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Crowning achievement
Published June 16, 2009
Shelby Cochran is the new Marshall County Junior Miss 2010. The incoming Albertville High School senior was chosen at MCJM Saturday during the annual program at the Bevill Center at Snead State Community College.
“I have always wanted to do this and am so excited to have been chosen the winner,” Cochran said Monday afternoon.
“One of my best friends, Mari Glenn Golden, won in 2007 and helped me and encouraged me through the process.”
Cochran won a total of $4,700 in cash scholarships to the college of her choice. She was chosen overall winner and placed first in four of five competition categories, including fitness, scholastic, self-expression, and talent, and won the essay competition.
In addition to the scholarships, Cochran received a six-month membership to the Marshall Medical Wellness Center.
In January, Cochran and more than 50 other Junior Miss county winners will compete for theAlabama Junior Miss title and additional scholarship money.
Sara Allen, chairman of the Marshall County Junior Miss board of directors, said she was pleased with both the participation and community support this year.
“The best thing to come out of this considering the economic climate is the $8,000 in cash scholarships we were able to award. That’s even more than last year,” she said.
“But I’m proud I wasn’t a judge. We had a lot of great talent among the contestants this year and it would have been difficult to choose.”
Cochran, the daughter of Tony and Wendi Cochran, sang “I Dreamed a Dream” in the talent competition. She is a member of the Southern Stars danceline and the CenterStage! competition show choir.
She has hopes of attending the University of Alabama, although she has yet to decide on a major, she said.
Other winners Saturday night were first runner-up Chelsea Green, of Arab, and Mary Dea Covington, second runner-up, of Guntersville. Green pocketed a $1,200 scholarship with Covington receiving a $700 scholarship and an additional $500 scholarship as the overall fitness winner.
Kacie McClendon, of Asbury, was named Spirit of Junior Miss winner and received a $500 scholarship. Carley Hallman, of Arab, won the Fan Club and Sponsors Award and a $400 scholarship.
America’s Junior Miss began in 1957 and uses the same format of evaluation at the local, state and national levels of competition. Judging criteria is not based on physical appearance but places emphasis on education.
Contestants are judged on interview, talent, scholastic achievement, self-expression and fitness.
“I think I had an advantage when it came to being on stage in front of people. Being part of the show choir and danceline, I knew what it was like to be in front of an audience”
“Junior Miss is about being the best self you can be and a scholarship program,” Cochran said.
“I will encourage other girls to enter this program. (Working with and getting to know) the girls was the best part. They are all so nice, so incredibly talented and we are all now best friends.”
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