Emily Hamilton aspires to win Miss Teen NL pageant

It is challenging, exciting and they can't wait to begin.

Three young women from the Green Bay area have been chosen to compete for the crown of Miss Teen NL. They are Cassidy Paxton of South Brook and Springdale residents Taylor Vincent and Emily Hamilton.

The competition takes place from March 25 - 28 in St. John's and includes 32 contestants from across the province. The girls will spend about a week together and be evaluated by a panel of judges in a number of different areas. There will also be a night of on-stage presentations at the Arts and Culture Centre on March 28, the final day of judging.

Ms. Hamilton, 16, will be contestant number 21.

"It's a good opportunity for anybody to go for," she said. "I just wanted to broaden my horizons and experience new things."

The Grade 10 Indian River High student enjoys skating, swimming, and writing poems and songs as some of her hobbies. As a student taking voice lessons, music has a lot of prominence in her life. She is thinking about singing for the optional talent contest held during the event, but notes that the judges are looking beyond those abilities when deciding who to crown.

"There are seminars on careers and things like that, and we're having a fitness test, an academic test and we each have an interview with the judges. Those are all worth points, but the talent portion is not worth any points - it's optional and just for fun. It's about inner beauty, too."

The winner of this year's pageant will receive the Miss Teen NL Excellence scholarship valued at $1,500 and will have the opportunity to travel throughout the province, being part of community celebrations, provincial sporting events and fundraisers. They will also be able to promote a cause of their choice. Ms. Hamilton has decided to do an anti-bullying campaign if she wins.

She feels that speaking before an audience will be one of the most challenging aspects of the pageant. Each of the top 10 finalists have to recite a speech from memory and those who land in the top five have to answer questions on stage.

"That's pretty nerve wrecking. It's on stage in front of people," she said.

Each of the Green Bay contestants has initiated fan groups on the popular social-networking site, Facebook. They are encouraging people to vote for them on the Miss Teen NL website, which could help them win the People's Choice Award. Ms. Hamilton appreciates the feedback and support she is receiving on her group.

"I have a lot of comments and good lucks, and people saying they hope I win," she said.