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72nd Schoolgirl Queen crowned
  
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By Francesca Olsen
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
Taylor Race, a soon-to-be high school senior in the Germantown School District, was crowned Schoolgirl Queen by last year’s reigning queen, Nicole Marie LaMountain, at the Columbia County Fair Friday evening.
The event, which marked 72 years of the schoolgirl queen competition, was hosted by emcees Meg Dooley, of Chatham; and Cathy Lee Visscher of Kinderhook, a former schoolgirl queen herself.
Kayla Clark of Chatham, Taylor Race, Kelsey Graziano of Hudson, Jillain Funk of Ichabod Crane, Linda Sowalski of New Lebanon, and Whitney Lynne Keefner of Taconic Hills stood as the finalists for the competition.
The girls met with judges Abigail and Bill Sohmer and Peter LaVigne of Chatham intensively earlier in the day in order for a winner to be chosen. According to Visscher, the judges look for “poise. They just basically talk to them. They look for focus, ambition, and articulate-ness.”
The finalists were chosen within their school districts. “For most of them, the class chooses. For some of them, faculty and advisers decide,” said Visscher.
During the interview process, Hudson City School district teacher Edgar Acevedo, who coordinates the competition with his wife, Muriel Faxon, said he was surprised by a comment made by one of the girls:
“She said this was the first time she’d ever had an interview … they thought this would help them with their college interviews,” he said. He’s probably right; looking poised, calm and collected in front of a crowd, as these young women have done, is good preparation for anything.
“They’re available role models for the juniors in their schools, if something might come up,” Acevedo said. “It’s such a great situation. Cathy Lee and Meg are such wonderful role models for these girls.” He said it was wonderful to experience interactions between “self-confident women and these young ladies, who have their own confidence...in one day, it’s just the greatest experience with these girls professionally.”
The competition was sponsored by First Niagara Bank and the Columbia County Agricultural Society board of directors.
The young women also were greeted by an honored guest: the 1959 Schoolgirl Queen, Miss Chatham herself, Barbara Burfeint Vianni. She came back to Columbia County for her 50th high school reunion and was cheered in the stands by several of her old classmates.
When the emcees asked her what it was like when she was crowned in 1959, she said, “I couldn’t believe it! I was a nervous wreck!”
Visscher and Dooley introduced the contending queens to the crowd. Clark told the audience about her love of travel.
“I really fell in love with traveling a couple of summers ago when I went to Honduras,” she said. She was there for a community service program, helping build efficient, clean-burning stoves for families who did not have one. She said she hopes to do more service work in the future.
Race is a member of the Germantown Humanitarian Organization and has thrown herself into community service. “I love children,” she said. “They’re our future. I hope to work with children as my career.” She added that she was considering a career as a pediatric nurse practitioner.
Graziano spoke about her love for her family — she goes to almost every single one of her little sister’s sports games to cheer her on. “Family is a big part of my life. When I’m not playing the sport she plays I go and watch her...I’m always with my family.”
Funk is a member of the Crane Acting Troupe and has done a lot of work with the Valatie Community Theater. She is an actor, singer and dancer and has recently had the opportunity to choreograph some shows herself, including a cabaret act this past summer.
“It was a real honor,” she said. “It’s a way to express myself, through dancing, acting and singing.” Funk added that off stage, she was normally shy, so the opportunity to use the arts is a great one for her.
Sowalski is a member of a roller derby team, as well as a member of her school’s wrestling team. She is one of the only female wrestlers in the school. “It’s a sport that I can do, and that not a lot of other people do,” she said. “It’s a wide variety of excitement. Most of the people on the team didn’t think I would make it past the first two weeks, but I did.”
Keefner is also active in community service and serves her school on a youth court. A group of students use the Copake court room to meet with other students from the high school who have accrued violations, or even misdemeanors. She said she wasn’t planning to take this activity further or pursue a law-related career because “I just don’t find it that interesting.”
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
The event, which marked 72 years of the schoolgirl queen competition, was hosted by emcees Meg Dooley, of Chatham; and Cathy Lee Visscher of Kinderhook, a former schoolgirl queen herself.
Kayla Clark of Chatham, Taylor Race, Kelsey Graziano of Hudson, Jillain Funk of Ichabod Crane, Linda Sowalski of New Lebanon, and Whitney Lynne Keefner of Taconic Hills stood as the finalists for the competition.
The girls met with judges Abigail and Bill Sohmer and Peter LaVigne of Chatham intensively earlier in the day in order for a winner to be chosen. According to Visscher, the judges look for “poise. They just basically talk to them. They look for focus, ambition, and articulate-ness.”
The finalists were chosen within their school districts. “For most of them, the class chooses. For some of them, faculty and advisers decide,” said Visscher.
During the interview process, Hudson City School district teacher Edgar Acevedo, who coordinates the competition with his wife, Muriel Faxon, said he was surprised by a comment made by one of the girls:
“She said this was the first time she’d ever had an interview … they thought this would help them with their college interviews,” he said. He’s probably right; looking poised, calm and collected in front of a crowd, as these young women have done, is good preparation for anything.
“They’re available role models for the juniors in their schools, if something might come up,” Acevedo said. “It’s such a great situation. Cathy Lee and Meg are such wonderful role models for these girls.” He said it was wonderful to experience interactions between “self-confident women and these young ladies, who have their own confidence...in one day, it’s just the greatest experience with these girls professionally.”
The competition was sponsored by First Niagara Bank and the Columbia County Agricultural Society board of directors.
The young women also were greeted by an honored guest: the 1959 Schoolgirl Queen, Miss Chatham herself, Barbara Burfeint Vianni. She came back to Columbia County for her 50th high school reunion and was cheered in the stands by several of her old classmates.
When the emcees asked her what it was like when she was crowned in 1959, she said, “I couldn’t believe it! I was a nervous wreck!”
Visscher and Dooley introduced the contending queens to the crowd. Clark told the audience about her love of travel.
“I really fell in love with traveling a couple of summers ago when I went to Honduras,” she said. She was there for a community service program, helping build efficient, clean-burning stoves for families who did not have one. She said she hopes to do more service work in the future.
Race is a member of the Germantown Humanitarian Organization and has thrown herself into community service. “I love children,” she said. “They’re our future. I hope to work with children as my career.” She added that she was considering a career as a pediatric nurse practitioner.
Graziano spoke about her love for her family — she goes to almost every single one of her little sister’s sports games to cheer her on. “Family is a big part of my life. When I’m not playing the sport she plays I go and watch her...I’m always with my family.”
Funk is a member of the Crane Acting Troupe and has done a lot of work with the Valatie Community Theater. She is an actor, singer and dancer and has recently had the opportunity to choreograph some shows herself, including a cabaret act this past summer.
“It was a real honor,” she said. “It’s a way to express myself, through dancing, acting and singing.” Funk added that off stage, she was normally shy, so the opportunity to use the arts is a great one for her.
Sowalski is a member of a roller derby team, as well as a member of her school’s wrestling team. She is one of the only female wrestlers in the school. “It’s a sport that I can do, and that not a lot of other people do,” she said. “It’s a wide variety of excitement. Most of the people on the team didn’t think I would make it past the first two weeks, but I did.”
Keefner is also active in community service and serves her school on a youth court. A group of students use the Copake court room to meet with other students from the high school who have accrued violations, or even misdemeanors. She said she wasn’t planning to take this activity further or pursue a law-related career because “I just don’t find it that interesting.”
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
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