Cancer awareness would be her platform
Angelina Esaia is hoping that the third time’s a charm as she contests the Miss Sonoma County pageant on March 3.
The Healdsburg native, 23, is a Healdsburg High School graduate of 2013 and is currently attending the Santa Rosa Junior College, where she is about to complete her seventh associate degree related to the food and wine industry.
“As a kid, I would always cook with my mom,” she said. “I was in 4-H in the cooking club. The wine stuff kind of fell in my lap. I was pursuing culinary arts and thought I should know something know about wine and it went from there.”
She hopes to transfer to University of California at Davis to pursue a degree in food science.
The Miss Sonoma County Scholarship Program is under the Miss California Scholarship Organization. Miss California represents California at the annual Miss America Scholarship Competition. Founded in 1948, the current eligibility requirements for contestants states that they “must be between the ages of 17-24, never married, have no children, be a U.S. citizen, live, work or attend school in Sonoma County, be intelligent, fit, articulate, talented and be willing to represent Sonoma County at the Miss California Pageant/Miss America Pageant.”
This is the third time Esaia will be contesting Miss Sonoma County, and she feels that her chances have improved with each outing. “I feel the most prepared this year,” she said. “The first year this was all new to me. I didn’t know what to expect, but it was fun. But I was definitely not the winner. This year I work in a tasting room and talking to people has really helped with communication skills.”
The competition includes interview, talent, fitness and evening gown portions. Esaia’s talent is playing the flute, and she will be performing “Think of Me” from The Phantom of the Opera.
“I’ve been playing for over 10 years, in the middle school and high school bands and also in the SRJC symphonic band,” she said.
Esaia said the best part of the program is the other people she meets. “All the friends I make, all the misses are so sweet and friendly. They’re all really smart and real go getters,” she said. “I feel like (people) think it’s all about the look and how pretty you are, and it’s definitely not. They want us to be who we are. They want us to show our personality and offer our knowledge and show how smart we are.”
She admits though, that the swimsuit portion is the most difficult for her.
Each contestant has a platform and Esaia’s is raising awareness for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She’s been fundraising for them for seven years and working with 2013 LLS Woman of the Year Fran Templin. Her work came into focus, she said, when her boyfriend’s father was diagnosed with leukemia.
“But, it was amazing. After two rounds of chemo and a blood transfusion, he is completely cured. This organization supports these cures and I want to raise awareness for this great organization,” she said.
The winner of the pageant will receive scholarship money that can be used for things like tuition and books, but Esaia has found the benefits of participation to be more personal.
“I knew right away (after the first one), that I wanted to do it again. My confidence, my communication skills … I wanted to do it again to see where it could take me in my personal development.”
The Miss Sonoma County Pageant takes place March 3 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. More information is available on the Miss Sonoma County Facebook page.
