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Scholarship pageant
never sold out ideals

I recently learned America's Junior Miss Scholarship Program is ending its amazing 48-year run, although for me the news wasn't a total surprise. For many years, potential sponsors shied away from the program because it didn't offer the glitz of other teen programs.

The program started the year I turned 10. Two years later, Henry Chang, my best friend's dad, brought the program to Hawaii under the sponsorship of the Hawaii Jaycees program. Unlike other scholarship contests for girls, that often involved parading in front of judges in swimsuits, the Junior Miss program was geared toward finding outstanding high school girls. Period. Participants had to be smart.

When my girlfriend and I were seniors at Roosevelt High School, we were too cool to participate in the program, but another friend represented McKinley that year and did well. This friend's cousin would represent Scared Hearts Academy a few years later and would go on to win the state title.

Funny how life has its twists. Fast forward to 1985. I was working at First Hawaiian Bank and received a call to attend a meeting. What happened next is still a little cloudy to me, but after the meeting, I was suddenly secretary of the Board of Directors of Hawaii's Junior Miss, Inc. I eventually became state chairwoman and attended three national competitions, retiring from the program only a few years ago.

I CALLED Corlis Chang, executive vice president and state chairman of Hawaii's Junior Miss, Inc., when I heard the news about the program's ending and we made a promise to get the old board together to reminisce and share a few laughs.

The years I spent on the board were fulfilling and inspiring. I met girls from all over the state, all accomplished young women who represented a cross section of Hawaii that makes us so unique. I was continually amazed to see such talent, athleticism and brains in such a variety of packages. I made a lot of friends through the program and I'm still friendly with a number of parents, too.

A few years ago a major theme park offered to sponsor the Junior Miss program with a proviso calling for the addition of a swimsuit competition, causing an uproar from the volunteers at nationals that year. None of us wanted to sell out our young women by parading them in swimsuits on national television. We wanted their accomplishments highlighted. Ours was a scholarship program first and foremost. What message would we have sent to young women by accepting funds in exchange for their showing some skin?

It's sad that the national board of directors had the difficult task of deciding to end the program. In its 48 years of existence, thousands of young women nationwide had the opportunity to be recognized for their scholastic accomplishments and were rewarded with millions in scholarship funds.

I offer my congratulations on a great half century for a program that proved to be very cool after all, for having kept its integrity to the end.

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