Expanding horizons

Kate Brewster, of Huntington Beach High School’s Academy for the Performing Arts, was the latest queen to be crowned as Miss Huntington Beach Sunday afternoon, before a sold-out, standing-room-only crowd at Old World Village.

“I’m really excited,” Brewster said. “I was ready for anyone to win, and it was very shocking to me that it was actually me, when they called my name. It was really overwhelming.”

Brewster, 18, is a member of the Surf City Singers, and was honored as the academy’s Best Female Vocalist for the Performing Arts in 2008.

She will initiate her platform, “Value of the Arts Enhancing General Education,” during her year of service.

After graduating high school in June, she intends to pursue a bachelor’s in music, with an aim to go into music ministry in the future.

That confidence in her voice helped her during the pageant, she said.

“I wasn’t nervous,” Brewster said. “I said my prayers and took a deep breath and did what I had to do.”

“She’s on cloud nine,” pageant marketing representative Matt Liffreing said.

“Kate is absolutely beautiful,” said Pam Alagata, the pageant’s executive director. “She’s got great poise, and she’s eager to start the year.”

Brewster followed in the footsteps of her sister Lana, a former contestant.

While recruiting for the pageant at a Huntington Beach High School event, Liffreing recalls walking up to Brewster and encouraging her to participate. Brewster’s friend Kelsey Schulte, now a member of her court, also encouraged her.

“Are you happy now?” Liffreing asked Brewster several months later, while she was wearing the Miss Huntington Beach crown.

“We had to bring her into the fold a little bit, but I think she’s just going to be a magnificent queen,” Liffreing said.

The city’s new princesses include first runner-up Chantelle Rueman; second runner-up Samantha Bullat; third runner-up Emily Walker; and fourth runner-up Schulte.

Brewster, along with her court of princesses, will be the face of the city for the remainder of its celebration of its 100th anniversary, requiring her presence at ribbon cuttings and other ceremonial events.

“We’re a city of expanding horizons, so I’m really excited to represent what our city means,” Brewster said.

“This is our centennial year, so she in fact becomes the centennial queen,” Liffreing said.

“We had probably one of the best quality sets of contestants we’ve ever had. The Women of Action, who produced the program, said they were just an amazing group of people,” he said.

The pageant has a traditional format, beginning with private interviews with each contestant.

The public pageant follows, and includes talent, bathing suit and evening wear competitions in addition to an onstage interview during the show.

“These girls have incredible GPAs,” Liffreing said. “They’re a really good, well-rounded, educated group.”

“I have never been so proud of 13 girls before,” Alagata said. “They are all amazing.”

Alagata said she was proud of her staff, who managed to turn the beer hall into an elegant pageant site, and added that one of the statewide judges told her that the local school district produces incredible students.

CANDICE BAKER may be reached at (714) 966-4631 or at [email protected].