Miss Western Los Angeles 2006 |
By Jean Ushijima
Collen Suyenaga |
Our Miss Western Los Angeles this year, Colleen Keiko Suyenaga, is a 23 year old recent graduate from UC Irvine, with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology with minors in Biology and Psychology. She is the daughter of Leland and Lorie Suyenaga. The family home is in the Westchester area of Los Angeles, although she currently lives in Laguna Hills where she resided during her school years at UC Irvine and while she continues with her job at UC Irvine as a Student Supervisor/Reservation Specialist for Conference Scheduling and Services. She stands 5' 3-1/2” tall, and her hobbies include singing karaoke, going to the theatre and photography. She plans to continue her education and apply for a Masters Program in Genetic Counseling. Her involvement with the selection process began when the three sponsors for Miss Western Los Angeles began a search for candidates in January of 2006. The Venice Japanese Community Center, the West Los Angeles Japanese American Citizens League and the WLA JACL Auxiliary annually search for young women (with at least 50% Japanese ancestry), between the ages of 19 and 25, who are willing to go through the training and selection process, first for Miss Western LA and then for being a member of the Nisei Week court. Applications are sent to any young lady who answers the ads in the VJCC newsletter and the Rafu Shimpo. Personal contacts are made when any likely young ladies are suggested. In the ensuing month |
or two, meetings are held with the prospective candidates to explain the process that will be utilized, and what the demands will be on the young woman who is selected.
Representatives of the three sponsoring organizations gather for a Selection Day when the candidates appear before the group to give a speech, answer questions, and give the committee an opportunity to make a decision by voting on the person they feel is best suited to represent the community. Each candidate has been given training on the process and has practiced her speech before a training group of former Miss Western Los Angeles.
Part of the commitment of the candidate is to remember that she will be representing this community and the three organizations, and, if she goes on to Nisei Week, that the commitment will be for one year, whether she is selected as the Nisei Week Queen or is a member of the court. This is a heavy involvement in time, funds, and energy. The families are also advised what this involvement entails.
| The principal goal of the sponsoring organizations is to provide a special, unique opportunity for a young woman to go through an experience that will be, at times, life changing, and which will provide opportunities to learn about her culture and the Japanese American community, and make friends with other young women on the court who can enrich her life. It is almost unanimous that each candidate looks back on her experience as Miss Western Los Angeles and a member of the Miss Nisei Week court as something she is proud to have gone through and that it is one of the most enriching experiences she has had. |
Colleen Suyenaga & other candidates |
The three sponsoring organizations would appreciate the communities' help in reaching all eligible candidates by receiving names and telephone numbers at any time. We will contact the young women and follow up for the following year.
COMMITTEE: VJCC Delcene Kuwata, Kazie Kame; WLA JACL Jean Ushijima; WLA JACL AUXILIARY Eiko Iwata.
Visions for the VJCC
By Kelvin Uyeda
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The end of summer is a season of relief for this month's featured member of our Visions section. After a two year commitment to assist (2005) and head (2006) the planning and administration of the VJCC Summer Festival, Ross Yasuda welcomes the end of summer and the end of his term. Ross' involvement began through his son Chase, who is part of Boy Scout Troop 764 and a black belt in the Venice Karate Club. Several years ago Ross agreed to become the president of the Venice Karate Club and began attending the monthly Executive Council meetings on its behalf. Ross soon learned of his inherited assignment to assist and then head-up the VJCC Festival for 2005 and 2006. Ross fully embraced his assignment and did a super job of heading up the successful 2006 VJCC Festival. |
Through his experience, Ross admits it was a lot of work but he was impressed at the number of committed people both young and old that volunteer for the VJCC Festival. He gives praise to the volunteers who have been faithfully coming out year after year to plan, set-up, run, and tear down this annual event. “There are so many volunteers and many who have done this for so long, it seems the Festival runs itself,.” states the deferential Ross.
Ross claims the hardest part of his job was to act as a judge when various individual and club interests were sometimes conflicted. He wants to remind everyone that we all need to compromise for the common good of our Community Center. Above all, Ross concludes that the work is well worth it to see both young and old coming together in this genuine community building effort.
