Five will vie for Miss Sanpete; eight for teen title

EPHRAIM—Thirteen “high caliber” candidates will take the stage at the 60th annual Miss Sanpete County and Outstanding Teen competition on Saturday, August 7 at 7 p.m. at the Snow College Eccles Performing Arts Center.

Five talented and qualified candidates will compete for the job of Miss Sanpete County, and eight impressive candidates will compete for Miss Sanpete County’s Outstanding Teen. Charlee Sorensen of Aurora is Miss Utah Outstanding Teen and will be the emcee for the evening.

Abby Ivory, Executive Director of the competition, said she impressed with the caliber of this year’s competing class.

“These candidates are prepared and excited to serve our community,” she said. “Each candidate has a social initiative that she is ready to implement in our county. We are excited to see who will get the job.”

The Miss Sanpete County Organization is part of the Miss America Organization, which is a nationally recognized non-profit and serves as one of the largest providers of scholarship assistance to young women in the world.

This unique program is a year-round opportunity for teens (ages 13-17) and women (ages 18-24) to earn scholarships, grow their networks, learn valuable life and career skills and make a difference in their communities.

This year, the Miss Sanpete County organization is pleased to award over $5,000 in scholarships for college education to the winners, including two new scholarships: The Heart of Gold scholarship will be awarded to the candidate with the most impressive community service resume; and the Academic Scholarship will go to the candidate with the highest overall performance in academics.

“We are thrilled to be able to increase the amount of scholarships paid out to young women in Sanpete County,” said Ivory. “When our Board formed two years ago, our primary goal was to increase the scholarship fund. We are grateful for our sponsors, local Sanpete businesses, who so generously contribute to this fund and have helped make this possible. We also extend our thanks to the Sanpete County Commission for their support of this organization.”

Candidates for Miss Sanpete County are:

Hope Marsing

Hope is the daughter of Nick and Christina Marsing of Manti. She will perform a vocal solo for her talent. Her social impact initiative is “Stand Up and Stand Out,” in which she plans to spread positivity and kindness.

Shaelynn Johnson

Shaelynn is the daughter of Ryan and Cassie Johnson of Fountain Green. She will be performing a vocal solo for her talent. She plans to raise awareness on the importance of ATV safety through her platform “Nobody is Invincible – Importance of ATV Safety.”

Kathryn Christensen

Kathryn is the daughter of Alan and Becky Christensen from Manti. She will perform a vocal solo for her talent. Through her initiative, “C.E.L.L.S. – Care, Educate, Love, Listen, Support,” she hopes to inspire Sanpete County to be a safer place for people to reach out for help when they struggle with mental health challenges.

Ashtyn Childs

Ashtyn is the daughter of Gary and Anne Childs of Centerfield. She will perform a jazz dance for her talent. Ashtyn is passionate about her initiative, “Be Uniquely You,” which focuses on helping children recognize that our differences make us unique and to appreciate them.

Karlie Strickland

Karlie, the daughter of Cody Strickland and Harmonie Poppleton, lives in Ephraim. She will perform a vocal solo for her talent. Her initiative is “Breaking the Silence,” which focuses on human trafficking. She plans to raise awareness on the growing concern.

Candidates for Miss Sanpete County’s Outstanding Teen are:

Abriana Corona

Abriana is the daughter of Pablo and Myra Corona and resides in Centerfield. For her talent she will perform a hip hop dance solo. Her initiative is “Dance Movement Towards Better Health.” She plans to encourage the public to be active for improved mental and physical health.

Shae Rawlinson

Shae is the daughter of Sean and Shauna Rawlinson of Fairview. For her talent she will perform a monologue. Through her initiative, “Peace of Mind,” she plans to raise awareness about using kindness as a tool to help youth who struggle with mental health issues.

Maycie Jo Reese

Maycie is the daughter of Cory and Julie Reese of Mt. Pleasant. She will perform a violin solo for her talent. She plans to bring great awareness about the Utah Honor Flight, through her social initiative, “Fiddlin Around and Raisin’ Money for the Utah Honor Flight.”

Madison Shelley

Madison is the daughter of Robert and Candice Shelley from Mt. Pleasant. For her talent, she will perform a vocal solo and play the ukulele. Her initiative is “Kids in the Kitchen.” She plans to educate youth about the benefits of healthy eating and how to cook healthy meals.

Ali Hatch

Ali is the daughter of Alan and Ady Hatch of Sterling. She will be performing a lyrical dance for her talent. She is excited to share her social initiative, “Breaking the Silence.” Ali wants to break the stigma surrounding mental health and help people feel more comfortable talking about it and getting the help they need.

Haley Sevy

Haley is the daughter of Robert and Emily Sevy of Ephraim. She will perform a contemporary dance for her talent. Through her social initiative “Foster to Success,” she plans to advocate for and raise the awareness about children in foster care.

Harmony Durtschi

Harmony is the daughter of Lawrence and Denise Durtschi of Ephraim. She will perform a vocal solo for her talent. Her initiative is “V.O.I.C.E: Valuable, Outstanding, Intelligent, Courageous, and Excellent.”  She plans to help individuals with special needs feel accepted and give them a voice.

Lakely Brotherson

Lakely is the daughter of Jared and Liz Brotherson of Wales. For her talent she will perform a jazz dance routine. Her platform is “Don’t MISS It! Mental Illness Silently Suffering.” Her goals are to educate about the signs of mental health, stop the stigma and improve the healthcare system.