Miss Independence contestants ready for the pageant on Saturday

As the Miss Independence 2020 Pageant gets closer each day the 8 Miss Independence contestants are feeling both nervous and excited, but ready to participate in the event to take place on Saturday September 26th at Ngarachamayong Cultural Center.
During the beginning of their journey to Miss Independence, some of the ladies were either unsure or not planned on taking part in the competition.
Mouana Akiko West said that “I wasn’t planning to join the competition, but my mom and aunty (who works with the pageant committee) encouraged me to join.
While Sifumi Midar said at first she was not sure if she would join due to the pandemic and her work with the Ministry of Health. However, her work with the Ministry of Health has kept her going because she wants to use the Miss Independence platform to educate and encourage COVID-19 preventative measures to the people.
While others thought that this competition can help them with their shyness or anxiety.
Kanoelani Foy describes herself as a shy person and she wanted to take part in Miss Independence to show the youth that are like her that they can do it too.
Asterlyn Salvador said that she is shy and initially did not want to take part in the competition. “I did not want to be near the mic or the stage.” Said Asterlyn.
However, her family and friends encouraged her to continue and as time went on she became more confident in herself. She’s glad that she did not give up and continued to push through.
Franjean Dilungil Shiro was not confident at first, but got encouragement to continue. While Juana Emengel Shiro is not a big fan of crowds, but her family and co-workers encouraged her to join so she wanted to take part in the beauty pageant so she can work on her confidence.
Looking back at their journey, the girls remarked that it has been difficult yet fulfilling in the end.
Aimie Omreng Sid Oilouch described this experience as a rollercoaster and has wanted to pull out of the competition a couple of times. She said that she had a lot to balance such as family matters, school, and work. Her mother motivated her to continue. After that she set her mind and her heart to do it.
“It was hard, but worth in the end.” Said Aimie. She went on to say that she wants to improve her posture, confidence, delivery, and walk for the competition.
Rukebai Kacey Kikuo also thought that this experience has been hard, but a really good experience for her in the end. She said that she learned a lot from her Delal a Ngloik Teacher and wishes that there were more opportunities for the younger generation to learn. This experience has connected her with new people and that they all support one another.
Each of the ladies will show their best island wear, traditional wear, career wear, and evening wear. There will also be a talent portion in the show as well as question and answer category. The turnout of the event might be massive with 500 tickets already sold.