DOWAGIAC — This year, contestants of the Miss Dowagiac Scholarship Pageant have embraced new ideas and experiences.

The Miss Dowagiac 2020 Scholarship Pageant will be hosted from 7 to 9 p.m. this Saturday at the Dowagiac Middle School Performing Arts Center, 57072 Riverside Dr., Dowagiac. In its 81st year, 14 young women from the Dowagiac area will be competing for scholarships.

This year’s theme, “A Stroll through Winter Wonderland,” will be conveyed through onstage decorations. Beyond the theme, Pageant Chair Tracy Urbanski has been working to instill lessons in the contestants.

“This year, it is embracing,” Urbanski said. “We embrace each other. We welcome our differences and we embrace the phrase, ‘I can do this.’”

Urbanski said a new addition to this year’s pageant is that contestants work in groups on their platforms. Urbanski encouraged the contestants to make their platforms become part of their lives. The groups will present their platforms during the pageant. 

Urbanski said Dowagiac’s scholarship pageant is nothing like a beauty pageant.

“We are here to help these girls with their higher education,” Urbanski said. “We are trying to instill life values in them that they can use when they go onto college and into the workforce.”

During the preparation for the pageant, Urbanski said contestants learn etiquette skills — like writing thank you cards and how to sit and eat properly.

This year, scholarships are awarded to the queen, first runner up, second runner up, Miss Congeniality and a communications winner. Urbanski’s mother’s memorial scholarship, the Judy Dodd Memorial Community Service Scholarship, will also be awarded to a contestant.

Through the months leading up to the pageant, Urbanski has first-hand experienced the growth in each young woman competing.

“Saying your platform and name while introducing yourself in a microphone in front of your peers is tough,” Urbanski said. “Once we got over that hurdle, they became very supportive of each other.”

Leading up to the pageant, Urbanski has tried to get the contestants to go out into the Dowagiac community. They have volunteered at the community luncheon, the Candlelight Christmas Parade and helped children decorate cookies during Dowagiac’s 24th annual Ice Time Festival hosted this past Saturday.

“These girls have really just come out of their shell,” she said.

Another essential part of the pageant, Urbanski said, is the chance for contestants to practice mock interviews with judges. Contests learned how to answer questions and how to dress for success.

“We’ve had girls tell us that they would have never owned a professional business outfit if it wasn’t for Miss Dowagiac,” Urbanski said. “We don’t base this on the cost of your dress, your formal or your fashion-forward dress that you wear. We encourage borrowing and consignment shops because everyone should be able to afford to apply for scholarships.”