Sign-ups for the 78th-annual Miss Dowagiac Scholarship Pageant will be Oct. 3-7 at Dowagiac Union High School.

A mandatory meeting for all those interested will take place at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7.

Director Jessica (Cuthbert) Voldrich, Miss Dowagiac 2002, has taken the reigns and will be available to answer questions during the high school lunch hour on Oct. 3 and 4 for girls who meet the requirements to participate. The current Miss Dowagiac, Anne Zebell, will also be in attendance.

According to Voldrich, girls who apply must be 17 years old by the cut-off date of Jan. 1. Other requirements include living in the Dowagiac School District year-round and attending Dowagiac Union Schools. Applicants must also have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher at the end of the semester prior to the application and good school attendance, which pageant officials will verify with the school.

Voldrich also said, after the applications have been reviewed, a Social will take place Wednesday, Nov. 9, at the Dowagiac Area History Museum for all contestants and their parents and, or guardians. At that time applicants will receive more detailed pageant information, have their questions answered and will have their headshots taken.  The scholarship pageant is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21.

For more information on the pageant or how to apply, contact Voldrich at MissDowagiacScholarshipPageant@gmail.com.