By Kellie B. Gormly
Published: Sunday, April 13, 2014
Updated 7 hours ago
It was a beauty and talent contest of a different sort that had two local winners.
Two juniors at Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf — Megan Majocha of Plum and Alec Lindsay of Cabot, Butler County — won the recent Mr. and Miss Deaf Teen America contest.
Megan and Alec, competing as a duo, went to the competition in Riverside, Calif., after being crowned Mr. and Miss Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf.
To then be crowned the national winners, after competing against seven other schools, felt surreal, Megan says.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Megan, 17, in an email. “I was beyond thrilled to win the title. … It was indescribable how I felt the moment I was crowned. I still get chills when I think about it! It is an amazing feeling to know that I am now a role model for the deaf community and teenagers across the country.”
Alec was unavailable for an interview.
California School for the Deaf in Riverside hosted the Mr. and Miss Deaf Teen America competition March 30, when eight schools for children who are deaf competed for the title.
The pageant was established in 1999 at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, D.C. The goal of the pageant is to promote young deaf emerging leaders and strengthen the deaf community, according to the pageant’s website.
Students in grades 8 to 11 who are deaf or hard of hearing can participate, and a boy and girl must participate as a team.
The participants develop leadership qualities, learn to work as a team and enhance their self-esteem.
Judges rank candidates based on private and onstage interviews, personality, posture and appearance, platform and talent.
“The competition was tough, because there were others who were very talented and motivated, as well,” Megan said.
“It required a lot of work preparing for Deaf Teen America pageant, because I had lots of other things to do, such as sports and school. My partner … and I worked together to prepare for the competition.”
Jan Majocha, Megan’s mother, says she is proud of her daughter’s accomplishment.
“Megan is a great example of the deaf community,” Majocha said. “I know Megan has a lot of good potential for her future, because she is very determined about her education. She is always motivated to learn new things every day.”
Megan’s father, Alan Majocha, agrees. Megan participated in the local pageant for fun and experience, and for her to win at the next level was a pleasant surprise.
“I hope it will lead her somewhere for the best in her future,” Alan Majocha said.
Source: TribLive.com