Sequim Irrigation Festival Royalty Pageant
when: 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11
Where: Sequim High School Auditorium, 533 N. Sequim Ave.
Cost: $8 adult, $5 children 12 and under
Tickets: Available from contestants, Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce, Cherry Creek Mortgage, event door
More information: www.irrigationfestival.com
Seven girls want to be a part of the Sequim Irrigation Festival’s 122nd year by being a part of its royalty.
The festival’s pageant runs this Saturday at Sequim High School’s auditorium with Kyla Armstrong, Alison Cobb, Cortney Gosset, Karla Najera, Abby Norman, Emily Straling and Aubree Young hoping to become either queen or one of three princesses for the festival.
For the event, they’ll perform creative displays, answer impromptu questions and more for judges to best determine the best representatives of Sequim in the coming year as they tour the region with the festival.
Jessica Horton Schroeder and Dave McInnes host the pageant featuring the outgoing royalty, this year’s festival pioneers, a crowning of the junior royalty and more.
Each girl is sponsored for the show with Armstrong by Armstrong Marine, Cobb by RE/MAX Prime, Gosset by Sequim Masonic Lodge, Najera by Sunny Farms Country Store, Norman by BrokersGroup Real Estate Professionals, Straling by First Federal, and Young by Dr. Ryan Rudd, Sequim Valley Orthodontics.
This year’s festival, “122 skies of blue” runs May 5-14. For more information, visit www.irrigationfestival.com.
Kyla Armstrong
Parents:
Stacey and Josh Armstrong
Platform:
Organize a cancer run to raise funds and awareness for local cancer patients.
Creative display:
Lip-sync to music about her favorite sports.
Hobbies/activities:
Basketball, fishing, water skiing, snow skiing, camping.
Future:
Attend University of Washington to become a physical therapist.
Why do you want to be Irrigation Festival royalty?
I have watched the festival since I was little and I’ve always wanted to be involved with my community and make a difference through the festival. With my platform, I think it’d be a really cool way for me to help.
Favorite place in Sequim?
I like going to the Dungeness River (and in it) even though it’s a little chilly.
Favorite aspect of Sequim?
I love the outdoors. I love going to the beach at Port Williams to play with my dogs in the water. When I was younger I loved Carrie Blake Park. I love the sun here.
Fun facts:
Kyla comes from a large family but considers herself independent. She does like spending time with friends though. Kyla moved to Sequim at age 1 and is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.
Alison Cobb
Parents:
Trisha and Michael Cobb
Platform:
Adopt-a-grandparent by visiting a retirement facility and befriend new people.
Creative display:
Vocal rendition of “My Favorite Things” about Sequim.
Hobbies/activities:
Musical theater/performing arts, people-watching, hiking, dancing and singing.
Future:
Attend a four-year school to study business management and marketing and minor in theater with plans to become a casting director and help people in the community find where they are supposed to be. I want to stay as close to Sequim as I can.
Why do you want to be Irrigation Festival royalty?
Representing Sequim is a dream of mine. I’ve watched parades as long as I can remember. The girls on the floats always look so happy and I thought maybe I could be just as happy and inspire little children like me.
Favorite place in Sequim?
John Wayne Marina. I like to walk down there and it’s just as beautiful in the winter as the summer.
Favorite aspect of Sequim?
I love that our small town is the largest provider of lavender in the world. I’ve always loved it. Hopefully, one day when I get married, I’ll have it in my bouquet.
Fun facts:
Alison moved to Sequim age 4 and was a student ambassador to Sequim’s city sister Shiso, Japan, two years ago. She also hosted one of their students last year.
Cortney Gosset
Parents:
Dot and Ray Gosset
Platform:
Help organize the North Olympic Foster Parent Association’s Christmas event.
Creative display:
Share her journey in the International Order of Rainbow Girls.
Hobbies/activities:
School clubs, Boys & Girls Club activities/ clubs, Rainbow, leadership.
Future:
Attend Washington State University for entrepreneurship with minors in women’s studies and international studies to create a business to support nonprofits.
Why do you want to be Irrigation Festival royalty?
It’s another thing I wanted to try because I knew it would better me and my speaking and interview skills. Even if I don’t win, I know I can get a lot out of it.
Favorite place in Sequim?
Forage in downtown Sequim. I love the little gifts and it’s all Sequim-based. I’m excited to buy things and take it with me to college and show off I’m from Sequim.
Favorite aspect of Sequim?
I love the connection between everybody. If you know one person, then they know someone who knows another. There are just a lot of good connections.
