The May Day Queen and Tiny Princess Pageants are almost here, and with the events comes a long list of ladies who hope to become the May Day Queen this year.
Spanning over five grade levels and hosting 15 contestants, this year’s competitions include a list of royalty hopefuls who will also compete for first place.
The competition’s seniors will represent the three different high schools in the area: Los Banos High, Dos Palos High and Pacheco High School.
An avid dancer and seamstress, Karinna Bergland of Pacheco High School spends her downtime sewing and cheerleading, occasionally demonstrating her Future Farmers of America (FFA) skills by showing cattle at local events.
Between classes and hobbies, she helps make wellness bags for the unhoused in her community and volunteers at a memory care center. After high school, Bergland wants to pursue marine biology to help keep oceans healthy.
Harlee McBride of Los Banos High School is also participating in the competition. An FFA member, she is no stranger to showing her own cattle.
As acting class vice president, McBride wants to improve her school and community and frequently volunteers for the various public dinners and events FFA participates in.
Ever the athlete, McBride enjoys golfing and cheerleading. She also works as a volunteer coach for the Los Banos Tigers youth cheer program.
With the funds she has earned working at Starbucks and West Side Truck Repair, McBride plans to attend a four-year university to become a plastic surgeon.
Dos Palos High School student and FFA member Sofia Miller devotes her time to agriculture and her education. She holds a State FFA Degree, and her school district recognized her achievements in science and reporting.
Miller participates in many extracurriculars, from volunteering at Jessica’s Barnyard to working at canned food drives. She was also crowned Miss Dos Palos before entering the May Day Queen competition.
After high school, Miller intends to take her love of science and writing to the Bay Area. There, she plans to complete her general education credentials before heading to Tennessee to pursue a degree in elementary education.
Another Dos Palos representative, Maya Grant of Dos Palos High School, brings her passion for the creative arts to the competition.
As a staff member at Bernhard Marks Elementary School, Grant finds time to read and write poetry while helping primary schoolers navigate their day in the classroom.
Grant enjoys dancing and cheerleading and looks for ways to practice and improve. Since she wants to continue helping young people after high school, she plans to attend Merced College to become an elementary school teacher.
The first junior contestant is Pacheco High School’s Kasey Sanchez, an FFA member interested in agriculture. She is a blood drive ambassador at her school and has volunteered for and promoted the drive to help her community.
When not advocating for blood donations, Sanchez loves dancing, baking and keeping her mind sharp with the occasional puzzle.
She plans to further her career in agriculture after high school, hoping to attend her dream school, Cal Poly, and use her degree to improve public infrastructure and preserve aging houses.
Junior Jordan Jasso of Dos Palos High School is also a proponent of agriculture and FFA. As a volunteer at Stephanie’s House and Dos Palos Elementary School, she works to make a difference through her community outreach and willingness to work with kids and adults alike.
Jasso has been committed to FFA throughout high school and shows various animals, like goats and hogs, at local competitions.
When she isn’t showing animals, Jasso participates in cross country and cheerleading during football season. She hopes to continue helping the community through volunteer work and competition.
Naomi Rodriguez of Pacheco High School is the only sophomore in the pageant. The owner of her FFA Chapter Degree, she spends much of her time volunteering and working with others.
As a cheerleader, she devotes some time each semester to helping younger girls at the cheer clinic and has even helped with events like the Charleston Fall Festival and various Ag Days.
Rodriguez also enjoys baking, raising chickens and playing softball. She hopes to become a psychologist and a cheerleader for the San Francisco 49ers.
Evelyn Chan is Gustine’s sole representative. The oldest contestant in the competition, she recently enrolled at Merced College. Chan spends her time outside of class helping youngsters in her community.
She often reads to elementary school students in their school or public library, and her commitment to helping kids has even led to her working with Valley Children’s as a newspaper distributor.
When not working with children, Chan helps her neighbors in need. Sometimes, she works at the blood drive in Los Banos in addition to her job at Del Taco and managing her floral business.
The May Day Queen competition coincides with the Tiny Princess Pageant, which allows younger girls to experience pageantry.
The youngest contestant, Rylee Rose of Dos Palos, is five years old and participating for the first time. Her hobbies include cheerleading, soccer, T-ball and doing makeup.
Hazel Souza, a six-year-old from Los Banos, will also compete in the Tiny Princess Pageant this year. Though young, Souza is already a horse rider and spends her time outside kindergarten painting, coloring and tending to her collection of ladybugs.
The first of the first-grade contestants, Audrina Rosas, is a seven-year-old Los Banos native who stays active in and out of the house. A soccer player, Rosas spends the off-season baking with her mother.
As a fan of coloring and dance, Rosas plans to bring her own style and creativity to the competition.
Faith Martinez, another first grader, has spent the past seven years learning to dance. She hopes her high-energy approach to the competition will land her among the Tiny Royal Court.
Seven-year-old Camille Wiley, a second grader, will also participate in the pageant. She spends time with friends or reading in the library when not in the classroom. Wiley also wants to become a cheerleader.
Argelia Vasquez, a second grader from Los Banos, will showcase her art on stage. Hazel Lindemann, a second-grade student, is the only Gustine representative and a lover of horses and crafts.
The ladies will be judged in various categories throughout the show. For the younger girls, this includes a Western wear portion, a Pink Rose or personal style portion, a formal wear portion, and a portion during which contestants will answer impromptu questions.
The older ladies will have more to handle, and the May Day Queen will be crowned based on personality, communication skills, scholastic achievement, poise and appearance and community service.
The judging will occur on April 12, with the winners announced at the kickoff dinner event that same night. Tickets will be available at the fairground’s office, 403 F St., Los Banos.
