Nia Sinah Tolbert was crowned Miss Fashionetta and Mya Vernel Thompson was crowned Miss AKA Pearl at the concluding showcase of the 2014 Fashionetta leadership and scholarship program in Wichita. Tolbert, a student at Wichita Collegiate, is the daughter of the late Candace Bell and the granddaughter of Patrice and Wardell Bell. Thompson, a senior at Northeast Magnet, is the daughter of Reginald and Alicia Thompson.
The annual event, sponsored by the Beta Kappa Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, was held Sat., Nov. 7 in Century II, Concert Hall. There were 18 members of this year’s Fashionetta presentation class. The program, for outstanding high school senior girls, include a series of educational, cultural and college fund-raising activities designed to prepare and support high school students for college and beyond.
The culminating event showcases the diverse talents and achievements of each Fashonetta Pearl, as the young women are known. The pearls compete for top honors and monetary awards in several categories including scholastic achievement and community service.
The young lady who raises the most funds toward college is crowned “Miss Fashionetta. In addition, Alpha Kappa Alpha presents the title of Miss AKA Pearl to the top earning participant whose parent or grandparent is a member of the sorority. Some of the other honors presented are for essay writing, a grade point average of 3.0 or above, talent presentation and modeling.