BREMERTON — Hannah Price, 17, of Poulsbo was crowned as the new Miss West Sound, Nov. 12.
Taylor Wall of Kingston was chosen first runner-up. Cherisse Martinelli of Bremerton was chosen second runner-up. Both will make appearances as ambassadors throughout the year at various community events.
The scholarship pageant held at The Admiral Theatre in Bremerton featured 16 contestants from around the Kitsap Peninsula.
Moments after being selected, Price shared her excitement about winning the Miss West Sound title.
“I am already looking forward to my duties this year — traveling, meeting new people and getting the word out about my platform, which is Disability Awareness,” she said.
As Miss West Sound, Price receives more than $19,000 in scholarships and awards and the opportunity to compete for the Miss Washington title in 2012.Price is a senior and Honor Society president at North Kitsap High School. Her goals include graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in biochemistry and pursuing a career as an obstetrician/gynecologist.
Wall was Miss Kingston in 2007-08; her sister, Jordan, is the current Miss Kingston.
Wall, 20, is a 2009 graduate of Kingston High School, where she was an honor student active in raising money for breast cancer research.
She was co-captain of the Puget Sound Elite Girls Basketball Team in 2007 and played in the AAU Basketball Nationals in Orlando, Fla. in 2006.
She is a student at Olympic College and a pageant stylist at The Wedding Bell Trés Chic. Her career ambition is to earn a bachelor’s degree in fashion design and successfully launch a fashion line.
Wall’s platform is “Kid University — Raising Leaders for Generations to Come.”
“My family inspires me to aim high and keep learning,” she said in her pageant biography. “With this unconditional support, I have chosen to delve into the fashion industry, currently with styling and in the future with designing my own line, called Taylor Nicole Couture. I hope to inspire children to put forth their best effort and shoot for the stars, because nothing is impossible — the word itself says “I’m possible.”
With an outpouring of support from the Kitsap County community, the Miss West Sound Scholarship Program was able to award more than $50,000 in scholarships and prizes.
At the first pageant, $6,300 in scholarships and awards was presented. That amount grew to $8,175 in the second pageant and $51,300 this year. Established in August 2009, the Miss West Sound Scholarship Program provides opportunities for young women to achieve their personal and professional ambitions. Contestants also participate in community service events and develop leadership skills that help them excel in their chosen career and life goals.
Miss West Sound and Ambassadors were scheduled to volunteer at the Bremerton Food Bank Nov. 19-20. Price has also been invited to attend a North Kitsap School Board meeting on Dec. 1.
