MARYSVILLE — It was a night devoted to the theme of “Berried Treasure: Let It Shine.”
The Marysville Strawberry Festival crowned Senior Royalty princesses Marina Ciferri and Cassie Coate, before crowning Savannah Perkins as queen at the April Friesner Memorial Royalty Scholarship Pageant March 14.
Cassie, a junior at Marysville-Pilchuck High School, was one of the pageant’s junior princesses in 2010. She was joined by two other girls onstage for a choreographed cheer dance as her talent, and devoted her speech to recommending that people try out new things.
“You won’t discover what could be your favorite new activity, talent or friend if you stay in your comfort zone,” Cassie said. “Do what you love, and don’t settle until you do.”
When asked what qualities make women great leaders, Cassie credited women with being caring and compassionate.
“They’ll see who’s struggling and give them extra help,” Cassie said. “They’re flexible enough to adjust their schedules to help others.”
Marina demonstrated first aid techniques with a CPR dummy for her talent. A junior at the Bio-Med Academy at Marysville Getchell High School, her speech touted loved ones and community as inspirations.
“An idea that can change the world is a treasure, as are friends, family and the memories and experiences you gain from them,” Marina said. “Every year, this pageant lets Marysville shine and brings the community together.”
When asked whether social media has helped or hindered society, Marina admitted it’s probably done both.
“I use social media every day,” Marina said. “It lets me connect with friends I haven’t seen since grade school, but it also makes cyber-bullying hard to stop.”
Savannah, a senior at Marysville Getchell, showed off her flair for journalism by donning a trench coat and fedora, and narrating a slideshow profiling five Marysville and Tulalip residents, in the wake of last fall’s school shooting at M-P.
“You are all Marysville,” Savannah told her audience, before she recounted how her parents had returned to their hometown when she was a baby.
As a girl, she spent countless hours exploring the estuary, whose wildlife inhabitants she likened to a community and a family.
“Each Marysville citizen has a different job, but we all come together to create something we could never achieve on our own,” Savannah said. “We persevere when we stand together.”
When asked how much of a part incentives should play in charitable giving, Savannah acknowledged, “You’d like to get something out of it as well, but as long as it benefits others, you’ll benefit as well, which is all the incentive I need.”
While Cassie had so much fun as a junior princess that she wanted to give being a senior princess a shot, Marina saw it as a way to connect with her community. Both Marina and Savannah were inspired by the royalty they’d seen at previous Strawberry Festivals.
“I’m excited to go traveling,” Marina said.
Savannah added: “I’m looking forward to meeting new people.”
“I want to meet new people and become a family with my fellow royalty,” Cassie said.
Brooke Bontrager and Ada Garza of the 10th Street School joined fellow sixth-grader Zinead Morales of Marysville Middle School in being crowned Junior Royalty princesses.
