Neighbors

A year of service for Miss Wantagh Court

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It was a very good year for Miss Wantagh and her court. These eight young women — juniors and seniors at Wantagh High School — provided their time and energy to a number of community groups including the American Legion and the Chamber of Commerce, as well as organizing their own events like Unity Day and Women of Wantagh. They are Wantagh’s next generation of leaders, and serve as role models for Wantagh’s young girls.

“It’s so much more than just going to events and saying ‘hi’ or ‘bye,’” said Kayla Knight, Miss Wantagh 2014.

This year, the Court adopted Wantagh American Legion Post 1273. “I loved being around our veterans,” she said. “It’s the little things over the course of the year, like the Spring Fling where people come up to you and talk, that make you realize what community is all about. Wantagh has many caring and engaged citizens who want to make their little piece of the world a better place to live.”

“Wantagh is a close-knit but very welcoming community,” Ambassador Nyatasha Jackowicz added. “And we had many opportunities to work with the community and help out.”

Kaitlyn von Runnen, the first runner-up, agreed. “I liked that we work with lots of different people in the community,” she said. “We worked with the American Legion but also with the Wantagh Preservation Society and we had a number of food drives.”

Additionally, the Court is a visible presence in Wantagh — at the 9/11 ceremony, the Chamber tree lighting, Wantagh’s Homecoming, and a performance where the girls dressed as the Andrew Sisters and put on a show for the veterans at the American Legion at Christmas time. They were there for the Four Chaplains service, the Spring Fun Hunt, and the Memorial Day Parade.

The Court also had the opportunity to learn about the role that elected officials play in the community. They met with County Legislator Norma Gonsalves, Hempstead Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmad, New York State Assemblyman David McDonough and Town of Hempstead Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney.

“I really enjoyed getting to know some of our local officials,” third runner-up Nikoleta Mountanos said. “It was eye opening to see what they do behind the scenes.”

Second runner-up Christine Parola agreed. “It was great to see elected officials humanized,” she said, “and to see them in their roles working for community.”

Additionally, the Court worked with their peers, tackling concepts such as bullying and volunteerism. Von Runnen said that they created the Acts of Kindness Day on Sept. 11 at the high school, focusing on the importance of volunteering and they continued the Unity Project started by Hailey Orgass, Miss Wantagh 2012.

Unity Day is an anti-bullying program that provides a dialogue about the harmful effects of bullying. The teens are then asked to make a pledge and sign a statement saying they will not participate in or allow bullying of their peers.

“We had a lot of kids sign the pledge and we made a paper chain with the pledges that was six or seven layers deep,” Jackowicz said. “It gets bigger and better every year.”

And then there is the Women of Wantagh, the newest and most ambitious project the Court sponsored this year. The program, held at the end of March during Women’s History Month, honored eight Wantagh women who have enriched the community in any number of ways including means of volunteering, raising awareness, achieving milestones and helping others accomplish their goals and overcome obstacles.

“It was a lot of work, but well worth it,” Knight said. “We honored women we look up to, women who have made a difference in our lives.”

“This was an opportunity for us to say ‘thank you’ to our role models,” Parola added. “These women helped us become who we are today.”

The Miss Wantagh Court members also serve as role models for the girls who are still in elementary or middle school. “The kids look up to us,” Amanda Caso said. “They want to be us.”

“They are so cute,” added Parola. “The little girls come up to us at the spring hunt and at the Halloween parties and tell us how much they want to be Miss Wantagh.”

“It’s nice,” Caso said. “It makes you want to do even more in the community.”