DOWAGIAC — The 2023 Miss Dowagiac Scholarship Pageant will be hosted at 7 p.m. Saturday, January 28, at the Dowagiac Middle School Performing Arts Center.  Tickets are available at the Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce office, 200 Depot Drive, Dowagiac, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Monday to Friday. Any remaining tickets will be available at the door the night of the Pageant. Tickets are priced at $15 each, and must be paid by cash or check. 

Leader Publications has been featuring the nine contestants over the course of the past two days. Introducing 2023 Miss Dowagiac Scholarship Pageant contestants Jessa Davis, Sara Torbet and Amelia Rose Jones:

Name: Jessa Davis

Contestant Number: 7

Age: 18

Parents/Guardians: Eric and Shelly Davis

School Attending: Dowagiac Union High School

Grade: 12th

School Activities: Girls Varsity Soccer, Track, and Rotary Club

Outside Activities: Playing travel soccer, I enjoy hanging out with friends and family, I love

listening to music with my older brother, Maurice, and playing indoor soccer in the winter time.

Interests and hobbies: Working out at the gym, shooting soccer balls at the soccer field, traveling with family, and going for early morning runs

What are your ambitions and plans after graduation?

My ambitions and plans after graduation are to attend college for dentistry. While attending

college I also plan to play soccer.

What is your greatest accomplishment(s)?

My greatest accomplishment is who I am right now. Without my faith in god and constant hard

work, I wouldn’t be the strong young woman that I am today.

What are three words to describe you? Independent, Ambitious, and Loyal

Why did you decide to compete for the title of Miss Dowagiac? I decided to compete for the title of Miss Dowagiac because it gives me the opportunity to see my community in a different light and become more involved, gain skills such as public speaking and time management, as well as grow my self-confidence. As a little girl, my mother brought me to the pageants. Watching the contestants walk across the stage in their pretty dresses full of confidence really inspired me.

Name: Sara Torbet

Contestant Number: 8

Age: 17

Parents/Guardians: Mom Jennie and James Torbet

School Attending: Dowagiac Union High School

Grade: 12

School Activities: Marching, Concert and Jazz Band, Theater and Journalism

Interests and Hobbies: Volunteering at Feeding America Food Trucks and ACTION Ministries Food Pantry, babysitting, baking.

Awards and Honors: Patrick S. Gilmore Band Award, High Honors

What are your ambitions and plans after graduation? Attend Lake Michigan College, major in Health Sciences and earn my Associates degree in Dental Assisting.

What is your greatest accomplishment(s)? Earning the position of Drum Major my senior year

What are three words to describe you? Helpful, hard-working, goofy

Why did you decide to compete for Miss Dowagiac 2023? I looked up to the former Miss Dowagiac courts when I was younger. I one day want to represent my community the same way they did. I also want to be able to serve my community in more ways than I do now.

Name: Amelia Rose Jones

Contestant Number: 9

Age: 18

Parents: Brett and Virginia Martynowicz

School Attending: Dowagiac Union High School

Grade: 12th

School Activities: Competitive Cheerleading, Sideline Cheerleading, Choir, Marching/Concert

Band, Jazz Band, Track and Field, Environmental Club, and Theater.

Interest and Hobbies: Singing/songwriting, playing instruments (alto sax and ukulele), acting,

and drawing (specifically portraits), Assisting in Rocket Cheer coaching, Student senate and

Chieftain Heart. I enjoy helping backstage with makeup for theatrical productions.

Awards and Honors: 2021 Career and Technical Education Outstanding Student Award

Winner. Qualified for the Division 2 State Track championship for High Jump. Dowagiac

Division 3 win for competitive cheer in 2022. Senior captain of the Varsity Cheer Squad.

Division 1 rating in Class C of the MSBOA District 6 Band; Orchestra Festival. Honor Roll student. Wave Award Nomination for Outstanding lead actress playing Jordan in Ranked the

Musical. Woodwind section leader in band junior and senior year.

What are your ambitions and plans after graduation? I am still debating on what

college/university I will attend after high school. My top three contenders are Central Michigan

University, Western Michigan University, and Grand Valley State University. My plan is to

major in psychology and minor in communications. I aim to stay in Michigan so I can be near

family and friends as I complete my degree. Though I do want a life full of travel, I know

Dowagiac will always be my home base.

What is your greatest accomplishment(s)? My greatest accomplishment is the journey of

personal development I’ve undertaken since moving to Dowagiac Schools. Dowagiac Union

High School has offered me so many opportunities to grow as a person and pursue my interests,

and for that I’ll always be grateful. I was very insecure and withdrawn but eventually became a

confident and outgoing person thanks to my experiences in activities such as choir, cheer, band,

and theater. With the help of these things, I have gained many wonderful personal relationships

and lifelong friends. Coming from someone who took a while to find herself, I can confidently

say that I love who I am now thanks to Dowagiac.

What are three words to describe you? The three words I would use to describe me are loyal,

passionate, and curious.

Why did you decide to compete for Miss Dowagiac 2023? If someone had told me my

freshman year that I would eventually compete for the title of Miss Dowagiac, I would have

never believed them. However, when my friends encouraged me to sign up for the pageant, I was

excited. It took me a while to warm up to the idea, seeing as how I’ve always struggled with stage fright, but I knew this was something I wanted to do. I thought to myself “If I can get up on

the stage and sing, play instruments, and act for the community, then I can be confident enough

to do this for myself”. I knew this would be a wonderful chance and be a real memory making

experience with my friends that I will remember for many years to come. I have

decided to compete for this not only in hopes of winning Miss Dowagiac 2023, but to spend time

with my friends, make memories to cherish, and to serve my community.