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: Brittany Malin

Contestant number: 5

Age: 18

Height: 5 foot 8

Eye color: Blue

Parents: Mike and Leslie Malin

Brothers: Tyler, age 16, and Johnathan, age 9

School Attending: Dowagiac Union High School

Grade: 12th

School activities: National Honor Society, The Chieftain Monitor, Chamber choir, varsity volleyball

Activities: Dance, voice lessons

Interests and hobbies: Horseback riding, wakeboarding, archery, snowboarding, scuba diving

Awards and honors: High honors, qualified for state choir solo and ensemble, received varsity letter for volleyball

Three words to describe you: Determined, curious, adventurous

What are your ambitions and plans after graduation? My ambitions and plans after graduation are to go to college and pursue a career in marine biology.

What is your greatest accomplishment? My greatest accomplishment will be finishing high school in the top ten of my class.

Why did you decide to compete for the title of Miss Dowagiac? I decided to compete for the title of Miss Dowagiac 2015 because I would love to represent my town and try something new I have never participated in before.