She’s royalty for a summer

Published 8:00 am Saturday, July 15, 2006

Hannah King is among 50 young women selected as Seafair Princess.

Hannah King holds many titles: college sophomore, sorority sister, hostess/waitress and now her most recent addition, Seafair Princess.

“It’s an experience you can never imagine,” the 20-year-old islander said. “To be around such accomplished young women who surpass what I have achieved inspires me to work harder.”

King is one of 17 women from a group of 50 serving as princesses in the Seafair Court. Each hopes to be crowned the next Miss Seafair in the annual month-long Seattle summer festival, which includes the popular Torchlight Parade and an aerial show by the Blue Angels.

King developed a taste for pageants when she participated in Washington State’s Junior Miss in Pullman. While there, she met another contestant who told her about the Miss Seafair Scholarship Program for Women.

King was interested in trying out for Miss Seafair to continue building on the personal growth gained from competing in Junior Miss.

Michael and Martha King support their daughter’s pageantry ambitions.

“It prepares her for her goals. It gives her more confidence,” Michael King said.

This confidence shows in Hannah King’s ability to perform. Where others would be nervous at their judges’ interviews, she remains calm.

“Whether they love you or hate you, you can never tell because they all have blank faces,” she said. “I don’t really mind if I win or lose. I’m competing for personal growth.”

The title of Miss Seafair appeals to King because of its scholarship program and involvement in the community.

“It’s not your typical pageant,” she said.

Her parents credit King with showing them the merits of pageants. Martha King encourages more island girls to turn out for them.

“There are so many talented young women on this island. It’s too bad the whole pageantry thing has a bad reputation,” she said.

If crowned Miss Seafair, King will receive a $5,000 scholarship toward college and represent Seafair until the crowning of the next queen in 2007.

As princess, King will attend more than 20 parades and 10 community service events. She already has participated in the Redmond Derby Days Grand Parade, the Hispanic Seafair Festival and a fun-run in Bellevue.

The conclusion of Seafair will not signal the end of King’s pageant days. She plans on competing in the Miss Spokane event next February.

King will continue her studies at Eastern Washington University, where she is majoring in communication and minoring in military affairs. After college, she plans on enlisting in the communication branch of the U.S. Navy or Air Force.

“I think that everyone has a duty to serve their country,” King said. “We’re free because of those who’ve fought for it.”

King’s military inspiration comes from her father and brother, both of whom serve in the Navy.

She credits her ability to attend college and speak freely to those who have fought, and continue to fight, for the United States.

When she isn’t working part-time at Doc’s Marina Grill, King is focusing on her talent routine, jazz dancing and working on her pageant platform, international adoption.

King only has positive things to say about her fellow contestants.

“These women are the ones that are going to change society,” she said, “and make a difference in the long run.”