In addition to her sparkling crown and elegant ball gown, this year's Miss Philadelphia also carries a PennCard.
At Saturday's 84th annual Miss Philadelphia Pageant, Engineering senior Ronica Licciardello took the city's top honors. She defeated 17 other Philadelphia-area college-aged women for a $10,000 scholarship and the opportunity to compete in the Miss Pennsylvania competition during the summer, which serves as a preliminary to the Miss America Pageant.
Licciardello is a pageant veteran, having competed in her first pageant at the age of 3. She has earned prior titles as New Jersey's Junior Miss and last year was a semifinalist in the Miss New Jersey Pageant.
The scholarship money provided by the Miss Philadelphia Pageant was of particular interest to Licciardello.
"The Miss America Pageant is really unique with what it does for young women," Licciardello said. "Certainly with the cost of Penn, the scholarship money was very appealing."
For every pageant, Licciardello uses different training methods.
"Each pageant is different," Licciardello said. When preparing for a competition, "I don't change myself, I polish myself."
Licciardello's preparations range from taking voice lessons to reading the newspaper.
"I don't have time to go out on Wednesday night and Thursday night like many Penn students," she said.
Licciardello stressed the importance of physical health in competitions, especially the swimsuit competition.
"I like the swimsuit competition," Licciardello said. A contestant "needs to be seen in a light that says she cares about her body and her health."
As Miss Philadelphia, Licciardello will participate in events around the city, ranging from speaking at schools to hosting the annual Mummers Parade.
All contestants are affiliated with a charitable organization, and as Miss Philadelphia Licciardello will be provided with resources to advance the cause of Get Involved Volunteer, her selection, which encourages adolescents to participate in community service.
"I've been volunteering [for as long as] I can remember" Licciardello said. "It's been a life-changing experience for me."
She added that she wants to provide opportunities for Philadelphia's youth to volunteer.
Licciardello has already met with members of United Way of America and is currently planning to bring GIV to Philadelphia.
Seven judges, including Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Dhani Jones and Philadelphia Inquirer Executive Vice President Amanda Bennett judged contestants in talent, swimwear, eveningwear and interview competitions.
"The competition went really well," Jones said.
He explained that Licciardello impressed him with "her strong personality and ability to communicate effectively."
Additionally, Licciardello earned praises from Kevin McAleese, the pageant's executive director.
"She has a sincere commitment to volunteering in Philadelphia" McAleese said. "We are all very excited about her taking on the role of Miss Philadelphia."
