Quesnel’s 2013 Miss Quesnel Princess Tori Watson is taking her self-development one step further to the B.C. Ambassador program.
This week she is in Merritt for a week-long competition for one of three ambassadors to be chosen Saturday, Aug. 16.
Watson said her year as a Miss Quesnel Princess was amazing with so many unique and interesting experiences.
“It opened my eyes to how much more I was capable of,” she said.
“With so many volunteer opportunities, I was especially moved by a visit to BC Children’s Hospital where we visited a young boy battling leukaemia. It made me aware of how life is very precious. That provided me the foundation for the speech I’ll deliver during the ambassador competition.”
Watson added she initially entered the Miss Quesnel Self-Development program to gain confidence, speaking skills and to learn more about her community, but was surprised and pleased with how much more she achieved.
Once she attended last year’s ambassador competition, Watson could see where she could really bump up her skills and push herself to do more.
Since committing to the program in March of this year, she’s been busy fundraising, learning the program and preparing for the competition.
“My fellow royalty have been so supportive and so has my family,” she said.
Now that she is immersed in the competition, Watson will experience judges interviews, knowledge tests, displaying her community board and spending countless hours in rehearsals and perfecting her speech (which she based on her BC Children’s Hospital experience.)
“I’m more excited than nervous,” she said with a smile.
If successful in the B.C. Ambassador competition, Watson will spend the next year travelling around B.C., promoting the ambassador program, attending pageants and other public events. During that year she also plans to work and possibly upgrade her education in preparation for attending school in the fall of 2015.
The ambassador program also offers scholarships and awards for various achievements which could provide funding for her education. Her plans are to study business with a goal to working in human resources.
How does she plan to make herself standout during the competition?
“I’m just going to be myself and that will make me stand out,” she said.