Last year a sole young woman was seeking to be Miss West Seattle.

This year there are five senior court candidates for the 2008 Miss West Seattle Hi-Yu Scholarship Pageant.

Makes one wonder, "What's the big change and who are these girls?"

"The increase in girls may have been a result of us increasing the scholarship the queen receives from $1,200 to $2,000 and the two princesses from $750 to $1,000," said Carol Winston, co-candidate coordinator of Ms. West Seattle Hi-Yu.

Ms. West Seattle Hi-Yu is a scholarship competition where the three ladies crowned queen and princesses will represent the community during the 2008-2009 festival. They will travel to numerous community functions and Northwest parades with the Hi-Yu float each candidate contributes in creating.

This year's queen will be chosen on July 21. She will go on to compete in the Miss Seafair Scholarship program. The scholarship program promotes young women in furthering their education after high school either at a university, community college or trade school.

The competition is based on a candidate's application, speaking ability, poise, talent, essay, communication skills and academic awards. Candidates can qualify to compete with a grade point average of 3.0 and above.

This year's five senior court candidates are Margo Femiano, Grace Johnson, Katherine Tarabochia, Lauren Vanderpool and Alicia Watanabe.

Watanabe graduated from Evergreen High School last year and is now finishing her freshman year at the University of Washington on a medical track where she is earning a major in chemistry and minor in biology.

"There's no swimsuit competition and we aren't judged on evening gowns but (the competition) brings a little bit of girly-ness and classiness to being intellectually smart and doing well in the community," Watanabe said.

Femiano is a recent graduate of Chief Sealth High School, has also earned her associates degree through the Running Start program at South Seattle Community College. She has been president of the Sealth student body for the past three years and will be attending Seattle University in the fall, seeking a double major of environmental studies and foreign policy.

A new feature to this year's Hi-Yu competition is a business mentorship, where each candidate is paired up with a business mentor from the community that best fits their interests or field of work that they choose to study.

"I think it is so wonderful that the Hi-Yu program offers young women the unique opportunity to work with successful businesswomen and strengthen relationships for possible future careers," Femiano said.

Johnson, a junior at Seattle Lutheran High School, hopes to attend Seattle Pacific University and abroad to go into the medical field after she graduates.

"I planned on competing for Miss West Seattle this year because I thought it would just be a fun experience to get to know some other girls and get more involved in my community," said Johnson. "I wanted something to keep me busy this summer, but also something that wasn't just benefiting me."

Johnson volunteers at Providence Mount St. Vincent in a variety of roles but her vision also extend beyond the local community and into other countries with less fortunate individuals. She has been on a mission trip to Mexico and hopes to go to Jamaica next year.

Vanderpool is also a junior at Seattle Lutheran High School and is involved in their cheer squad and high school jazz band. She has been a camper at Girl Scout Day Camp at Camp Long and is now a volunteer as a program aide. She hopes to major in child development and early education after she graduates from high school.

Tarabochia, a recent graduate from West Seattle High School, was very involved in school and student government. She will be attending Seattle University in the fall and has been accepted into the nursing school where she plans to earn a Bachelor's of Science in nursing and minor in Spanish.

"Personally, I would love to become more involved in the clinics and hospitals around Seattle," she said. "Going and visiting and brightening people's day would mean very much to me. It would also be wonderful experience for the field of study that I intend to go into in college, nursing."

Each of the five candidates turned in their applications by last February, earlier than last year's May deadline.

"We started (the competition) earlier and put into motion new things," Winston said. "Starting earlier helped because in the fall we went into schools to talk to girls at open houses to let them know about the competition. Timing, increase in money and the business mentorship made a difference in the number of girls this year."

The five candidates will be presented on July 19 at the Summer Festival Fun Hi-Yu Community Event hosted by the West Seattle Lion's. The event begins at noon at the West Seattle Senior Center, 4217 S.W. Oregon.

Allison Espiritu may be reached at 932-0300 or allisone@robinsonnews.com.