The Miss Thurston County Scholarship Organization crowned four new titleholders on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Sophina Wheeler, a 17-year-old senior at Olympia High School, is Miss Capital City 2027.
Adyson Sawyer, a 22-year-old graduate student from Olympia, is Miss Thurston County 2027.
Veronica Fox, a 15-year-old sophomore at Capital High School, is Miss Capital City’s Teen 2027.
Brooklynn Browning, a 17-year-old senior at Olympia High School, is Miss Thurston County’s Teen 2027.
The four young women will compete for the titles of Miss Washington and Miss Washington’s Teen next summer in Olympia.
Their coronations were the culmination of the Miss Thurston County Scholarship Organization’s 52nd annual competition, held Sunday, Oct. 25, at South Puget Sound Community College’s Kenneth J. Minneart Center for the Performing Arts.
The competition welcomed a total of 50 competitors.
In total, over $7,000 in scholarships were awarded throughout the night.
Miss Thurston County and Miss Thurston County’s Teen represent the greater Thurston County area, while Miss Capital City and Miss Capital City’s Teen represent the Olympia area.
All four titleholders serve as the official hostesses of Thurston County.
“We are here this evening to celebrate women. The men will have to wait for another day, because today is all about women,” said Miss Thurston County 1985 Kama Montermini, who hosted Sunday’s competition alongside Miss Thurston County 1983 Rebecca Wood Anderson.
As role models for all girls and women in Thurston County, the four Miss Thurston County titleholders must be well-spoken and concerned for issues facing our nation, Monterimi said.
The contestants were judged in five categories: a private interview, accounting for 30% of their score; an on-stage conversation accounting for 10% of their score; and fitness, talent and evening gown categories, which each accounted for 20% of their score.
The private interviews took place on Saturday, Oct. 24. The four remaining phases of competition took place on stage Sunday night.
Wheeler’s talent was a “HER-Story” spoken word piece about her passion for advocacy and dream to become an attorney.
“From the stage to her community, she is never afraid to speak up, inspire others and make a difference,” Montermini said of Wheeler.
Sawyer’s talent was a reading of her original written work titled “For Those Willing to Reach.”
Sawyer “has had a passion for public speaking since she was a little girl,” and “loves being able to competently convey a message to her peers no matter the situation,” Anderson said.
For her talent, Fox performed “All That Jazz” on the alto saxophone. She has been playing for five years.
Browning sang a rendition of “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” for her talent. She has been a singer for over five years and “takes pride in being able to perform live,” Anderson said.
At the end of the night, Miss Thurston County 2026 Helena Rudolf, Miss Capital City 2026 Nyah Hart, Miss Thurston County’s Teen Matilda Schrum and Miss Capital City’s Teen Lexi Lund formally ended their year of service and passed down their crowns.
“This year has truly been so much more than I could ever expect,” Lund said.
Her Community Service Initiative was titled “Journey to Achieve: Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Goals in School,” focused on supporting those with learning disabilities.
Schrum’s Community Service Initiative was titled “Gaze Into the Future: Finding a Safe Space in the Arts,” focuses on helping people, especially members of the LBGTQI+ community, find a safe place where they can feel like they belong.
“Being Miss Thurston County’s Teen opened up so many doors, helped me meet so many fantastic people and has helped me grow as a person,” Schrum said.
Hart’s Community Service Initiative was titled “Shine As One: Spotlighting Special Olympics,” focusing on supporting the Special Olympics.
“What a journey this year has been,” Hart said of her year as Miss Capital City 2026. “From guiding my fellow titleholders to going out of my comfort zone and singing the national anthem at the county fair, I’m grateful for all of these wonderful experiences.”
Rudolf’s dreams came true a year ago when she was crowned Miss Thurston County 2026 after two years of trying, she said.
“All that time spent working on myself, my platform, my talent, and overall growing into a better version of myself paid off that night, and I got to begin an absolutely incredible year of service to Thurston County,” she said.
Rudolf’s Community Service Initiative was titled “Dismantle Diet Culture,” which aimed to educate our communities on the causes of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, while also raising awareness about various support systems for those experiencing an eating disorder.
To book a Miss Thurston County Scholarship Organization titleholder at an event, or to get involved in the organization, email missthurstoncountydirector@gmail.com.
