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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
A handful of people gasped as the auditorium went dark. It was that pitch black - can’t-see-your-hand-in-front-of-your-face dark. But after a moment, the stage lights came on and illuminated the hot pink banners and string lights.
The bright lights danced off of the pink and silver balloons on stage and the table full of tiaras and trophies glistened and twinkled.
Shining even brighter than the lights, the balloons, and the prizes were the participants of 2018 Massachusetts and Rhode Island Miss Amazing.
For the past five years, Medfield High School has hosted the annual event, which strays from the conventional idea of a pageant by celebrating the abilities of girls and women with disabilities. A team of volunteers gets together throughout the year to ensure that the day is especially perfect for the participants and to create a safe and supportive environment for the participants to build confidence and self esteem.
This year’s Miss Amazing welcomed girls and women from ages five to 27. Each participants is partnered with a buddy (many of the buddies being volunteers from Medfield High School) and spends the day playing games and making crafts, getting their hair and makeup done, practicing communication and social skills, and working on public speaking skills.
In the evening, the girls and women hit the stage to participate in the final show, where family members and friends are invited to watch. The participants – separated into age categories – introduce themselves to the audience, strut across the stage in formal wear with their “right hand man,” and have the opportunity to share a special talent with those in attendance.
“They really get this day to be all about themselves,” said Medfield High School senior Sophie Riddick, who helps the girls and women practice their talent to perform on stage.
“A lot of times, they’ll open up to me and tell me about how they’ve been bullied in school and have lost all of their confidence from other people putting them down. Miss Amazing has really allowed them to regain that confidence and get in front of an audience and feel valued for who they are as individuals.”
Sophie joined the committee as a sophomore in high school after two of her best friends, Lucy Nealon and Chloe Rogan, assumed the roles of co-directors.
With Lucy and Chloe graduating from Medfield High School this spring and heading off to college in the fall, the two have been training their younger sisters, Caroline Nealon and Hannah Rogan, to carry on the tradition of hosting Miss Amazing at Medfield High.
The annual event concludes with an awards ceremony, where each participant is recognized and is given a trophy, a tiara, and a rose from one of the right hand men. From each age category, a representative and a runner-up is chosen to head to Chicago’s National Miss Amazing.
“Miss Amazing has helped me to realize that I’m just an ordinary girl,” said Rhode Island’s 2017 Junior Teen Representative, Abby Censabella. “As a teenager in today’s society, it’s often difficult to feel as part of the group. Miss Amazing allows for everyone to be included, and being a part of the Miss Amazing experience has helped me to build my confidence.”
After last year’s Miss Amazing, Censabella felt inspired to try out for her high school’s cheerleading team, and spent the fall as a football cheerleader.
Miss Amazing continues to prove to be a life changing experience for the hundreds of women who get involved nationally each year, and brings communities together to celebrate the abilities of all.