Fun Facts:
Cortney was born in Sequim. She’s involved in seven clubs between Sequim High School and the Sequim Boys & Girls Club. Cortney also is a two-time winner of Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Club. She also was elected Grand Hope for Washington and Idaho’s International Order of Rainbow.
Karla Najera
Parents:
Carolina and Rigoberto Najera
Platform:
Celebrate diversity by sharing a presentation with fun activities in local elementary schools
Creative display:
Share a dance and costume from her ancestors
Hobbies/activities:
Cheerleading, guitar/piano, family
Future:
Transfer from Peninsula College’s nursing program to University of Washington’s midwife program.
Why do you want to be Irrigation Festival royalty?
When I was younger, my cousin Carolina was a princess when I was 8 and I thought it was so cool looking up at them on the stage. I told myself, “You’re going to do this when you’re older.”
Favorite place in Sequim?
Galare Thai. It’s the only place that I can get Pad Thai just how I want.
Favorite aspect of Sequim?
I love being able to go to the Dungeness River with my two dogs. They love going to the river which makes me love it even more.
Fun Facts:
Karla was born in Sequim but moved several times including to Chicago. She’s choosing midwifery because she grew up around babies and “grew to love it.” Karla also taught herself to play guitar and piano.
Abby Norman
Parents:
Trayce and Brad Norman
Platform:
Host a blood drive at Sequim High School
Creative display:
Vocal and dance performance to “Singing in the Rain.”
Hobbies/activities:
Dancing, singing/choir, theater/ choreography
Future:
Become a pediatrician.
Why do you want to be Irrigation Festival royalty?
I grew up watching the pageant every year and my older cousins were supposed to do it and they didn’t. My sister and her best friend were supposed to do it and they didn’t. I’m the first one to commit.
Favorite place in Sequim?
John Wayne Marina. My dad and I go there to have lunch and watch the boats.
Favorite aspect of Sequim?
I love when I walk in to my grocery store, the teller knows my mom and me by name.
Fun facts:
Abby was born in Sequim. She choreographed the high school’s operetta “Cinderella” last year and will choreograph the upcoming show this spring. Abby is partly choosing to be a pediatrician because she grew up around several nieces and nephews much younger than her and she loves science and math. She also makes a tradition to get a corn dog and lemonade with her mom from the logging show each year.
Emily Straling
Parent:
Shenna Younger
Platform:
Raise awareness for juvenile mental health and host a fundraiser for mental health counseling in Sequim School District.
Creative display:
Creates a close-up look at the life of a news anchor and reporter.
Hobbies/activities:
Cheerleading, dancing, photography.
Future:
Attend Washington State University for broadcast journalism with minors in communication, history and Spanish.
Why do you want to be Irrigation Festival royalty?
The opportunity is really cool. Being the Sequim City Council youth liaison is a good basis for representing my school and going into this is an opportunity to represent my community and I love Sequim. I can represent both my high school and my city and whether I make it or not, I have lifelong lessons I can take with me wherever I go.
Favorite place in Sequim?
The bluffs out by the Spit because the sunsets are always gorgeous and the ocean is always coming and going. It’s so beautiful.
Favorite aspect of Sequim?
The amount of love and support that is present in our community and how unique the geography is, as we have the mountains, the ocean and amazing agricultural fields all wrapped up into one area.
Fun facts:
Emily moved to Sequim at the end of sixth grade from Arizona. She also recently made the state competition in photography, which she says is the one form of art she is comfortable with doing.
Aubree Young
Parents:
Amy Young and David Stoeckl
Platform:
Make artistic posters at the Sequim Museum and Arts for the area.
Creative display:
Follow Aubree’s life through her artistic talent while she completes one of her pieces.
Hobbies/activities:
Art, animals, swimming, running/exercising, hiking.
Future:
Eventually go to Germany for a master’s degree in art after earning a bachelor’s degree in the U.S.
Why do you want to be Irrigation Festival royalty?
There are a lot of benefits to being queen and just a lot of benefits to just being on the royalty like traveling around and getting more life experience.
Favorite place in Sequim?
I love going to the beach and seeing the mountains and the water.
Favorite aspect of Sequim?
I love that Sequim has everything close together and you can go to multiple shops right next to each other.
Fun facts:
Aubree moved here her freshman year from Blaine. She was born in Keflavik, Iceland, and lived there for two years. She says art always has been a part of her and she finds it especially important after not having classes for several years due to budget cuts. Aubree said she always wants to find something about herself to improve on, too.
This year’s contestants for the Sequim Irrigation Festival’s royalty pageant include, from left, Aubree Young, Karla Najera, Kyla Armstrong, Cortney Gosset, Alison Cobb, Emily Straling, and Abby Norman. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
