CLARION, Pa. – The contestants for Miss Petite, Miss Junior Teen, and Miss Teen Autumn Leaf Festival Scholarship Program have been announced.
The new Miss Petite Scholarship is for 5th- and 6th-grade girls, while girls in the 7th- through the 9th-grade can compete in the Miss Junior Teen competition. The competition for the title of Miss Teen ALF is open for girls in the 10th- through 12th-grade.
The phases of competition include interview, formal wear, Friday night fun wear, on-stage question, and talent. A talent award scholarship will be presented along with the other awards.
The Miss Teen ALF contestants will also participate in the essay question.
This competition is open to all girls from 5th- through 12th-grade who live or attend public, private, or home/cyber school in Clarion County.
This year’s program will be held on the opening day of the Autumn Leaf Festival, Saturday, September 29, at the Clarion Area High School auditorium.
Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m.
This year’s program also includes a very special treat: former title holders have been invited to join a part of the program.
Reserved seats for the program can be purchased in advance at the Clarion Area Chamber of Business & Industry at 650 Main Street or at the door for $12.00 each.
Those attending are asked to bring a non-perishable item to benefit the Clarion County Community Bank “Foodstock.”
For more information, please contact the Clarion Area Chamber at 814-226-9161 or info@clarionpa.com.
Miss Petite Contestants
Caitlyn Wolfe
Age: 10
School: Clarion Limestone
Talent: Dance
Parent/Guardian Information: Cherry and Curtis
Activities: Caitlyn attends Clarion-Limestone Elementary as a fifth-grader where she has earned the President’s Educational Award for outstanding grades. She was honored to have won the 1st place award in the 24 Math Challenge Tournament. She is a member of Dancer’s Studio company and competition team for five years, and she was the recipient of the “Junior Miss Dancer” award. She won platinum 5th place overall in the junior category at Dance Masters of Pennsylvania. Caitlyn enjoys being a mentor to the younger dance students as she was selected to be a teacher’s assistant. She started dancing at the early age of 2 ½ and her talent shines along with her bright personality and stage presentation as everyone sees her as a kind-hearted, fashion diva. She enjoys entertaining the community at senior centers, local festivals, and parades. Caitlyn was honored to have danced on several episodes of Dance Mom’s in which she won the title of Miss Fierce Petite Anaheim. She was selected to be an ambassador of a dance company located in Los Angeles, California to promote her positive attitude and anti-bullying attributes along with modeling the company’s dancewear. Caitlyn was chosen to be a dance model for A Wish Come True Dance Company and is featured in their 2018/2019 dance costume catalog.
Interests: Caitlyn enjoys camping, swimming, and playing her guitar with her family and friends. She started pageants at the early age of four and enjoys doing community service. At the age of six, she was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award for 1,500 hours of volunteer work secondary to her involvement in the fundraising efforts of a global project, Uniforms for the Community Project: Ethiopia. Caitlyn wishes to move to the west coast to pursue a career in dance education.
Nevaeh Smith
Age: 11
School: Union
Talent: Dance
Parent/Guardian Information: Lacy and Dustin
Activities: Nevaeh is in sixth-grade at Rimersburg Elementary. This will be her eighth year at Dancer’s Studio where she takes ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, acro and hip-hop, and her fourth year participating in the competition and company teams. She is also a member of the Stars Drill Team. She has attended several competitions and was awarded a scholarship for a trio in 2017. Nevaeh was also crowned PA Royal Miss Supreme Beauty in 2011.
Interests: In her spare time, Nevaeh enjoys art, drawing and taking pictures with her father. She also enjoys spending time with her friends and family as well as endless hours at the studio. For the past two years, Nevaeh has asked for monetary donations for her birthday instead of gifts. She then selects a person in need from the community and gives them the donations. She plans to continue this for years to come.
Reese Cornecki
Age: 10
School: North Clarion
Talent: Dance
Parent/Guardian Information: Robin and Ryan
Activities: Reese attends North Clarion Elementary School and is an honor student in the 5th-grade. This is her second year as a member of the Elementary Chorus Activity Club. Reese also volunteers her time after school in the after-school program, where she helps younger students get organized, offers homework help, and plays games or does various activities with them. She loves helping and teaching the younger students and also enjoys going to school and learning new things.
Interests: This is Reese’s third year as a member of the Dancer’s Studio company and competition team. She has been dancing and tumbling since the age of four and now dances for over 10 hours a week, taking classes and practicing with the competition team. This year she also has the opportunity to be a teacher’s assistant at Dancer’s Studio. She will be assisting with acro classes and is looking forward to continuing her opportunities to work with the younger students. Reese is also very excited for this year’s dance competition season. This is her first year to perform a lyrical solo titled “Fly to Your Heart” choreographed by Shannon Peterson. She will also be performing a jazz duo, a hip-hop duo, and various group dances in all dance genres at the competitions. She is looking forward to continuing her growth as a dancer and as a student.
