Amanda Whitaker

Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival 2012 Amanda Whitaker represented the greater Gardendale area at the 2012 Miss Alabama Pageant June 6-9.   Whitaker’s awards from Miss Alabama combined with her local scholarship awards make her year of service total winnings at $5,350.  She will apply her scholarship money to her tuition at UAB’s Dental School where she will begin classes in July.

Whitaker will crown her successor at the Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival Pageant and the Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival Outstanding Teen Pageant, which takes place on July 22.  

The Miss Alabama/Miss America Pageant is not just a beauty pageant.  The Miss America Scholarship Program is the largest scholarship program in the world and encourages young women to be active community leaders who pursue a talent while maintaining a healthy life style.

The local Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival Pageant will award a $2,000 cash scholarship (which can be used at any school) to the winner, the first alternate will receive a $750 cash scholarship, the non-finalist will receive $300 cash scholarships.

The Outstanding Teen will have her entry paid to the Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen pageant and will be awarded a $300 cash prize to help with her expenses to the Teen pageant, where thousands of dollars in scholarships will be awarded by Auburn, Alabama, Troy and Jacksonville universities.

The Miss and Teen winners become representatives for the Magnolia Festival at area events.

Christy Giles

Christy Giles, the reigning Jr. Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival, will be representing North Jefferson County this December in the Alabama Teen USA pageant in Montgomery.

Through her appearance at the pageant, she will bring awareness to military service men and women and their families’ sacrifices. She is the daughter of a U.S. soldier.

Giles’ awards and achievements include: Outstanding Academic Excellence Award, Outstanding Student at Bragg Middle School, honor roll, Junior Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival, Most Photogenic and Best Dress at Junior Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival, Top 10 in Miss Reflections Pageant, first place in the Jefferson County Middle School 800m run, first place in the Jefferson County Middle School 1600m run, member of the first-place Jefferson County Middle School 1600×4 relay team, Duke Tip Program, scholarship recipient from Our Military Kids and Julie Foudy Foundation to attend Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy.

Giles, 14, will attend Gardendale High School this fall as a freshman.

She was a member of the track team and choir at Bragg Middle School and a member of Trussville Soccer Club’s competitive team.  She played soccer at Gardendale Soccer Club for many years prior to joining a competitive team.  She plans on being on the track, cross country and soccer teams at Gardendale high school.