Beginning next semester, female students across Abilene will be able to compete for the new title of “Miss Frontier Texas.”
Frontier Texas!, a downtown museum, is hosting the Miss Frontier Texas scholarship competition to create an opportunity for female college students to win a scholarship for $3,000.
The project originated with a group of ACU students at ACU student advertising and public relations firm Morris & Mitchell who wanted to help Frontier Texas! find a fun way to engage the local college community.
Amanda McVey, senior advertising and public relations major from Round Rock and Morris & Mitchell account manager, said the contest will put 25 contestants through a series of challenges. Each challenge will incorporate historically accurate frontier skills in a fun way that rewards deserving girls with academic scholarship.
“We are looking to find girls of character and determination who are academically strong but also who are really highly respected by peers and faculty,” McVey said. “It is a scholarship competition, so we are looking for girls who have applied themselves in school.”
Katie Beth Ware, senior advertising and public relations major from Colleyville and Morris & Mitchell promotions manager, said the competition is open to college-age women with freshman, sophomore or junior hours who exhibit leadership and a willingness to learn new things. The contestants will apply historical facts they learn from the staff at Frontier Texas! to the competition challenges.
“The success of this competition is going to be due in part to the applicants, so we want to get girls that are excited about it and who have an interest in being a leader and putting effort towards a long-term goal,” Ware said.
McVey said this scholarship competition will stand out from other academic aid opportunities – and community events as well.
Women will learn anything from how to shoot a rifle, saddle a horse, cook a traditional meal and even pitch a tent for the overnight portion of the competition.
“The greatest thing about Miss Frontier Texas, though, is that all of the girls will be taught,” McVey said. “This reinforces the academic side of the scholarship competition, but it also levels the playing field. Contestants with zero previous knowledge of the Texas frontier can still prove to be deserving of the scholarship money through their willingness to learn and try something new.”
McVey said the competition is going to be entertaining for contestants to be a part of, and the organizers envision it as an event that the Abilene community can get involved in and come out and watch for fun.
“This competition speaks to girls who want to prove that they’ve got what it takes,” Ware said. “It’s a competition for real women.”
The competition will take place in the spring and applications are being accepted now. Applications can be found on www.MissFrontierTexas.com.
