Over the past six weeks, Manteca Youth Focus has hosted workshops, trainings and rehearsals all in preparation for this weekend’s extravaganza “Surfin’ USA” – the 2015 Manteca Youth Focus Scholarship Competitions.
There are 3 age divisions participating in two separate shows at Calvary Community Church in Manteca. The first show is set for tonight, at 6 p.m. and will feature contestants in the 16-20 age division. You will definitely want to come to the upcoming Teen & Young Scholarship Competitions on Saturday at 11am and which features contestants in the 10-12 and 13-15 age divisions. Tickets to each show are just $5 and available for purchase at the door.
The show will showcase the contestants performing a variety of talents including hip-hop dancing, saxophone, oboe, piano, singing, gymnastics, country line-dancing, Tahitian-dancing, a Rubik’s cube demo, spoken word/slam poetry and ballet-dancing. Featured entertainment includes local favorites and MYF alumni Matt Vaughan and Dan Lansford serving as hosts and Cheyenne Milligan, Kristina Priest-Stamper and Amanda Rosas as guest vocalists. Miss Young Manteca Sydnee Navarro will also be featured in the role of “Lilo” during a special performance by the Mini Manteca Fun Campers to “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” from Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch.” Miss Teen Manteca Allison Nussbaumer & Teen Manteca City Ambassador Nate Padilla will also perform a fun duet to “Classic” by NKTO. Miss Manteca Priscilla Ohnmacht and Manteca City Ambassador Colton Harris will perform the solo talents which helped them earn their titles last year.
The competition, under the direction of Shim Lacy-Watson, Judi Horton and Amanda Rosas, will also include a special appearance by Miss California State, Myklyn Balmut, and California State Ambassador, Charlie Priest, two Manteca natives and MYF alumni.
Harris, a Sierra High School grad currently attending UC Riverside, will hand over the torch of leadership on Friday as he presents the medal and accompanying $1,000 to the lone ambassador candidate, Lechi Nkwocha. Ohnmacht, a junior at Sierra, will help crown the new Miss Manteca, Miss Pumpkin Fair (1st alternate) and Miss Winter Fest (2nd alternate) from the 8 ladies vying to earn one of the three top prizes of $1,000, $500 and $250 respectively. Each contestant in the 16-20 age division earns a minimum of $100 scholarship as a participant and member of the 2015 MYF All-Star Team.
Padilla, a freshman at Manteca High School, will present the medal and accompanying $500 to the lone ambassador candidate, Matsua Garcia-Mendez on Saturday. Nussbaumer, a Manteca resident in the 9th grade at Big Valley Christian High School, will crown the new Miss Teen Manteca ($500) and Miss Teen Pumpkin Fair ($250, 1st alternate) from the 4 ladies vying to earn one of the top prizes. Each contestant in the 13-15 division earns a minimum scholarship $50.
Nussbaumer was also recognized by the Board of Directors of Manteca Youth Focus for successful completion of her advocacy project on behalf of the Samaritan’s Purse organization and their annual “Operation Christmas Child” shoebox drive. Over the past 4 years, Nussbaumer has helped organize volunteers and collected more than 600 shoeboxes which were later delivered via missionaries in underdeveloped countries throughout the world. She was also the recipient of the Gold Level President’s Volunteer Service Award conferred by the Points of Light Foundation and signed by President Barack Obama.
While there were no ambassador candidates in the 10-12 division, Navarro, a student at Walter Woodward Elementary, will assist during the crowning of Miss Young Manteca ($200), and Miss Young Pumpkin Fair ($100, 1st alternate) from one of the 4 contestants with the remainder of the 10-12 division earning a minimum $25 scholarship.
The contestants will compete in 6 phases of competition including Community Service Résumé, Scholastic Achievement, Personality Interview, Community Advocacy Speech, Talent and Impromptu Questions. For More information on MYF programs please contact Shim Lacy-Watson at 209.518.3915, email Shim@MantecaYouthFocus.org or visit them on the web at www.MantecaYouthFocus.org.
Miss Manteca Contestants & Manteca City Ambassador Candidate Competing tonight:
• MA1 Lechi Nkwocha is an 18 year old senior at Manteca High School. Sponsored by J&J Printing for his talent he will present a Rubik’s cube demonstration and solve it under a minute.
