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New Quesnel Ambassador Program candidates introduced

Quesnel council meets candidates and learns about changes to the program
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Hailey Murray is introduced as a Quesnel Ambassador Leadership Program candidate and receives her sash and tiara during the Feb. 26 council meeting. Lindsay Chung photo

Building self-confidence is a big part of the Quesnel Ambassador Leadership Program, and this week, the newest candidates in the self-development program were introduced to Quesnel city council.

The Quesnel Ambassador Leadership Program is in transition, and workshop co-ordinator Rose Scott explained some of the changes for the program, which was previously known as the Miss Quesnel Self Development Program.

“This is a new program we have formally started as of February,” she said. “We are changing things a little bit, but we are keeping most of the things that have been traditional: so we are keeping speech arts as a major component, we will be having talent as part of their judging, and we will be having interviews. So that part of the program is still the same, but we’ve added quite a bit to the program this year. We have 13 different workshops that are focused on improving the candidate in many ways, emotional, physical, as well as academic.”

Scott says they started this year learning self-defence, and they have now started working on self-confidence.

“We’ve been talking about how you have to build yourself up before you can build anyone else up, so the whole program, everything that we do, actually helps to improve self-confidence,” she said. “That’s a large part of our program, but there have been some explicit lessons on that. Right now, we’re working on resiliency, the ability to take a fall and to be able to stand back up and rise up and be better than you were before by learning from that experience.”

Scott says the candidates will also learn about dressing for success and about mechanics this year.

One of the big changes is this is no longer a girls-only program.

“Everyone is invited to join, regardless of their [gender] identity,” said Scott. “We have lots of different things going on, and we’re really, really excited about bringing all genders to the program.”

Quesnel Princesses Gracie Combs, Sierra Moore and Savannah Audet thanked the sponsors, expressed their excitement for watching the 2019 candidates grow this year and invited council and members of the public to this year’s pageant before singing a song they had written about Quesnel.

During the meeting, council recognized each candidate and their sponsors, and each candidate was presented with a sash and tiara.

This year’s candidates are:

• Hailey Murray, sponsored by Willis Harper Home Hardware

• Taylor Heaton, sponsored by Attitude South Salon

• Gracie Campbell, sponsored by Service Electric Ltd.

• Nalyssa Runge, sponsored by Quesnel Lions Club

• Sydney Williams, sponsored by Bliss Restaurant

• Makayla Squinas, sponsored by Quesnel Pride Society

The 2019 speech and talent night will take place July 4, and the pageant and awards will be presented July 5.

“We hope you are all able to come out and see how much these girls are able to provide to the community,” said Scott.

READ MORE: Miss Quesnel Self Development Program to become Quesnel Ambassador Leadership Program

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Quesnel Princesses Savannah Audet (left), Gracie Combs and Sierra Moore perform a song they wrote about Quesnel during the Feb. 26 council meeting. Lindsay Chung photo