Miss Pierce County a volunteer tradition for local teens and women

Jennifer Goble became involved with Miss Pierce County after her daughter, McKinley Goble was crowned Miss Pierce County’s Outstanding Teen 2012.

The executive director for the pageant for three years now, Goble said it changed her and her daughter’s life.

“McKinley’s personal growth during her year of service, along with the support, guidance, and mentorship she received went so far above and beyond my expectations that I knew this was a program that I wanted to be involved with,” she said. “This program and the skills that it teaches are beyond compare. Each year I am able to spend time with some of the brightest and most amazing young women in Pierce County, the joy that I get from watching their successes is why I do this.”

Miss Pierce County is a program which offers scholarships to young women 17 to 24 who live, work or attend school within Pierce County for at least the past six months.

This year’s winner, Isabell Murray, is a 21 year old from Lakewood.

Financial commitments to the program include raisong a minimum contribution of $100 to the Children’s Miracle Network, securing a minimum of $400 in sponsorships, gala ticket sales, and in kind donations or contestant sponsorship, and an idea of what your “platform” will be, such as the homeless crisis, domestic violence and dozens of others.

The Miss Teen Program offers scholarships for girls 13 to 17.

A teen contestant in a Miss America local pageant is not required to raise a minimum contribution, but does require a Miss America’s Outstanding Teen national platform issue. A minimum of $400 in advertising sponsorships is required and each sponsor will receive an advertisement in the program.

2018’s teen winner is 14 year old Chloe Fernstahl from Lake Tapps.

Goble said after McKinley won her teen award, she jumped into the organization.

“I started volunteering with the organization doing odd jobs that they needed help with for a year or so. A position on the board became available and I took over the role of co-director for the Outstanding Teen Program, a year later I became executive director,” she said. “Our local program is an official preliminary to the Miss Washington Scholarship Program and Miss Washington’s Outstanding Teen Program. Once crowned our titleholders will begin preparation for their state competitions.”

The teen state competition is in May and Miss Washington is in July. Should either of Pierce County’s selections become a state titleholder, they would go on to compete at the national level for either Miss America or Miss America’s Outstanding Teen.  

“As a local titleholder they are ambassadors for Pierce County and make appearances throughout their year of service at local schools, businesses and festivals,” Goble said. “In addition, both Miss Pierce County and Miss Pierce County’s Outstanding Teen are ambassadors for their platforms. During the year they will make appearances to promote and raise awareness of their platforms throughout the county.”
Every February the Pierce County contest hosts the More Than a Crown and Gown Scholarship Gala. The next gala will be held on February 9, 2019 at the Pioneer Park Pavilion in Puyallup.

“We strive to teach a set of skills that are not taught in today’s classroom,” Goble said. “Of those skills, interviewing to me, is the best skill that is taught. I have personally witnessed young women who came to our program that could not look me in the eye when they introduced themselves. These same young women struggled through the interview process at first, but through positive feedback and encouragement they learned how to overcome those fears.”

For more information about Miss Pierce County, please visit: misspiercecounty.org or https://www.facebook.com/misspiercecounty