A Red Deer high school student has been crowned Miss Teenage Canada.
Sarah Wojcik, 17, won a competition involving 82 finalists from across Canada on Sunday in Toronto.
The Notre Dame High School student was still in shock on Monday, trying to absorb the win.
“I was just being myself and I really love how they were looking at my personality,” she said about the judges.
“It’s such a blur. The whole night is very a blur. I’m still in shock that I won.”
Wojcik, who is going into Grade 12 this year, first had to get past a provincial-level pageant in March before she was able to go to Toronto.
The top 15 girls from Alberta went on to compete in the nationals.
Wojcik had never entered a pageant before the Alberta competition. She will now be Canada’s representative in the Miss Teen Universe competition. She said public speaking is her strong point.
Before she went to Toronto, Wojcik did charity work that included work for the Suicide Information and Education Services. She has also done work for the Free the Children non-profit organization.
As Miss Teenage Canada, she will be travelling to Ecuador to work with Free the Children, as well as across Canada, speaking to children of all ages about her platform, which is focused on the subjects of bullying and self-confidence.
“I’m going to do both, as well as keep up my sports and keep a part-time job.”
Wojcik knows she will be busy in the year ahead but is undaunted. “I’m very blessed I hold a very high GPA that I know I’ll be able to maintain through the year.
“I have some really big plans I’m planning for Red Deer as well,” she said, but she’s not quite ready to reveal them.
She attended the pageant with her grandmother and aunt. Her parents are Monica and Lee Werner.
The cost of her trip to Toronto was covered by local sponsors.
Wojcik said the contestants in Toronto were judged on a swimsuit walk, evening gown walk, fundraising events in their home community, personal interviews with the judges, a photo shoot and behaviour. “It was really a wide variety we got scored on.”
She said that she was the last girl to be called in the top 20, and from there her name just kept being called until she won. “I was just completely shocked.”
Wojcik will remain in Toronto until Thursday to do interviews and a photo shoot.
She said the competition had more participants than ever before.