2024 Miss Quincy and Miss Quincy’s Teen Competition to be held Saturday
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Miss Quincy 2023 Shelby Rose and Miss Quincy’s Teen 2023 Molly Gerard.
Miss Quincy Scholarship Program officials announced in a release Tuesday that the annual Miss Quincy and Miss Quincy’s Teen Competition will be held on Jan. 6 at 6 p.m.
The Miss Quincy Scholarship Program will welcome 13 delegates from the local area to the competition, which will take place at Quincy Community Theatre. The theme for the event is “Long Live Cowgirls,” and will feature special performances by Texas native and professional trick roper and whip cracker, Kole Minor; speed painter Matt Lovell; vocalist Tamika Latchison; and Ashley’s Dance Company. The WearHouse will have “The Hat Bar” set up in the lobby of the Oakley-Lindsay Center to offer attendees the opportunity to customize their own cowgirl hats.
Seven young women will compete for the opportunity to become Miss Quincy and earn a $3,000 college scholarship and thousands of dollars in prizes. The winner will represent Quincy at Miss Illinois, a preliminary competition to Miss America, this June in Marion. Six young women are vying for the title of Miss Quincy’s Teen, a preliminary competition to Miss Illinois’ Teen and Miss America’s Teen. In addition to prizes, the winner will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship courtesy of Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing & Health Sciences.
All delegates will compete in the areas of private interview, talent, evening wear, on-stage question, and health and fitness. After the elimination of the swimsuit competition in 2018, the Miss America Organization is bringing fitness back to the stage this year. All delegates will model red activewear to support the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign. To launch this new initiative, Blessing Health System is sponsoring the health and fitness phase of the 2024 Miss Quincy and Miss Quincy’s Teen competition.
“We are thrilled to partner with Blessing to further an overall goal of improving women’s health and well-being in our community,” said Miss Quincy Executive Director Lindsey Hess. “Our delegates have enthusiastically embraced the return of the health and fitness phase of competition to support the Go Red for Women movement.”
Also new this year are Digital Strategist Awards, sponsored by Vervocity. Each delegate is utilizing social media platforms to promote her personal brand, raise awareness for her community service initiative, and educate on the impact of the Miss Quincy Scholarship Program. Vervocity will be awarding a generous scholarship to a winner in both the Miss Quincy and Miss Quincy’s Teen divisions. “The Miss Quincy Scholarship Program and Vervocity understand the power and influence of social media to create positive change,” said Hess. “Our delegates are elevating their voices through digital platforms, like Instagram and TikTok, to advocate for their passions.”
Miss Quincy 2023 Shelby Rose and Miss Quincy’s Teen 2023 Molly Gerard, a Pike County native, will be crowning new titleholders after a successful year of service. At the state competition last June, Rose won the Quality of Life award, Women in Business award, and the award for the Non-Finalist Top Score Community Service Initiative On-Stage Question. In addition to earning $5,000 in scholarship awards through her winnings at Miss Quincy and Miss Illinois, Rose made dozens of community appearances and expanded her community service initiative, “Fostering Hope.”
“Serving as Miss Quincy has been an incredibly enriching and transformative experience for me,” said Rose. “It has been a privilege to represent my community, embody its values, and work toward changes in our foster care system. The role has allowed me to connect with diverse groups of people, fostering a sense of unity and empowerment. It’s not just about wearing a crown; it’s about being a voice for positive change, inspiring others, and contributing meaningfully to local initiatives.”
Gerard visited classrooms throughout Adams and Pike counties to promote her community service initiative “Plant a Seed: Educating the Youth on the Importance of Agriculture.” At Miss Illinois’ Teen, Gerard took home the photogenic award. “Whoever is gifted with the title of Miss Quincy’s Teen has a year filled with fun events, community service initiative promotion, sponsorships, becoming a part of the Miss Quincy family, and their week at state to look forward to,” Gerard said. “She has so much to be excited for and I hope she soaks in every moment of her year.”
At the Miss Quincy competition this year, 13 participants will take the stage in a fun-filled, non- competitive Miss Quincy’s Gems Program, an Official Local Chapter of the Miss America’s Little Sisters Program. The program is not a competition, but a program designed for girls, ages 3-12, who are looking to improve upon skills that promote confidence and poise while receiving mentoring from the young leaders participating in Miss Quincy and Miss Quincy’s Teen.
Matt Schmidt will serve as master of ceremonies for the evening. Mayor Mike Troup will present the new Miss Quincy with a flower bouquet during her crowning. Tickets for the competition can be purchased for $20 in advance at Boyer’s BootNShoe or $25 at the door. The Miss Quincy Scholarship Program encourages community members to take a look at Bayview Bridge this week, which is lit pink in celebration of this weekend’s competition. Riverside BBQ and Grill is also offering a limited time “Cowgirl Burger.”