• M1 Cynthia Frausto is a 16 year old junior at Sierra High School. Sponsored by Sadie’s Salon, Valencia’s Carnicería y Taquería, Garcia’s Ornamental Iron Works and Hair by Martha, she will present a vocal solo, “Roar,” for her talent.
• M2 Cynthia Noemi Valdez is a 16 year old junior at Manteca High School. Sponsored by All Home Construction in Newman, she will present Ballet Folklórico, a form of Mexican cultural dance for her talent.
• M3 Taranpreet Kaur is a 17 year old senior at Manteca High School. Sponsored by Ali Movasagh, Bhupinder Singh, Sukhpreet Kaur and family & friends, she will present Bhangra, a form of Indian cultural dance for her talent.
• M4 Liana Marie Bassett is a 19 year old graduate of Sierra High School currently attending Modesto Junior College. Sponsored by Boutique Couture Ripon and Melinda Bassett – a Younique makeup consultant, she will be presenting a vocal solo, “Smile,” accompanied by the upright bass for her talent.
• M5 Hannah Estelle Villanueva Estrella is a 16 year old junior at East Union High School. Sponsored by Trang Duong DDS, Aksland Real Estate Inc, Janis Music Company and Aki’s Food-to-Go & Oriental Grocery, she will be playing a medley of “The Mission/How Great Thou Art” on the oboe for her talent.
• M6 Fechi Nkwocha is an 18-year old senior at Manteca High School. Sponsored by J&J Printing, she will be presenting a spoken word/slam poem for her talent.
• M7 Christina Nicole Arcos is a 17-year old senior at East Union High School. Sponsored by Anaya Landscaping and her parents Juan & Patricia Arcos, she will be presenting a self-choreographed cheer dance for her talent.
• M8 Isabella Anahi Garcia-Mendez is an 18-year old senior at Manteca High School. Sponsored by her Silvia G. Mendez – Latin Dance & Yoga Instructor and Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant, she will be singing and playing the piano to the song “Mad World” for her talent.
Miss Teen Manteca Contestants & Teen Manteca City Ambassador Candidate Compete Saturday:
• TA1 Matsua J. Garcia-Mendez is a 14- year old freshman at Manteca High School. Sponsored by Dr. Trang Duong, DDS, he will be playing the song “Girl from Ipanema” on the saxophone for his talent.
• T1 Ashlynn Nicole Nussbaumer is a 13-year old Manteca resident and in the 8th grade at Big Valley Christian School. Sponsored by Debra Van Essen – Farmers Insurance Agent, she will be presenting a hip-hop/jazz fusion dance for her talent.
• T2 Rian Lee Sinclair Shaw is a 14-year old freshman at Manteca High School. Sponsored by Shotgun Johnny’s firearms and Elite Arms, she will be singing “Hallelujah” for her talent.
• T3 Angel Dorene Volk is a 14-year old freshman at East Union High School. Sponsored by Spears Enterprises, Furniture Pros, D&S Automotive, Los Amigos Tire and Valley Shed, she will be singing “I Hope You Dance” for her talent.
• T4 Charissa Mae Goodman is a14-year old Manteca resident and in the 9th grade at Tracy High School. Sponsored by Dr. Steven Jung Orthodontics of Tracy, Dr. Carlos Sanchez Dentistry of Tracy and the Goodman family, she will be presenting a country-line dance for her talent.
Miss Young Manteca Contestants Compete Saturday:
• Y1 Paige Berchtold will soon be 10 years old and is in the 4th grade at River Islands Technical Academy of Lathrop. Sponsored by Fagundes Meats & Catering, she will be singing “Bad Day” for her talent.
• Y2 Arianna Jacqlyn Kurys is a 12-year old 7th grader at Brock Elliott Elementary School. Sponsored by Arvin Home Systems Inc. she will be singing “Let It Go” for her talent.
• Y3 Katie Marie Kotch is an 11-year old 6th grader at Shasta Elementary School. Sponsored by Larry’s Backflow Prevention Service and the Kotch family, she will be presenting a self-choreographed gymnastics routine for her talent.
• Y4 Katelin Nicole Bean is a 12-year old 7th grader at George McParland Elementary School. Sponsored by Indulgence Salon, G. Scott and Lorene Smith, she will be presenting a self-choreographed ballet dance for her talent.
