The newest member of Dowagiac’s royal sisterhood will be crowned later this month, as the Miss Dowagiac Scholarship Pageant hosts its 77th ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 23.

Over the next two weeks, the Dowagiac Daily News will feature the profiles of the 10 ladies vying for the crown.

This year’s pageant will begin at 7 p.m. inside the Dowagiac Middle School Performing Arts Center. Tickets for the event are available inside the office of the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, inside the Dowagiac train depot.

Name: Heather Stolpe

Contestant number: 2

Age: 18

Height: 5 foot 5

Eye color: Blue

Parents/guardians: Jennifer and Dave Stolpe

Brothers/sisters: Lynsie Stolpe, age 13

School attending: Dowagiac Union High

Grade: 12

School activities: Chieftain Heart, suicide awareness and prevention program

Outside activities: 4H, Working at Lindy’s, Caruso’s, and Dowagiac Auto Body, which is my family’s business.

Interests and hobbies: Reading, drawing, photo editing, spending time with my family.

Awards and honors: Teen court certification/recognition.

Three words to describe you: Kindred, adventurous, funny

What are your ambitions and plans after graduation? After graduation I am planning on furthering my education at SMC. I will be graduating high school with many credits that I will need in the criminal justice field which intend to go into. While I’m not sure on a specific career just yet I know I would like to have something to do with kids and making sure they are able to learn from their mistakes with out being put into a hostile environment.

What are your greatest accomplishments? I believe my greatest accomplishments were from the two years I helped in leading the suicide awareness and prevention program in our school. It showed people our school, students and members of the community care.

Why did you decide to compete for the title of Miss Dowagiac?

I decided to compete for the title of Miss Dowagiac, because I believe that beauty is not only on the outside but is displayed through intelligence, kindness, and the confidence to fail gracefully. I think that scholarship pageant is a great exhibitor of inner beauty strength and confidence with a little bit of glamor for fun. I also believe that the bonds us girls will make can last and be a good experience of comradery and grace.