Titleholders’ priorities: Mentoring and empowerment

BREMERTON — One teen will devote a year to building teen leadership in her community. Another will devote a year to teen mentoring. Another will spend a year developing a program for girls at a local Boys and Girls Club.

The three are the winners of the Miss Poulsbo, Miss Kitsap and Miss Silverdale scholarship pageant titles, which come with a total of $22,000 in scholarships. The scholarship pageant took place on Jan. 6 at Bremerton High School Auditorium.

Miss Poulsbo

The 65th Miss Poulsbo is Natalia Tucker, 18, a senior at Kingston High School. Her community platform is “Youth Leadership in my Community.” For her talent presentation, Natalia did an American Sign Language interpretation of “Firework” by Katy Perry.

Natalia received a $3,000 scholarship for winning the title, a $1,000 scholarship from Olympic College, the $200 Director’s Award, and the $200 People’s Choice Talent Award.

Alyssa Fagan, 16, a junior at North Kitsap High School, was named first runner-up and received a $500 scholarship.

Natalia’s older sister, Natasha, was Miss Poulsbo 2011. The last sisters to serve as Miss Poulsbo were Joan Brix, 1955, and Julee Brix, 1964, scholarship organization director Michele Wasson reported.

Miss Kitsap

Alyssa Erickson, 16, a junior at Central Kitsap High School, was named Miss Kitsap 2018. Alyssa’s community platform is “Readers for Leaders: Teen Mentoring.” For her talent presentation, she performed Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Minuet No. 2” on classical violin.

Alyssa received a total of $4,800 in scholarships: $3,000 for winning the title; the $600 Promise for Tomorrow Award; and six $200 scholarship awards, including Miss Congeniality, Top Interview, and Living the Platform.

Maileca Gontinas, 18, a senior at Bremerton High School and a Running Start student at Olympic College, was named first runner-up and received a $500 scholarship. She also received a $1,000 scholarship from the Olympic College Foundation, a $200 scholarship from the Applebee’s Princess Pancake Breakfast, and the $200 Sunny Wheeler Community Service Award.

Miss Silverdale

Miss Silverdale 2018 is Emily Rider, 18, a senior at Klahowya Secondary School. Her community platform is “Naval Avenue Boys and Girls Club: SMART Girls Program.” For her talent presentation, she performed a Latin dance to “La Mordidita” by Ricky Martin.

Emily received $3,000 for winning the title, in addition to the $200 Girl Power! Award and $200 Hank Mann Sykes Community Service Award. Emily’s mother, Michelle Rea Rider, was Miss Kitsap 1985-86.

Katelyn Marzano, 16, a junior at Central Kitsap High School, was named first runner-up and received a $500 scholarship. She also received a $200 scholarship for the Most Improved Award.

The new titleholders will spend the next year volunteering in their communities and working with a number of non-profit organizations, Wasson said.

Since 2000, $511,200 in scholarships have been awarded to 268 women in the Miss Poulsbo, Miss Kitsap and Miss Silverdale Scholarship Pageant; $61,925 has some from the Olympic College Foundation, Wasson reported.