AKA presents 26th annual scholarship pageant

AKA presents 26th annual scholarship pageant

‘ Twenty Pearls’ returns tomorrow evening with a night of elegance

news@theeveningtimes.com

The ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Pi Chi Omega Chapter of West Memphis will present their 26th Annual “Twenty Pearls” Scholarship Pageant tomorrow evening, Saturday, April 1, at 6 p.m., at the Clarion Hotel (formerly the Holiday Inn), in West Memphis.

The contestants participating in this year's pageant will consist of area high school senior young ladies who will compete for scholarships by displaying their talent, poise and charm, and expressing themselves orally by answering impromptu questions. The contestants have already met academic and other requirements to be eligible to compete in the categories of Miss Twenty Pearls and Miss Pink and Green. All contestants who met the minimum eligibility requirements will be awarded a scholarship for their participation.

The Mistress of Ceremonies for the pageant will be radio on-air personality, Ms. Ena Esco, of iHeart-Media's Urban AC format V101.1FM (KJMS) and Urban K97FM (WHRK).

She is a native of Beaumont, Texas, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Memphis has been very good to Beaumont, TX native Ena Esco. She moved to Memphis, TN at the tender age of 16 and made way for a plethora of opportunity. Upon graduating from Millington-Central High School, Esco attended LeMoyne-Owen College where she was a Dubois Scholar and president of her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Beta Tau chapter. In 2000, she was crowned Miss LeMoyne-Owen College and graduated cum laude with a degree in Business Administration the following year.

Esco has been in the radio business for over 18 years and has worked in various roles such as producer, voice-over talent, morning show co-host, mid-day, and weekend talent. Ena also holds her MBA and has worked in Corporate America in planning, procurement and marketing. She is also married with children.

The pageant theme this year is 'A New Dimension of Pearls'. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is the oldest Greek letter Sorority in America established in 1908 by African-American Women. The annual scholarship pageant is the chapter's major fundraising event, and it gives young ladies who are high school seniors the opportunity to compete for scholarships to assist in their college education.

The AKA Pageant Committee consists of Mrs. Patricia Turner, Chairman, Mrs. Carolyn Anthony, Ms. Lauren Denton, Ms.

Cherith Kesha Minnis, and Mrs. Peggy Swift, Co-Chairmen. Mrs. Annette Johnson and Mrs. Peggy Swift also served as Co- Chairmen of the Mother and Daughter Tea that was recently held in honor of the contestants and their mothers. Also, several other chapter members served as Chairmen of various Pageant Sub-Committees. The local AKA Chapter President is Mrs.

Emma Milliner Robinson.

Ticket cost for the event is $10, and the public is invited to attend.

By the Evening Times News Staff