The Multicultural Pageant was the vision of a very successful FSCJ alumna who is now doing great things at the University of Florida.

The program promotes cultural awareness and appreciation and it also encourages student leadership through a series of workshops that the contestants are required to participate in prior to the pageant. One characteristic of a leader is their ability to present and promote their thoughts, ideas and aspirations in a public forum and this pageant addresses all of that. The pageant has become an excellent way for the contestants to introduce and teach other students about their cultures. The contestants are judged on their introduction, cultural attire, cultural talent and knowledge of their countries and cultures.

The International Club is proud to say that FSCJ encourages and supports immigrant students who are not fully proficient in English to participate in Collegewide student activities like no other college around.

In the 2015 Miss Multicultural Pageant there were 11 contestants who represented Haiti, Mexico, the United States, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, Italy, Honduras and Guatemala. The contestants were also representatives from three of our campuses including Downtown, North and Kent Campuses.

The program included performances from the Trio of Entertainers and the FSCJ danceWORKS performance group. The top three contestants received $300 for first-place, $150 for second-place and $100 for third-place, along with tickets to Jacksonville Jaguars and Armada games.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2015 Miss Multicultural Pageant:

• First-place: Catheline Chery representing Haiti
• Second-place: Salma Vazquez representing Mexico
• Third-place: Jaelyn Benyard representing the United States

The Miss Multicultural Pageant has become a signature event at Downtown Campus and is a wonderful way to celebrate students' cultures. The event is a great reminder of the rich diversity of culture at FSCJ and how fortunate we are to experience and celebrate these differences. For more information on the Miss Multicultural Pageant and other International Club events please contact the advisor Anna Marie Siegel, director of International Student Services at asiegel@fscj.edu or (904) 632-3248.