On Sat., May 16, a group of young girls gathered at St. John Paul II Catholic Academy on Columbia Road to participate in the annual Little Miss & Young Miss Dorchester Contest. By the end of the afternoon, nine-year-old Teagan Pierce had been crowned Little Miss Dorchester and eleven-year-old Zosia Janicki had taken home the title of Young Miss Dorchester.
Both will ride in a place of honor in the Dorchester Day Parade on Sunday, June 7, 1 p.m.
The contest rules required participants to submit a photo, answer a selected question in advance, and show a strong stage presence to a panel of judges earlier in the month.
“The girls were interviewed and shared their responses to their essay,” said event coordinator Annissa Essaibi-George. “There was a theme. Some of that was around food, parks, and schools. The kids are really excited about going to the parks with their family and friends and going to the different parks we have in Dorchester.”
Miss Pierce, who is a fourth-grade student at the Murphy School, said her favorite park is the Garve in Neponset. “I love playing with my friends at Garvey Park. I love playing soccer. I have been playing DYS soccer at Pope John Paul Park since I was four,” she told the Reporter.
She had competed against girls her age and a year or two younger in the Little Miss Category. She said she participated because she “wanted to represent Dorchester, it is my hometown. I have a lot of friends and family here. Dorchester is important to me. She noted that throughout the experience, she learned about “competition, public speaking, and supporting my friends.”
Meanwhile, Young Miss Janicki, a sixth grader at the Advent School, shone in her category, which included girls ages 10 to 12. “When I found out about the competition, I knew that I wanted to compete because I wanted to share my voice. I also knew right away that I wanted to write a poem,” she said.
Like Pierce, she learned a lot leading up to and on May 16. “I learned that everyone had unique experiences in Dorchester, and they have special memories that they have made here,” she said. “I also learned about all the traditions that go along with this event. I’m glad that kids have the opportunity to showcase their creativity and their love for our community.”
In years prior, Janicki has watched the parade from the end of her street. This year, come next Sunday, she and Pierce will be in it.
“I’m most excited to see all my friends around the neighborhood and toss out candy to all the people watching. I also can’t wait to march through the neighborhood and see all my favorite spots along the way,” Janicki said.
“I hope that I can represent Dorchester and inspire other future Young Miss Dorchesters. I also hope that I can make friends with new people I meet, and enjoy the tree lightings and parade. But most importantly, I hope I can try new things that I have never done before.”
Pierce added that she also wants “to be a good role model for future contestants of Little Miss Dorchester,” and that she is “excited to represent Dorchester in the Dot Day Parade. I can’t wait to see my friends and family on the parade route.”
OUR DORCHESTER
By Zosia Janickis
From the gas tank to the Clapp pear,
Everything is beautiful.
From the late nights under the lights at Garvey Park, to the early mornings with the sunlight
beaming through the windows at the Sugar Bowl Cafe,
Everything is beautiful.
From the ice cream truck traveling around Dorchester bringing kids joy in the summer, to the
stores with hot chocolate bears in the winter,
From the people who you know to the people you can’t wait to know,
Everything is beautiful.
From the Polish delis to the Vietnamese sandwiches and avocado smoothies,
From seeing my friends in the Dot Day Parade and from the old-timey float with the guys
singing, some low and some high,
Everything is beautiful.
From the Boys And Girls Club and its sound proof box I would always test out and from the
endless rows of blue bikes sitting there just waiting to be used,
Everything is beautiful.
From the funky sweet aroma of the Ginko fruit in the fall to the first cracked cyan shells of the
robin in the Spring,
Everything is beautiful.
To the people who were born here to those who brought their culture here from far away
Thank you for creating a beautiful place where I want to be,
Our Dorchester is beautiful.
