A Sudbury teen is eyeing the top prize in the 2019 Miss North Crown pageant.
Grace Tilbury, 17, is a Grade 12 student at St. Charles College in Greater Sudbury. A self-proclaimed over achiever, she is currently the events co-ordinator for her student council, and she's a volunteer with with both the Northern Cancer Society and Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer.
Despite her busy schedule, Grace wants to represent her community as Miss North Ontario. She's a regional finalist in the pageant, and is vying for the crown against 41 other young ladies from across Northern Ontario.
The three-day pageant takes place May 9-11 here in Greater Sudbury. Voting will begin online at missnorthontario.ca starting April 15, where you can cast your vote for your preferred delegate. Up for grabs is $10,000 in prizes.
Grace admits she had preconceived notions about the pageant before she became involved. However, she was pleasantly surprised when she found out the organizers put the emphasis on this not being a beauty contest.
“It's really about showcasing your achievements and your community involvement.” Grace said. “There will be a few components similar to beauty pageants, such as contestants having to wear a dress and having their makeup done, but not once during this entire process have I felt like it was a stereotypical pageant vibe,”
That's what makes this pageant so special, she said.
“It focuses on what's on the inside, not what's on the outside, and that's what drew me to this pageant. I'm a big advocate of that. You could be the prettiest person on the outside, but you have to have more to offer than just looks.”
Grace's ultimate goal is to become a doctor, and she believes this experience will help give her an edge when it comes time for medical schools to select their students.
“I believe this will be an amazing and rewarding experience, even if I don't win,” Grace said. “We all want to win and to be able to represent our community, but if I don't, I still walk away knowing all the hard work I put in, and that my heart was in the right place.”
Grace knows the odds are stacked against her, having to go up against more than 40 other girls her age that bring a lot to the table.
“I have no experience with pageants, I'm not a model, and I don't have a background in dancing, so they are going to teach everyone what they need to know, such as public speaking and walking across the stage in high heels, which I'm really going to need,” she laughed.
“All of these girls were chosen for a reason, and I truly believe we all have something special to offer.”
The three-day pageant will be full of workshops and rehearsals before the big day. On May 11, judges will whittle down the list of delegates until the winner is eventually announced.
To find out more about the Miss North Ontario pageant, or to cast your vote, visit missnorthontario.ca.
