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Area girl named Sweetheart in state pageant advances to Nationals
  
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By DIANE TEZENO
An area 9-year-old girl, crowned a winner in a state-level pageant, has earned the chance to advance and compete in a national scholarship competition.
Faith Bolden, of Fresno, was crowned the Lone Star State Sweetheart in the 2009 Miss America Sweetheart Pageant.
In its 26th year, the national scholarship competition is organized by American Coed Pageants, Inc. and will be held Nov. 23-28 at the Hilton Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fl.
A student at Living Stones Christian School in Alvin, Bolden will compete against other contestants fin the 7-9 year-old category for the title of Miss American Sweetheart.
Contestants are selected to represent their state in the national competition based on a written application outlining their accomplishments, grades, community involvement and submitted photos.
At the state-level, contestants competed in a range of categories, including National Talent, Speech, Academic Achievement, Community Service, Photogenic and Personality.
Other categories of state competition included, Most Promising Model, Best Actress and National Cover Girl and Hostess contests.
Bolden, a straight "A" student, won the Talent, Most Promising Model, Best Actress, and Personality competitions, in addition to the title Miss Sweetheart Lone Star State.
“I was so happy, I was really excited,” said the youngster of her win.
Bolden performed a rhythm gymnastics bar routine and read a poem in the talent portion of the competition.
An avid gymnast, the 9-year-old works out 4 hours a day, 5 days a week at Rhythmic Attitudes of Houston, a Fresno area gymnastics training facility.
The Fresno resident developed an interest in pageants after competing in a pageant at her mother’s child care facility, called “Fabulous Faces,” according to her mother Abarette Bolden, co-owner of Kidacious Academy in Fresno.
“She started in pageants when she was four,” her mother said of her advent into pageants.
“She was introduced to the stage and she loved it and we noticed that she spoke really well in front of large crowds.”
Although she did not win, Bolden developed a number of lasting friendships and developed confidence and an understanding of the importance of community service, said her mother.
Not an advocate of “glitzy pageants,” her mother sought out pageants focused on character-building and self-development.
“Natural pageants” don’t allow heavy make up and use of extensions in the hair and provide participants with something that they can use in life, according to her mother.
Since winning the Lone Star Sweetheart title, Bolden has become more involved in the community.
The 9-year-old recently designed bracelets with the logo “Got to Have Faith” for distribution at Texas Children’s Hospital and to area veterans.
“It was surreal, she worked really hard, she practiced and did lots of research and reading and got on stage and basically handled her business,” said her mom.
American Coed Pageants aims to recognize and reward outstanding young women for their accomplishments and to encourage participants to set and achieve high goals for the future through the pageant program.
Since 1983, millions of dollars in cash awards and prizes have been presented to outstanding girls at state and National competitions, according to pageant officials.
Faith Bolden, of Fresno, was crowned the Lone Star State Sweetheart in the 2009 Miss America Sweetheart Pageant.
In its 26th year, the national scholarship competition is organized by American Coed Pageants, Inc. and will be held Nov. 23-28 at the Hilton Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fl.
A student at Living Stones Christian School in Alvin, Bolden will compete against other contestants fin the 7-9 year-old category for the title of Miss American Sweetheart.
Contestants are selected to represent their state in the national competition based on a written application outlining their accomplishments, grades, community involvement and submitted photos.
At the state-level, contestants competed in a range of categories, including National Talent, Speech, Academic Achievement, Community Service, Photogenic and Personality.
Other categories of state competition included, Most Promising Model, Best Actress and National Cover Girl and Hostess contests.
Bolden, a straight "A" student, won the Talent, Most Promising Model, Best Actress, and Personality competitions, in addition to the title Miss Sweetheart Lone Star State.
“I was so happy, I was really excited,” said the youngster of her win.
Bolden performed a rhythm gymnastics bar routine and read a poem in the talent portion of the competition.
An avid gymnast, the 9-year-old works out 4 hours a day, 5 days a week at Rhythmic Attitudes of Houston, a Fresno area gymnastics training facility.
The Fresno resident developed an interest in pageants after competing in a pageant at her mother’s child care facility, called “Fabulous Faces,” according to her mother Abarette Bolden, co-owner of Kidacious Academy in Fresno.
“She started in pageants when she was four,” her mother said of her advent into pageants.
“She was introduced to the stage and she loved it and we noticed that she spoke really well in front of large crowds.”
Although she did not win, Bolden developed a number of lasting friendships and developed confidence and an understanding of the importance of community service, said her mother.
Not an advocate of “glitzy pageants,” her mother sought out pageants focused on character-building and self-development.
“Natural pageants” don’t allow heavy make up and use of extensions in the hair and provide participants with something that they can use in life, according to her mother.
Since winning the Lone Star Sweetheart title, Bolden has become more involved in the community.
The 9-year-old recently designed bracelets with the logo “Got to Have Faith” for distribution at Texas Children’s Hospital and to area veterans.
“It was surreal, she worked really hard, she practiced and did lots of research and reading and got on stage and basically handled her business,” said her mom.
American Coed Pageants aims to recognize and reward outstanding young women for their accomplishments and to encourage participants to set and achieve high goals for the future through the pageant program.
Since 1983, millions of dollars in cash awards and prizes have been presented to outstanding girls at state and National competitions, according to pageant officials.
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