Jadyn Gibson was crowned Miss New Westminster 2023 on Saturday night at the first live Hyack Ambassador gala in three years.
The gala returned to the Laura C. Muir Theatre at Douglas College on Saturday night with an audience of guests from around the province. The event — the first gala since the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled live festivities in 2020 — saw seven young women installed as Hyack Ambassadors.
Jadyn Gibson, sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of New Westminster, was awarded the title of Miss New Westminster 2023. She earned the top Hyack Festival Association scholarship of $5,000 and a diamond necklace sponsored by the Ambassador Committee. She also won the competition's Essay Award of $500, sponsored by the McIvor Family.
Other awards highlights:
- Janel Falbo, sponsored by Ippolita Corcione, Realtor, was awarded with the title of Hyack Princess 2023 and a $3,000 Hyack Festival Association scholarship, a Pyrrha necklace sponsored by Becci Dewinetz and the $500 Knowledge Award, sponsored by G & F Financial.
- Miss Friendship, voted by fellow teammates, was Ella Pitkin, sponsored by Key West Ford. She received a $500 Friendship Award sponsored by the Baker-MacGrotty Family.
- The Bernie Legge Award of $500 was won by Sienna Ziemlanski. Sienna was sponsored by Vagabond Players.
- Eshnoor Cheema, sponsored by the Royal Columbian Hospital Auxiliary, was named Top Communicator and received a $500 award, sponsored by food and lifestyle blogger Karen Ann Davidson.
- Sophie Duprey-Steinman, sponsored by the NW Firefighters Charitable Society, IAFF 256, received the $500 Bill Brown Memorial Award for her personal ballet presentation.
- Nikka Patel, sponsored by Kaushal & Co, CPAs, won the People’s Choice Award and the Alumni Award of $500.
Each Hyack Ambassador also received a $2,000 Hyack Festival Association scholarship.
The Hyack Ambassador Youth Leadership Program and Miss New Westminster title have been a Royal City tradition for more than 60 years, a press release noted.
The event has become a youth development program that gives participants public speaking opportunities, professional skills training, personal development workshops and more. Its mandate is to encourage, educate and empower young women in New Westminster, with the goal of helping a diversity of young women to take on leadership roles in their communities.
This year's ambassadors completed a six-month training program leading up to the gala. Now, they'll represent New Westminster around B.C. and the Pacific Northwest at a variety of festivals, promoting New Westminster on the award-winning Hyack float, as well as continuing volunteer work, charity fundraising for cystic fibrosis and serving as youth representatives in and for the community, the release notes.
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