Announces 2009 Scholarship Recipients

Samantha LaBrasca of Brookfield was selected as Wisonsin's Junior Miss on Saturday during the 2009 Wisconsin Junior Miss Program. Samantha competed with 15 other young women for the title and cash scholarships during the state program on July 26th in Menomonee Falls. Samantha is the daughter of Connie and Ronn LaBrasca and will be a senior at Brookfield Central High School.

Samantha received $5,250 in cash scholarships, various college scholarships to more than 200 colleges and universities, and the official Junior Miss Medallion. She also received preliminary awards during the state program in interview, self-expression, fitness, and scholastics. As a representative of Wisconsin, Samantha will travel to Mobile, Alabama, to compete in the 52nd AJM National Finals on June 25, 26 and 27, 2009, where she will have the opportunity to win a share of more than $100,000 in cash scholarships.

The categories in which the contestants were evaluated were: interview (25%), talent (25%), fitness (15%), and self-expression (15%). A separate panel evaluated the contestants in the scholastics category (20%).

First Alternate to Wisconsin’s Junior Miss was Bekah Newman of Menomonee Falls. Newman received $2,350 in cash scholarships, including awards in interview and scholastics. She was also selected by her fellow contestants as a spirit award winner and won an additional scholarship for her community service efforts. Bekah is the daughter of Kimberly and Gary Newman and will be a senior at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School.

Nicole Zielinski of New Berlin was awarded the title of Second Alternate and received $1,450 in scholarships. Zielinski also received a preliminary award in talent and a spirit award. She is the daughter of Linda and Patrick Zielinski and attends Catholic Memorial High School.

Other awards were as follows:
Monica Meyer (South Milwaukee) – Be Your Best Self Essay, $200
Laura Johnson (New London) – preliminary self-expression, $250
Ashley Pfister (Franklin) – preliminary fitness, $250
Danielle Dounar (Cudahy) – preliminary talent, $250
Katie Nagel (Waukesha South) – preliminary scholastics, $250
Other participants were: Melissa Dobrinska (New Berlin), Kelsie Niffenegger (Waldo), Erica Narloch (Oconomowoc), Melissa Meier (Oak Creek), Amanda Batterman (Appleton), Christina Wallhausser (Waukesha West).

Wisconsin’s Junior Miss is an official preliminary of America’s Junior Miss (AJM). Founded in 1958, AJM is 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 51 years, AJM has awarded cash scholarships totaling almost $90 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 “Inside Edition;” E.D. Hill, an anchor on Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends;” and Debra Messing, co-star of NBC’s “Will & Grace.”

AJM’s national sponsors are the City of Mobile and Mobile County. Category sponsors are Alabama Power, Encore Rehabilitation, Mobile Gas, Regions Bank, and Wintzell’s Oyster House.

For more information about Wisconsin’s Junior Miss, please visit www.ajm.org/wisconsin, or contact Sue Herman, State Chairman, at 414-525-9283, 414-587-5970, or wijrmiss@wi.rr.com.

~AJM~