Johnson going for title of Miss International

DOWNEY - Kari Johnson, an employee at Downey Federal Credit Union and first runner-up in the most recent Miss California Pageant, will be representing Downey in the Miss International beauty pageant, which will be hosted in Downey this September.The upcoming event, whose history dates back 21 years, will feature 60 girls from a wide variety of age groups competing for the title of Miss International 2010. The pageant will include a five minute interview with the judges, a physical fitness competition, an evening gown segment, and a more relaxed fashion cocktail dress segment. The interview, which comprises 40% of each contestant's score in the pageant, will focus on the issue she has chosen to advocate. Johnson explains, "The interview is a good opportunity to share what is important to me." Having suffered from an eating disorder during high school, Johnson has taken a strong stance on eating disorder awareness. If Johnson becomes Miss International 2010, she said she will embark on a yearlong venture to increase the public's exposure to the ramifications of this serious issue. Reflecting upon her 11 years of pageant competition, Johnson says, "Pageants have helped me in all areas of my life, particularly in developing skills that I now use in my job." Johnson also shared how scholarship money from the pageants that she won allowed her to attend Azusa Pacific University. For additional information regarding attending or competing in the Miss International Pageant go to www.californiaintl.com.

********** Published: July 3, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 11