Junior Miriam Solomon dazzled in the Miss HBHS pageant, receiving the title of second runner up. While on the surface Solomon seemed to be an ordinary contestant, there was one thing that set her apart from her fabulous peers. She moved to the United States a mere year and a half ago with abysmal knowledge of the English language and unfamiliarity with American culture.
“If you really want to learn something, you are going to do whatever it takes to accomplish it,” said Solomon.
Upon arriving in the United States and settling into her new school, Solomon immediately entered the Language Academy where she worked diligently to adopt English as a second language.
While she was quite successful in her attempt, the transition to the new school and culture in general caused her to retreat into bashful tendencies. However, despite her demure demeanor, history teacher Timothy Ebarb identified Solomon as an exemplary student perfectly fitted to participate in Miss HBHS.
“I encourage my ESL students to participate in as many activities as possible and enjoy the high school experience,” said Coach Ebarb.
Coach Ebarb’s efforts proved to be successful as Solomon credits the pageant for facilitating her transition from shy to confident. The contest allowed her to overcome her fear of public speaking as well as apprehension regarding reveling in new experiences without worry of making mistakes.
“My purpose was to have fun with it and just to enjoy it,” said Solomon of her decision to participate in the pageant.
Solomon attributes her courage to compete to the support of her family and boyfriend senior Chase Colvin. Her boyfriend’s support even extended to him performing in the pageant alongside Solomon. The pair performed a rendition of Need to Breathe’s “Something Beautiful” in the talent segment of the show.
In order to prepare for their performance, the pair spent many Sunday afternoons practicing and sought the expertise of elders at their church.
“[She was] amazing. No elaboration, that is where it is,” said Colvin of the final performance.
Solomon’s performance was not the only aspect of her pageant persona to generate praise. Pageant director sophomore Kaitlin Tucker was also impressed with Solomon’s overall demeanor.
“She was genuinely very sweet all the time. The situation involved a lot of stress, and she handled it very well,” said Tucker.
Fellow competitor senior Uniquia England identified Solomon as a viable contender for the crown due to her eagerness to meet new people and an extreme willingness to assist others when needed.
“A willingness to help people is my idea of Miss HBHS,” said England.
Overall Solomon’s success in the pageant in the eyes of onlookers involved with various aspects of pageant proved that a kind spirit coupled with dedication could lead to surpassing boundaries of all kinds.