Miss Quincy Delegates:
• Cailin Kimbro.
Age: 22.
Parents: Shane & Tiffany Kimbro.
School: Western Illinois University (2023 graduate).
Major: Marketing.
Employment: Real Estate Agent at Century 21 Purdum-Epperson, Inc.
Talent: Hip Hop Dance and Tumbling.
Community Service Initiative: Give them Distance: Protecting First Responders on the Road.
• Kayla Walker.
Age: 22.
Parents: Chris Walker and Tara Ebel.
School: Oklahoma Panhandle State University (2022 graduate).
Major: Agriculture Business.
Employment: Ag Commodity Trading Broker’s Assistant.
Talent: HERStory.
Community Service Initiative: Long Live Rodeo.
• Lily Twaddle.
Age: 18.
Parents: Justin and Deanna Twaddle.
School: Quincy Senior High School.
Major: Social Work and Theater.
Talent: Vocal.
Community Service Initiative: Arts for All.
• Nicole Taylor.
Age: 19.
Parents: Jon Taylor and Stacey Liggett.
School: John Wood Community College.
Major: Marketing.
Talent: Lyrical Dance.
Community Service Initiative: Pretty Precision.
• Darlene Steinkamp.
Age: 27.
Parents: Jason Steinkamp.
School: University of Illinois Chicago.
Major: Doctorate in Nursing Practice.
Talent: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.
Community Service Initiative: Ending the Stigma on Mental Illness: It’s okay not to be okay.
• Shannon O’Neil.
Age: 19.
Parents: Carla and Sean O’Neil.
School: Culver-Stockton College.
Major: Health Science.
Talent: Bodybuilding with tumbling.
Community Service Initiative: United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps.
• Ashley Miller.
Age: 25.
Parents: Chris and Toni Miller.
School: Culver-Stockton College (2021 graduate).
Major: Communication.
Employment: Children’s Advocate at Quincy Area Network Against Domestic Violence.
Talent: Self-Written Monologue.
Community Service Initiative: Game Over – Pulling the Plug on Technology Addiction.
Miss Quincy’s Teen Delegates:
• Allison Hughes.
Age: 17.
Parents: Scott and Teri Hughes.
School: Payson Seymour High School.
Talent: Dance.
Community Service Initiative: Feeding the Future: Eliminating Child Hunger.
• Alyvia Groom.
Age: 17.
Parents: Jeff and Kim Groom.
School: Pittsfield High School and John Wood Community College.
Talent: Jazz Dance.
Community Service Initiative: Helping Hands, Healing Hearts.
• Olivia Schaller.
Age: 16.
Parents: Dina Schaller and Seth Schaller.
School: Illini West High School and Carl Sandburg College.
Talent: Vocal.
Community Service Initiative: Type One-derful.
• Michaela Voth.
Age: 14.
Parents: Michelle Voth and Lance Voth.
School: Unity Middle School.
Talent: Dance.
Community Service Initiative: Welcome Home: Adopt a Sheltered Animal.
• Kennedy Artman.
Age: 15.
Parents: John and Krista Artman.
School: Illini West High School.
Talent: Jazz Dance.
Community Service Initiative: Promoting Sports for Youth.
• Alexis Lucie.
Age: 17.
Parents: Chuck and Tammy Lucie.
School: Warsaw High School.
Talent: Cardio Exercise Routine.
Community Service Initiative: 4H for life.
Miss Quincy’s Gems Participants:
• Vivian Blickhan.
Age: 8.
Parents: Sean and Neely Blickhan.
• Presley Hamann.
Age: 8.
Parents: Sydney Hamann; Jason and Arista Bauerly.
• Jolene Willis.
Age: 8.
Parents: Jessica and Patrick Hollensteiner.
• Ahna York.
Age: 9.
Parents: Jerome and Blondale York.
• Etana Lilako.
Age: 11.
Parents: Tiffany and Eddie.
• Aurora Groman.
Age: 6.
Parents: Joel and Tara Groman.
• Jacqueline Vardaros.
Age: 5.
Parents: Sid and Jacqueline Vardaros.
• Ava Martinez.
Age: 9.
Parents: Lorenzo and Rachel Martinez.
• Nyla Miller.
Age: 3.
Parents: Brad and Kristan Miller.
• Rachelle Asher.
Age: 5.
Parents: Garrett and Rachel Asher.
• Aaralynn Willard.
Age: 7.
Parents: Richard and Amy Willard.
• Evie Lovelace.
Age: 5.
Parents: Jessica and John Willis; Corey and Brittany Lovelace.
• Ila Crider.
Age: 6.
Parent: Shanice Crider.
The Miss Quincy Scholarship Program is an Official Local Preliminary to Miss America, one of the nation’s leading achievement programs and the largest source of scholarships for women in the United States. Our mission is to empower young women in our community by providing educational scholarships and life-changing opportunities for personal and professional growth.
