University of Washington student and College Assistance Migrant Program peer mentor Veronica Quintero was named Miss Seafair 2011 in a coronation ceremony in Seattle on Sat., July 30.
The 62nd annual honor is a part of the Seafair Scholarship Program for Women which gives young women the opportunity to celebrate the diversity of the Puget Sound region and enrich their lives through education, philanthropy, and community involvement.
Quintero will begin her junior year at UW in the fall and is double majoring in communications and Spanish. She is a peer mentor and newsletter editor with the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity’s College Assistance Migrant Program, a federally-funded program designed to assist first-year college students from migrant and seasonal farm worker families pursue higher education. Quintero is also enrolled in the UW Honors Program and works as a Fortaleza Latina Research Project bilingual interviewer with Sea Mar Community Health Centers. She will soon be traveling to India to participate in her second study abroad opportunity. Quintero also participated in the OMA&D-affiliated study abroad program in Tahiti in 2010.
Quintero earned the opportunity to participate in the Seafair Scholarship Program for Women after being crowned Miss Hispanic Seafair. She is the first representative from Hispanic Seafair to capture the title of Miss Seafair. To become Miss Seafair, young women are judged on academic accomplishments, public speaking, interview skills and creative expression. In this role, Quintero will make more than 100 appearances over the course of the year.
A cancer survivor, Quintero established her own community service platform, Veronica’s Challenge: 11 Years of Hope representing the one year she underwent cancer treatment and the 10 years she has been cancer free. By the end of the year, she will have completed 11 community service projects. Quintero also is a regular volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House and Northgate Elementary School.
Quintero is the daughter of Victor and Susana Quintero, residents of Mattawa in Eastern Washington. After graduating, she plans to obtain a master’s degree and pursue a career in broadcast journalism.
This year, Seafair awarded over $20,000 in scholarships as a part of the Scholarship Program for Women. For more information, visit the web site here.
Miss Seafair Court 2011
Miss Seafair – Veronica Quintero, Hispanic Seafair
1st Runner Up – Angelica Soriano Casimiro, Filipino Community of Seattle
2nd Runner Up – Veronica Pupava, West Seattle Hi-Yu