Aoife Salusky
Age: 11
School:
Talent: Dance
Parent/Guardian Information:
Activities: Aoife is in 6th-grade and enjoys her art, reading, and science courses. She has played percussion for two years in her school band and is a member of the choir. Additionally, Aoife has been playing acoustic and electric guitar for one year and hopes to be playing her own songs at open mic nights in the spring. Aoife has been dancing at Dancer’s Studio since she was four years old. While she receives instruction in multiple genres, contemporary is her favorite. This year she is excited to assist in the introductory acro and hip hop classes. Aoife has been traveling with the Dancer’s Studio competition team for four years and with the Dancer’s Studio company for five. She recently traveled to New York City to take master classes and to study the art of choreography for a week-long intensive. For the past three seasons, Aoife has played in the local YMCA softball league.
Interests: In addition to her team sports, Aoife volunteers in her church by baking cakes, serving meals, and singing in the children’s choir. Aoefe is also an assistant leader for a Little Leaders group which teaches young girls to identify and address local concerts based on the life-work of influential women. Aoife’s hobbies include writing songs, cooking, camping, and traveling.
Kaley Milliron
Age: 11
School: Clarion Limestone
Talent: Balance Beam
Parent/Guardian Information: Lisa and Douglas
Activities: Kaley is an honor roll student and received the Gold President’s Education Award for outstanding academic excellence, 4th-grade spelling bee champion, 2nd place in the school 24 Math Competition and participated in the regional 24 Math Competition. She has been a competitive gymnast for the last three years and has won numerous awards including level three floor and vault State Champion. This year she will be competing with the Brookville YMCA Kipsters. To share her love for the sport of gymnastics, Kaley is a coach’s assistant at 10.0 gymnastics. She also volunteers some of her free time at Clarion PAWS.
Interests: In her spare time Kaley enjoys crafting, reading, swimming and doing outdoor activities with her family. She enjoys animals of all kinds and especially spending time at the zoo.
Miss Junior Contestants
Janiya Jones
Age: 12
School: Clarion Area
Talent: Dance
Parent/Guardian Information: Jennifer and Judson
Activities: Janiya is a 7th-grader at Clarion Area High School. She is currently running for student council and is a member of the choir. Janiya is in her 9th year of dance at Dancer’s Studio. She takes all available genres totaling 12.5 hours for her level with her favorite class being contemporary. Janiya is a part of the competition team, company and is a teacher’s assistant for two hours per week.
Interests: This year Janiya was invited to be an ambassador for Guidance Experience Dance Competition and has been lucky enough to travel to Los Angeles twice for photo shoots with other dancers for this competition. She is proud to have completed the Youth Protection Advocates of Dance Ambassador Training Program required by Guidance to be an ambassador.
Sydney Weaver
Age: 12
School: Keystone
Talent: Dance
Parent/Guardian Information: Kelly and Dean
Activities: At Keystone, Sydney is a member of the marching band dance team, junior high choir, and the National Elementary Honor Society. Sydney has been dancing since she was six years old, and she is currently taking classes at Dancer’s Studio in Clarion where she is also part of the competition team. Sydney dances in the following genres of dance: ballet, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, acrobatics, lyrical, pointe, and musical theater. During her six years of dance, Sydney has performed in competitions at Dance Masters of Pennsylvania and Dance Masters of Ohio, performing in both group and production numbers.
Interests: Sydney’s main focus has been on dancing. In her spare time, she enjoys taking any opportunity to continue to grow towards becoming a better dancer. Sydney is very passionate about wildlife conservation and helping the endangered species around the world. She is a proud sponsor of the World Wildlife Fund where she has donated money to help save a snow leopard. Sydney enjoys spending time with family, especially her many cousins, and likes to travel to see new places.
Taylor Sherbine
Age: 13
School: North Clarion
Talent: Dance
Parent/Guardian Information: Jaime and Don
Activities: Taylor is in the 8th-grade at North Clarion High School. She has been a dancer at Dancer’s Studio in Clarion since the age of four. Taylor dances in all genres: tap, ballet, jazz, musical theater, hip-hop, contemporary, modern, acrobatics, lyrical, and pointe. Taylor has been a member of the competition team and a company dancer for Dancer’s Studio for five years. Taylor was selected to travel to Los Angeles to audition for the Movement Talent Agency. She also auditioned at Millennium Dance Complex in Pittsburgh and was selected to perform a jazz-funk routine during the halftime show of a Harlem Globetrotters game. Taylor recently attended the week-long MPower Summer Intensive in New York City. Taylor was a member of the American Tap Company in Boston, Massachusetts. She also volunteers at the Tri-County Animal Hospital Rescue Center, at the Farmington Township Volunteer Fire Company Annual Chicken BBQ, and at numerous benefits for members of our community. Despite her full schedule, Taylor has maintained high honors in her school career.
