Ten women
– twice as many as last year, and including three repeat
contestants – will vie for the title of the Gilroy Garlic
Festival’s 2003 Garlic Queen in the annual scholarship competition
Saturday.
GILROY – Ten women – twice as many as last year, and including three repeat contestants – will vie for the title of the Gilroy Garlic Festival’s 2003 Garlic Queen in the annual scholarship competition Saturday.
The winner of the pageant – which consists of a pre-show interview, an evening gown competition, a speech on garlic and a talent component – will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Garlic Festival. the first runner-up will win a $500 scholarship and the second runner-up will receive $250.
“We got the word out to high schools hoping to get a larger number of contestants,” event chairperson Grayce Smith said. “When young women hear ‘pageant’ they automatically think ‘beauty pageant,’ but that’s not what this is. We stressed the scholarship aspect of the pageant and the great experience this is.”
The event will be held at the Gavilan College theater. Show time is 7 p.m., but the doors will open at 6:30. Former Garlic Festival presidents Sam Bozzo and Gene Sakahara will emcee the pageant and entertain the crowd. A limited number of tickets will be available the night of the event. They are $5.
The 10 contestants are:
Julie Cordia, 18, a freshman at Gavilan College. A long-time stage performer, Cordia loves to sing and act and hope it makes her famous one day. Cordia was a varsity cheerleader for Gilroy High School.
Jenelle Costa, a Gilroy High School graduate who attends Gavilan College. A former gymnast, Costa enjoys dancing and cheerleading. She hopes to attend Pepperdine University in the fall where she will major in advertising and marketing and minor in communications.
Allegra Chanae Eslick, an 18-year-old senior at Monte Vista Christian School in Watsonville. Eslick is a varsity cheerleader and will attend Arizona State University in the fall. She will study broadcast journalism to pursue her dream of being a news reporter for CNN.
Shanel Higuera, 18, a lifetime Gilroy resident. A Gilroy High student and cheerleader for three years, Higuera is currently enrolled in independent studies. Next fall, Higuera plans to attend cosmetology school to pursue a business degree and open her own salon.
Ashley Jensen, a senior at Gilroy High School where she is involved with the school newspaper, the California Scholarship Federation and the swim team. Jensen will attend Brigham Young University in the fall to major in journalism and public relations.
Jennifer Lazarus, 18, a broadcast journalism major at San Jose State University. Lazarus is a member of the Delta Gamma sorority and is a veteran theater performer. Lazarus has worked with children of all ages through Gilroy Community Services and has done volunteer work for Service for Sight.
Lauren Lazow, a senior at Gilroy High School who plans to attend California State University, Chico in the fall to study communications. Lazow has been a cheerleader the last eight years and hopes to make the Chico State dance team next year. Her ambition is to be a corporate lawyer.
Melissa Noto, 20, who was born and raised in Gilroy and graduated from Gilroy High School in 2001. Noto is a sophomore at UC Davis studying microbiology and communications. A former Garlic Queen contestant, Noto was runner up last year and second runner up the year before.
Lisa Marie Ramsey, a 2001 Gilroy High School graduate and lifelong Gilroy resident who attends Gavilan College. In the fall, she will go to UC Santa Cruz to study economics and law. Ramsey works at Town & Country Fashions in Gilroy and enjoys spending her free time going to the gym.
Rosanna Rosso, a senior at Gilroy High School where she has been active in student government , water polo, swimming and choir. Rosso is a four-year member of the California Scholarship Federation and will attend either UC Berkeley or UC Santa Barbara this fall.
