NEWS RELEASE

June 26, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cassidy Grimes, Public Relations Director
251-438-3621 | 251-622-5335 | cassidy@ajm.org

AJM AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS AT FIRST PRELIMINARY COMPETITION

America’s Junior Miss hosted the first preliminary of the 51st Annual National Finals on Thursday at the Civic Center Theater in Mobile, AL.

Several satellite awards were presented during the first preliminary. These awards do not affect the evaluation process, but are provided by local sponsors as outside scholarship opportunities.

The Press-Register, Mobile’s daily newspaper, sponsored a daily journal scholarship worth $1,000. The contestants each submitted one journal entry during their time in Mobile, and a winner was chosen each day. That day’s winning entry was printed in the Press-Register. The editors then chose an overall winner from the daily winners. Kansas’ Junior Miss, Jairrah Mansfield, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship for her entry.

Each contestant was asked to create an on-line photo album with a Verizon Wireless camera phone during her stay in Mobile. This album was to depict, in pictures, her journey throughout America’s Junior Miss National Finals. Verizon Wireless was the sponsor of this award and it was determined by on-line voters. Alabama’s Junior Miss, Norma Boyd, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship for her on-line photo album.

Chandler Lawson, Tennessee’s Junior Miss, was awarded a satellite award for the Colonial Bel Air Mall Community Service Essay. Jacqueline Rotman, California’s Junior Miss, won the Wintzell’s Oyster House “My Town” award. Both scholarships are focused on community service and the efforts to improve the winners’ local communities. Lawson received $1,500 and Rotman received a $1,000 scholarship.

The America’s Junior Miss Council awarded three $1,000 scholarships to Class of 2008 members for their Be Your Best Self essays. Be Your Best Self is the national platform of America’s Junior Miss, and contestants were asked to write an essay on how they promoted this program during their time as a state Junior Miss. The recipients of these scholarships were California’s Jacqueline Rotman, Louisiana’s Lauren McCalmont, and Mississippi’s Marianna Breland

Thirteen Junior Misses from the Class 0f 2007 participated in the week’s activities as ‘the Has Beens’. Iowa’s 2007 Junior Miss, Paige Ledger, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship funded by SAAD Development and was presented by AJM Board President Robert Greer.

The Second Preliminary competition of the 51st Annual America’s Junior Miss National Finals will take place at 7:00 pm on Friday, June 27 at the Mobile Civic Center Theater.

National sponsors of AJM for 2008 are the City of Mobile and Mobile County. Category sponsors are: Encore Rehabilitation, Wintzell’s Oyster House, Mobile Gas, Alabama Power, and Regions Bank.

For more information about America’s Junior Miss, the nation’s oldest and largest scholarship program for high-school senior women, please contact Cassidy Grimes, Public Relations Director, at (office) 251-622-5335, cassidy@ajm.orgor visit www.ajm.org.

-AJM-

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