Interests: Taylor’s hobbies include: spending time with her family and friends. She also enjoys swimming, biking, traveling, shopping, riding roller coasters, banking, and she enjoys playing her guitar.
Jordan McElravy
Age: 12
School: Keystone
Talent: Dance
Parent/Guardian Information: Sandi and Bryan
Activities: Jordan is in the 7th-grade at Keystone Junior-Senior High School. She is a performer in the Keystone Dance Team. She is also a member of the Junior High Choir and Junior High Student Government. While in Elementary School, Jordan was inducted into the National Elementary Honor Society. She also participated in choir and was selected to participate in the PMEA Chorus-Fest at Marion Center last fall. Jordan has also received awards for good citizenship and the President’s Academic Award.
Interests: Jordan enjoys many activities, but she is most passionate about dance. She has been dancing and performing at Dancer’s Studio for the past nine years. She takes classes in all genres offered. She has been a member of the Dancer’s Studio competition team for three years and in the company for four years. In addition to her love of dance, Jordan also enjoys swimming, biking, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.
Kaylee Baumcratz
Age: 14
School: North Clarion
Talent: Dance
Parent/Guardian Information: Amy and Matt
Activities: Kaylee is a freshman at North Clarion Jr/Sr High School. She is a member of Junior Historians, a library assistant, and a member of the Reading Competition Team. Twice a week, Kaylee visits the kindergarten and first-grade classes at the elementary school to read to them. Kaylee has been dancing at Dancer’s Studio in Clarion since she was three. Kaylee currently takes ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, musical theatre, lyrical, pointe and acro. Kaylee is also a member of the Dancer’s Studio company and competition teams. Kaylee is a member of the American Tap Company and the Jam Youth Tap Company. She is a two-time member of the United States Tap Dance Team and has competed in the World Tap Dance Championships in Germany.
Interests: Aside from dance, Kaylee also loves to act and has been taking acting lessons. One year ago, Kaylee competed in an acting competition, Passport to Discovery, and won awards for her monologue and cold read as well as a scholarship to Studio School in LA’s Summer Acting Intensive Program. She hopes to someday move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
Miss Teen Contestants
Jaclyn Frye
Age: 15
School: Keystone
Talent: Vocal
Parent/Guardian Information: Gretchen and Edward
Activities: Jaclyn goes to Keystone High School. where she is a sophomore this year. She has been in every musical at her school for the past three years. Jaclyn is a Color Guard in Keystone High School’s marching band. The past two years Jaclyn has performed with the Young Americans at her school. She enjoys singing with her schools’ concert choir, select ensembles, and county choir. She has worked with Drew Williams and John Greenawalt from CCA.
Interests: Jaclyn is very into musical theatre and the performing arts. She has participated in two Broadway workshops: one workshop was with Seth Stewart from “Hamilton” and the other one from Lion King. Jaclyn also enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Mackenzie Young
Age: 18
School: Redbank Valley
Talent: Dance
Parent/Guardian Information: Kristin and Steve
Activities: Mackenzie is a senior at Redbank Valley High School. Mackenzie is the secretary of student council, treasurer of her senior class, and the secretary of the National Honor Society. She particularly enjoys volunteering her time with the Spark Club, a club dedicated to spreading positivity and reinforcing kindness. Throughout high school, Mackenzie has participated in volleyball, varsity cheerleading, and varsity track. After graduating in the spring of 2019, Mackenzie plans to attend Clarion University of Pennsylvania to earn a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Her dream is to someday become a midwife to assist women through one of the most precious moments of their lives.
Interests: In her free-time, Mackenzie enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She loves hunting, fishing, and spending time outdoors. After being a competitive dancer for many years, Mackenzie greatly enjoys dancing and holds it very close to her heart. She volunteers a large amount of her time to her community through the Clarion County Sportsmen for Youth, Youth Field Day, benefit dinners at her church, and the Autumn Leaf Festival in previous years. Mackenzie favorite season is fall because of the beautiful colors of the leaves, the feel of the crisp air, and Pennsylvania’s archery season, which is her favorite hunting season.
For the latest from the Autumn Leaf Festival, visit ClarionPA.com.