Josie Calzonetti – Sugar Beet Staff Reporter
Every year the Fiesta Scholarship pageant takes place to give young students opportunities to be awarded up to $1,000 to a college of their choice, and a chance to compete in the Miss Kan-sas pageant. This year the pageant was located in the Pauline Joyce Auditorium at Garden City Community College, on Friday September 8th.
Five contestants competed for the chance to win the $1,000. Each contestant were judged on talent, evening gowns, and their ability to answer questions from this year’s judges which in-cluded, Hank Morgan, Debbie Reynolds, Amy Whitman, and Elaina Wohler.
Garden City High School senior, Alondra Jurado was crowned 2017 Fiesta Queen.
“In preparation for the pageant I had to make sure all my dresses, outfits, and appointments were set. I also spent a lot of time practicing my talent,” Health and Trade senior, Jurado said. “My talent was singing, I sang a song in Spanish called Así Fue. Mrs, Alvarado helped me pre-pare, and I’m very thankful for her.”
Hailey Sullivan, who graduated from Garden City High School in the class of 2017 also com-peted in the pageant. Sullivan was crowned second runner up, and was awarded $250 of schol-arship.
For the question portion of the pageant Sullivan received the question, “What made you run for Miss Garden City Fiesta?” Sullivan’s response was, “I hoped to inspire young women to be who-ever they want to be and do whatever they want to do, no matter what obstacles and challenges get in their way.”
The Saturday morning after the pageant, a parade was taken place on Main Street celebrating Mexican culture. The 2017 Fiesta Queen, Jurado, and those who were awarded runner-ups like Sullivan, took part in the parade.
“The thing I enjoyed most about the pageant was seeing all the little girls faces light up during the parade, and just being in the pageant itself was a really great experience,” Sullivan said. “I would most definitely consider competing again.”
The weekend was filled with success and smiles from the start of the pageant to the end of the parade down Main Street.
“When they announced my name as Miss Garden City Fiesta Queen, I was so shocked,” Jurado said. “I was so happy, excited, and confused. My family and friends didn’t waste much time run-ning towards me to congratulate me, I enjoyed every second of it.”
Josie Calzonetti is an Arts and Communications senior. You can contact her at Calzonettij@stu-dent.gckschools.com.
Garden City High School 