Local girl going to competition
The Osoyoos native, who competed and won the local honour of representing Osoyoos in 2003, will be competing in the B.C. Ambassador program August 9 – 13 in Merritt. Murseli will face tough competition against thirteen other candidates, all past royalty from around British Columbia, for one of three coveted positions.
In the past the program was known as the Miss British Columbia Pageant, but was changed to accommodate three winners rather then one.
The hard working winners will not only enjoy the privilege of representing British Columbia but, they will also receive scholarships and bursaries towards their respective post secondary educations. Murseli, who attends the University of British Columbia, will be entering her second year in the fall.
Lissa has been hard at work preparing for the program since she signed up in April. The competition will be judged on a variety of aspects but focuses on a few key elements. The first portion of the pageant has the girls write a lengthy knowledge exam on the economy, history, and key facts of B.C.; next the candidates are required to perform a talent and have two prepared speeches. The talent and open speech are given and judged on the Friday; Lissa has chosen to recite a poem by Shel Silverstein as her talent. Her open speech topic is Be the difference that makes the difference.
The second speech, judged Saturday, sees each competitor showcasing the individual and unique qualities of their respective hometowns. Finally the girls are required to meet with the judges for their individual interviews; the judges are working professionals whose skills are pertinent to individual areas of the competition (ie: speech trainer).
Lissa entered the competition because she had lots of fun representing Osoyoos, but adds, [the B.C. Ambassador Program] will give me the opportunity to take on a greater leadership role.rn
