They say no two snowflakes are alike.
At the 49th annual Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival Snowflake Fashion Show on Sunday, Snowflake Princess contestants shared their perspectives on life — and fashion — in a way that set them apart.
Becky Deatrich Devlin, the 2011 Winter Carnival Queen, served as emcee for the show held at the former Pottsville Club, 201 S. 26th St.
The audience got a glimpse of the 21 contestants, who included an exchange student from Brazil, a scuba diver and archery hunter, an aspiring vet who got two tortoises shipped through the mail and a contestant advocating diversity.
Contestants — all high school juniors — were judged on appearance, poise, personality, voice projection and clarity.
The Snowflake Princess candidates had attended a judges’ reception earlier in the day at the same venue, where they each met privately with the board of judges.
Serving as judges were Dr. Scott Fellows, Thomas Campion, Thomas Palamar, Deb Ferhat, Carol Seitzinger, Dr. Lois Wachter, Shelby Hostetter and Kelsey Fanelli. Mary Ella Hallick served as Snowflake Princess coordinator.
2015 Winter Carnival Queen Kelci Killian, Snowflake Princess Lucy Murray and Snowdrop Princess Madison Eroh addressed the crowd, sharing favorite moments of their year-ending reigns. Several former queens and princesses from the past five years were also in attendance too, joining the audience for a packed house, eager to cheer on their favorite Snowflake contestant. Murray introduced each candidate.
A few contestants spoke to the media downstairs, as they were preparing for the fashion show to begin.
Ana Ozorio, an exchange student from Rio, Brazil, wore her Nativity school uniform.
“Nativity’s given a lot of opportunity to us and I thought I should be proud of my school,” she said.
Ozorio, 17, currently resides in Cressona, and hopes to finish high school and college in the United States. She said she wants to go back to Brazil in the summer for the Olympics.
“They told me how many friends I’d make and how much fun I’d have. It’s been more than I expected and the girls are great,” Ozorio said of her carnival experience thus far.
Blue Mountain’s Sydney Allar wore camouflage gear and face paint and carried a bow.
“I wanted to bring something that most people aren’t going to bring,” Allar, 16, of Orwigsburg, said. “I like fishing and the outdoors and ‘muddying’ it up. I’m a real Skook chick.”
She’s also a scuba diver and helps run her school’s Trout in the Classroom program.
Kylee Clark, 16, of Hegins, wore vet technician scrubs and a stethoscope. Clark, a Tri-Valley junior, would like to attend veterinarian school near Philadelphia.
“I wanted to show the judges that all lives are important, whether it’s an animal or a person,” she said. When Devlin asked Clark about her pets she had at home, the audience laughed when Clark explained her tortoises were shipped in the mail with a heating pack to keep them warm.
Jessica “Jessie” Gunoskey, of Mahanoy Area, said she wanted to “embrace her body and wear something that she wouldn’t normally wear.” Gunoskey 16, of Barnesville, wore a body-hugging, vintage-style maroon dress.
“I want the judges to see that I’m willing to try new things,” she said.
Gunoskey said she started a Diversity Club as a way to address people’s fear about transphobia and homophobia, and was a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights advocate.
Many contestants shared a love of world travel, while some had an interest in medicine, social work, science, theater and finance.
Some of the unique attire they shared included Elina Cassidy, of Nativity, who donned a Japanese ceremonial outfit, representing her birth in Japan. Rachael Cataldo, of North Schuylkill, wore a rhinestone-studded gown, noting she was the “life of the party” and always “looked on the bright side of life.” Rebecca Sites, of Pottsville Area, wore a “little black dress” with a black blazer. She removed the blazer to reveal a bedazzling cut out, going from conservative to playful. Gena Williams, of North Schuylkill, sported a patriotic theme with a blue dress, red heels and white bag, eventually adding a baseball cap. Madalynne Schaeffer, of Schuylkill Haven Area, lit up the room when she walked in with a Disney-created red, fitted dress that actually had lights streaming around it, representing her love of dance and performance in Disney World.
Other Snowflake Princess contestants are: Samantha Gnall, Mahanoy Area; Rebecca Andruchek, Minersville Area; Jillian Mulin, Pottsville Area; Sarah Hasenauer, Schuylkill Haven Area; Eva Blankenhorn, Blue Mountain; Leah Eister, Minersville Area Area; Gabrielle Reinoehl, North Schuylkill; Madison Irwin, Schuylkill Haven; Heather Faust, Blue Mountain; Haley Obrzut, Mahanoy Area; Reiley Lonergan, Minersville Area; and Morgan Zimerofsky, Pottsville Area. Each district could have up to three contestants.
All contestants joined at the front of the stage for pictures at the conclusion of Sunday’s event.
Upcoming Winter Carnival events are:
• Snowflake Costume Fashion Show, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Boscov’s auditorium
• Snowdrop Fashion Show, 2 p.m. Jan. 16, Boscov’s auditorium
• Royal Tea, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Jan. 23, Yuengling Mansion, 501 Mahantongo St.
• Senior Princess Fashion Show, 7 p.m. Jan. 24, former Pottsville Club
• Yuengling Night, 9 p.m. Jan. 29, Humane Fire Company, Pottsville
• Snowdrop/Snowflake Coronation Pageant, 7 p.m. Jan. 30, Pottsville Area High School
• Senior Princess Coronation Pageant, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6, Pottsville Area High School