Friday, June 27, 2003 | 5:39 a.m.
WEEKEND EDITION
June 28-29, 2003
Catherine Cole is smart, ambitious and loving. She embodies the qualities of a Junior Miss, according to her longtime friend and former contestant Bonnie Carmalt.
Tonight Cole will find out if she will get to carry the title for a year in the 2003 America's Junior Miss National Finals in Mobile, Ala.
The Las Vegas teen will represent Nevada in the nationally televised scholarship competition airing at 9 p.m. tonight on PAXTV (Cox cable channel 51). In its 46th year, the Junior Miss is the oldest and largest scholarship contest for young women and has awarded $83.6 million for schooling, organizers say.
It's not a beauty pageant, organizers insist, but a scholarship competition that focuses on the teens' accomplishments. Only after she was convinced of that difference did Cole's mother, Paula Naegle, become excited about it, she said.
"It's not just about being beautiful, it's about serving the community and pursuing education," Naegle said.
She added this was an "amazing" opportunity for young women because, in addition to the big prize, many smaller scholarships can be had.
Cole, 18, has already collected $1,900 from the state competition and won two national preliminary competitions: the $5,000 Hostess Award and the $1,000 Scrapbook Award. The Las Vegas Academy of Performing and Visual Arts graduate said she will use the money for her education at Chapman University in Orange, Calif.
Sponsored by the founder of Uppseedaisees, a loungewear label, the Hostess Award involves the complete planning of a slumber party. The hostess must name a theme that food, games, favors and decorations will follow. The winning party plan is then thrown for the girls a few days before the competition.
The All American Campout was Cole's winning theme.
"It was a mixture of all the family campouts I've been on," Cole said.
Seeing the party she planned on paper carried out boosted Cole's confidence, her mother said.
For the scrapbook competition, Naegle said, the contestants keep a detailed scrapbook of their Junior Miss experience from state to national competition.
Cole, whose friends call her Caydi, is not a beauty pageant veteran. She applied for the America's Junior Miss competition at the urging of Carmalt, who represented Nevada in the 2002 national competition.
"Caydi didn't want to do it at first, but she won the state title and ran with it," Carmalt said.
Carmalt said she has helped Cole prepare for the competition by giving her friend details only a former participant would know.
"I helped her prepare for the emotional and physical strain she will go through," she said.
Since arriving in Mobile, Cole's days have been busy with a rigorous rehearsal schedule. The teens were up every morning at 6:30 followed by a four- to five-hour block of practice for the opening and fitness numbers with a choreographer, she said.
Although the schedule is difficult, Naegle said her daughter has been making great friends.
"The girls are competing but they are still bonding," she said.
As a Junior Miss, Cole's duties include spreading the group's message, "Be your best self."
Cole and 49 other teens will compete tonight in five categories:
The thought of being on national television and competing against other talented teens has made Cole nervous, but she said she is confident in her abilities. Carmalt shares her friend's confidence.
"It makes me jealous to see how well she has done, but I am proud of her," said Carmalt, who won $5,000 in scholarships last year.
Although Junior Miss has been around for 46 years, it is not well known in Nevada, Naegle said. There were only five competitors at the state competition, and Naegle said she hopes more young women will participate because the great scholarship opportunities.
Past participants across the nation include Diane Sawyer, Debra Messing, Deborah Norville, Kim Basinger and Kathie Lee Gifford.
Junior Miss Executive Director Lynne Bellew said in a statement, "The America's Junior Miss program attracts some of the finest well-rounded young women in the country."
The next Nevada state competition is scheduled for Jan. 16-18 and is open to all high school senior girls. See the official website for more details at ajm.org.
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