Miss N.D. High School pageant to be held in Jamestown

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The Miss North Dakota High School America Pageant is set for this weekend at the Jamestown Civic Center.

The location is a pageant first, said Tricia Seckerson, pageant director and former Mrs. North Dakota 2008. Jamestown rarely hosts pageants, Seckerson said. But this year, the pageant location is in the director’s city of residence as well as the current title-holder’s.

Mercede Christ, 14, was crowned Miss North Dakota High School 2010.

Christ and Seckerson are sisters.

Despite common misperception, pageants aren’t all about beauty. They’re about poise, eloquence and self-promotion, Seckerson said.

Contestants are judged based on interview, fun fashion and evening wear. Contestants should think of the pageant as a job interview, rather than a beauty contest, she said, because winners are selected for some of the same reasons an employer selects an applicant.

“No, you don’t have to be a size 0,” Seckerson said.

Five contestants plan to participate this year and three of them are from Jamestown, Seckerson said.

Christ said she got involved with pageants to model after her older sister, but since then, she’s gained confidence and public-speaking skills. She’s even practiced with a speaking coach in Fargo who taught her to organize and present her thoughts. Now, Christ dreams of a career as a motivational speaker.

Christ represented North Dakota at the Miss High School America Pageant in March. She said she wasn’t intimidated by the other girls, but she learned a lot. She may even continue competing.

In addition to learning public speaking and personal presentation skills, the contestants also compete for scholarships and other prizes. The entrants in this weekend’s pageant compete for a prize package valued at more than $1,000, including the entry fee to nationals in March.

The public is invited to the pageant, which is set for Sunday. Tickets are $10 per adult, $5 for children and children under 6 years are admitted free.

Seckerson said she’s also looking for women to compete in the Miss North Dakota Collegiate Pageant and Mrs. North Dakota Pageant in October. Miss North Dakota Collegiate pageant contestants must be between 18 and 30 years old and enrolled in postsecondary coursework. Entrants may not have married nor had a child. Mrs. North Dakota contestants must have been married for at least six months.

Seckerson said she’s also considering hosting a junior miss pageant for sixth- through eighth-graders if she has enough interest.

For more information, contact Seckerson at missndhigh@hotmail.com or visit the national website, www.americashighschoolpageant.com.

Sun reporter Katie Ryan-Anderson can be reached at 701-952-8454 or kryan-anderson@jamestownsun.com

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