Exclusive interview with Miss South County 2006 Jennifer Evangelista

Interview By: Rebecca Bamberger

You wouldn’t guess it from her reserved demeanor and shy smile, but UCSD senior and Chula Vista native, Jennifer Evangelista, is a reigning beauty pageant winner. As 2006’s Miss South County, Evangelista has packed quite a lot in her term, serving as the radiate face for the South Bay while continuing her prominent leadership in UCSD’s co-ed community service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. She stopped by for a chat over coffee and shared her experiences and expectations for the future.

Chula Vista Living: What made you think, “Okay. I think I could be the next Miss South County”? Miss South County: I was actually working at Ono’s Cafe in Bonita when Lorraine Johnson, the pageant director, approached me. I went to a few meetings, and I was convinced I should give it a try.

CVL: How has being Miss South County developed you in a professional sense? Miss South County: I think it’s really honed my interpersonal skills. Going to events, meeting people, striking up conversations – it’s been a good experience, overall, especially meeting a lot of people who are involved in their community.

CVL: What is your situation right now, as you’re about to head off to China? Are you helping out with the next pageant? Miss South County: Absolutely. I’m interested in doing character-building sessions with the girls, including résumé-building, interview techniques, and other exercises. Even if a young woman doesn’t win, I think she will be able to take out a lot from the whole experience. I'm particularly excited to start planning the scholarship associated with the pageant. It's important to reward a pageant winner's time and energy with a scholarship. It does a lot to remove the stigma of beauty pageants and reinforces the value and necessity of a solid education.

CVL: Who is an ideal Miss South County – besides yourself, of course. What do you look for? Miss South County: She’s someone who is self-assured and has a strong direction in her life. She can also talk to a whole array of people – from little girls, who want to take your picture, to elders in the community, who want to discuss local issues.

CVL: South County is a pretty big area. How do you manage to get to all the events, all the locations? Miss South County: Well, Miss South County is only in its third year so it’s not so developed and demanding as some of the other titles, such as Miss Bonita. But I stay busy. Going to Odawara, Japan, as the Student Ambassador to the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce, was fascinating and demanding at the same time.

CVL: Japan! That’s certainly beyond the South Bay. What would you say is one of your favorite aspects of the South County? Miss South County: When I moved up to La Jolla for college, what I really missed about Chula Vista was its diversity. There are so many types of different people, so many different socio-economic levels here, as well as a bunch of people who are in different places in their lives. Working down here, at Ono's Cafe in Bonita, makes me realize I can always count on the diversity.

CVL: You leave in July for China to teach English to Chinese students for a year. What made you decide to take this next step in your life? Miss South County: I am fascinated with Eastern thought. I am particularly intrigued by the prospect of synthesizing Eastern and Western thought in regard to political economy to find viable moral alternatives to capitalism. It's a possible dissertation topic if I ever decide to go for a master’s or Ph.D., and it will be a good introduction to teaching. If it goes well, I may find a teaching-credentialing program when I return to the States.

CVL: Any reservations? Miss South County: I'm most worried about the climate. I don't fend well in tropical climates. And, well, it won’t be my South County.

Evangelista graduated in 2006 from UCSD with a B.A. in political science and an emphasis in international relations.