Several years ago, when Brooke Poklemba was playing hockey and lacrosse for McDonogh School, she took a lot of ribbing about her pageant participation - until she won a $1,800 scholarship. Some of her staunchest support comes from her own resident pageant winner, 20-year-old Brooke Poklemba, a freshman at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., who hopes to pursue a singing career. And these pageant alumni are comfortable with helping out - and asking others to lend a hand. Virtually all of the volunteers for today's pageant have personal experience with such competitions, Poklemba says. Poklemba also reached Ronke Olaleye, Maryland's reigning Junior Miss, and picked the pageant date based upon her availability: She's on college break. The scholarship money, between $2,500 and $3,000 total, was raised primarily from committee members, volunteers and friends. Several admissions officers agreed to evaluate the contestants' academic records, which make up 20 percent of contestants' overall scores. McDaniel College, an institution with a history of offering scholarships to Junior Miss winners, provided the venue. A contestant orientation meeting early last month attracted girls from Carroll, Frederick, Howard and Montgomery counties. Announcements about the 2006 pageant were posted on Web sites, and Poklemba contacted high school guidance counselors. Thanksgiving weekend, the committee agreed on how to put the program together.

National junior miss pageant