By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff writer
Beginner’s luck? Maybe.
But more likely than not, Claire Olsen’s passionate voice and strong personality made more of an impact Saturday at the 28th annual Miss Burlington Area ChocolateFest pageant.
Olsen was named Miss BAC 2013 Saturday, besting a field of six other young women in the Miss America local preliminary.
Olsen, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, won a $500 scholarship courtesy of Miller Motors and North Shore Bank, and will serve her year as Miss BAC before competing at the 2013 Miss Wisconsin pageant.
Miss Burlington Area is the only remaining holdover pageant in the state.
Olsen looked shocked as the judges’ final decision was announced, and admitted afterward that she was surprised to have won.
“I believed that the girls that were in the pageant were so talented and so intelligent, I was not expecting to get the title,” said Olsen.
What probably played a huge part in Olsen’s win was her vocal performance of “I Will Be.” Olsen chose a gospel song for its emotional impact, and it garnered a huge round of applause from the assembled audience at the Wanasek Family Stage on the ChocolateFest grounds.
“I love gospel music,” Olsen said. “I feel that the soulful emotion that you use in singing is so closely involved with the lyrics,” she said. “It makes a very emotional experience to perform and to listen to.”
Olsen plans to work with Love Inc., a local aid agency that provides food assistance and other services for the poor, during her time as Miss Burlington Area ChocolateFest. Her platform is “Help for the Homeless,” and her first call Tuesday was to Love Inc.
“Just promoting the work that they’re doing,” Olsen said of her immediate goals. “It’s so wonderful and so helpful in the Burlington community.”
She also wants to explore the idea of making a music CD and selling them as a fundraiser for the organization, blending gospel music and jazz guitar.
The first runner-up was Dana Calamia of Burlington, who won a $100 scholarship from the City of Burlington. Calamia, who played “Fur Elise” on the piano for her talent, also won $100 for the top interview award. That award was provided by two former Miss BACs – Julia Hansch and JanaLee Hitchcock, and their spouses.
The other competitors were Ashley Monti of Racine, Meghan Moeller of Milwaukee, Bekah Geffert of Genesceo, Ill., Caitlin Koller of West Allis, and Stephanie Parco of Racine. Moeller, Geffert and Koller are students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, which allows them to compete at Miss Burlington Area – whose catchment area also covers Racine County and UW-Parkside.
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