Student enters beauty pageant

For the next few weeks, Nursing junior Kelly Cornelisse's main concerns will shift from classes and papers to evening gown competitions and personal interviews. In just over two weeks, Cornelisse will strut her stuff on the catwalk of the Ms. Philadelphia pageant, which involves competition in the interview, casual and formal wear categories. Cornelisse will be competing with 29 other women ages 20 to 23 for part of the $20,000 in scholarships and prizes that will be given out to contest entrants. The winner of the pageant, who will be crowned Ms. Philadelphia, will represent Philadelphia and the surrounding area in the national competition presented by Nationals, Inc. in Orlando, Florida. In addition to an all-expenses paid trip to Florida, entrants into this stage of the competition will be eligible to win portions of over $60,000 in scholarships and prizes. Cornelisse said the prize money would help her get through medical school. Cornelisse credited her boyfriend, College senior Joe Sciulli, with getting her involved in the pageant. Sciulli heard about the pageant while listening to Y100 on the radio and suggested that Cornelisse enter. Cornelisse, who said she entered as a joke, believed the actual pageant would be held January 18 -- the date announced on the radio. She and Sciulli "ran around trying to find formal wear for the competition," before showing up on the 18th, she said. When the pair got to the address listed on the advertisement, however, they were surprised to see all the potential contestants in casual clothes. "It turned out that that night was only the preliminary interview," Cornelisse said. Several days later, Cornelisse received a call telling her that she had been accepted into the competition, which will take place February 21 and 22. The pageant, for women aged seven through 23, is divided up into five age categories, with 30 women in each category. Cornelisse, who will be 21 at the time of the pageant, will compete in the 20-23 category. "The pageant is based on interviewing skills, personality and how photogenic you are," she said. "The biggest portion will be the interview the night before the actual show." The show consists of formal and casual wear competitions, and ends with each contestant being interviewed briefly on stage . Cornelisse's only previous experience with pageants dates back to a swimsuit competition held in Asbury Park, N.J., close to her hometown of Rumson. "I was a sophomore in high school, and my friends and I decided to enter the competition to have something to do one night," she said. But despite her lack of experience, Cornelisse said she is not nervous. "To be honest, I was a lot more nervous for this [article] than I am for the pageant," she joked. But entering this competition required more than just confidence -- all contestants must raise money to pay for the $500 entry fee. To do so, Cornelisse and Sciulli have been soliciting sponsorships from local business. Currently, Cornelisse has secured the support of Gaeta's College Pizza, Allegro's Pizza, Joseph Anthony Hair Salon and Tommy Gentekos Hair Salon. Cornelisse said she owed a lot to her "planner," as she called Sciulli. Together the two planned the speeches Cornelisse used to attempt to get sponsorships. "He ran around with me everywhere," she noted. Although most of her time is currently occupied trying to prepare for the pageant, down the road Cornelisse plans to assemble a group of Nursing students working to educate other Penn students about health issues.