Three Sidney Girls Win at the Miss Montana Volunteer Pageant

July 10-16 young women and girls from across the state of Montana gathered at the Dawson County High School auditorium in Glendive. It was the 2022 Miss Montana Volunteer Program. Among the many contestants, three Sidney residents came out on top.

Liliana Johnson, who graduated from Sidney High School and now attends MSU, Bozeman, won Miss Montana Volunteer. Her platform is "Be Smart, Don't Start" and concentrates on teaching kids to stay drug-free. Liliana had learned about the competition from her friend, Cammy Heck, who won Miss Montana Outstanding Teen 2018. She tried it and continued to compete as a Miss.

Lily Jones, a senior at Sidney High School, won Miss Montana Teen Volunteer. Her platform is "Bystander Intervention" and teaches others to report bad or suspicious behavior. She also teaches young women to keep themselves safe. Lily competed for Miss Montana Teen Volunteer because she knew the previous year's winner, Brielle Gorder, Sidney. Brielle's win inspired her to try it, herself.

Brynlee McNally, a student at Rau Elementary school, won Miss Montana Little Miss. Contestants at Brynlee's age do not need to have a platform but, when she competes when she is older, Brynlee wants to run with the platform "Adoption Awareness" and educate people on the positive outcome of adoption. Brielle Gorder is in Brynlee's 4-H club. When she saw that her fellow 4-Her had competed and won, Brynlee thought it looked cool and it looked like a lot of fun.

The competitors stand to acquire more than a little scholarship money whether they win or not. A contestant will quickly learn a lot of skills that are needed to compete in the program. The girls will need to learn to present and work with people, skills that will take them far once they enter the workforce. They also gain a lot of friends and acquaintances among the contestants. All three winners enjoyed their time and are honored to have received their crowns. Liliana said, "I'm grateful and excited to represent Montana. I highly recommend this program for all the young women across our state." Lily said, "I think the program is so amazing for girls to participate in. I think a lot of people should take advantage of this opportunity. It's really great!" Brynlee said, "If you're looking to make friends and have a lot of fun then you should join the program."