Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) is hosting a preliminary to the Miss Virginia/Miss America scholarship program for the second time in one year. The crowning of Miss PHCC 2018 will take place on Saturday, November 11 at 7 p.m.
Officials say they scheduled the pageant in November to give the winner more time to prepare for the Miss Virginia pageant which is held in June every year.
“February to June was just not enough time for the paperwork, the training, the community service, and all that is involved in being Miss PHCC,” says Miss PHCC’s Executive Director Jane Leizer. “We want to be sure that all future Miss PHCC’s have a full, enjoyable, and meaningful experience. We were rushed this year, but Demi [Richardson – Miss PHCC 2017] handled the extensive schedule exceptionally well.
Although scheduling the Miss PHCC 2018 three months earlier will cut Richardson’s reign as Miss PHCC 2017 a little short, Richardson probably won’t mind too much. She will be busy furthering her education this semester thanks to more than $20,000 worth of scholarships which she won through the pageant process.
“Before winning Miss PHCC, I really was unsure whether I could continue pursuing higher education. I didn’t even know if I could complete my degree at PHCC,” says Richardson, “I would never have dreamed that by August I would be enrolled in Hollins University! I can say, without a doubt, that this experience has changed my life.”
When Richardson scored among the Top 10 in the 2017 Miss Virginia competition she set the bar high for the next Miss PHCC. Richardson says, even though she will be working toward her degree this year, she will come to Martinsville as often as possible to help prepare the next Miss PHCC to go as far and further in the Miss Virginia 2018 pageant.
Richardson, Leizer, and PHCC’s President Dr. Angeline Godwin are hosting an information session on Monday, July 17 at 6 p.m. in the Walker Café for young women interested in competing in the Miss PHCC 2018 competition. The college’s scholarship pageant is open to females currently enrolled or previously enrolled at PHCC. Contestants must be at least 17 years old by November 11 and can be no older than 24 years old as of December 31, 2018.
The application and additional information can be found at www.patrickhenry.edu/MissPHCC. Completed applications must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 1.
