April brought spring showers, May flowers, and the annual announcement of the Miss Draper Scholarship program winners. Anna Page was crowned Miss Draper. Sloane James, Jules Smith and Belynn Borg will also be wearing crowns in the coming year as Royalty Attendants.  

Anna Page is the daughter of Andrea and Sam Page. A 2022 Corner Canyon High School (CCHS) Valedictorian, Page is a Dean’s List student at the University of Utah pursuing bachelor’s degrees in both biology and chemistry. The title of her platform is “Fem STEM” which is focused on providing a feminine role model for young girls interested in science, technology, engineering and math.

“I thought I had to lose sight of my femininity in STEM, to not wear bright colors…and that inhibited my passion. It took some exploration to determine that I can be a feminine woman in STEM and still be exceptionally successful and respected. The main goal is to create a state where young girls can find role models who look and act femininely so they’re encouraged and not deterred from entering education and careers within STEM,” Page said. 

She plans to become a doctor because it’s a career that combines her love of science with her passion for people. “What’s really touching about becoming a doctor is the patient caretaker interaction you don’t find in other careers. Being able to take care of patients so they feel cared for…it’s something I want to have in my everyday life. It blends my love for service and education really well,” Page said.

Sloane James, a lifelong resident of Draper, is the daughter of Gina and Jonathan James. She was a Visual Arts Sterling Scholar at Lone Peak High School and is now studying art education at Brigham Young University. 

James said she was drawn to participate in the Miss Draper program because she sees it as a way to give back to her community. “I feel like Draper City has provided me with a rich childhood and opportunities, so I wanted a way to give back. I knew this would be a great way to do it.” Her Heart to Heart initiative encourages intercultural and interfaith dialogue. “By fostering those relationships, it makes your individual life so much richer and it builds community unity which allows everyone to accomplish more as we work together. I’m working with some of the Draper councils, committees and members of the community to organize events to continue Draper’s efforts to promote diversity so that hopefully it will help all residents feel welcome,” she said. 

Jules Smith is the daughter of Christina and Matthew Smith. A 2020 Honors graduate of CCHS, she’s currently studying Information Systems at BYU with a focus on technology and business. “I love seeing women in tech, I’m pursuing a tech-based career, and I want to show younger generations that they can do it, too,” Smith said. 

Her initiative “Code Up Glow Up” focuses on connecting young women with tech opportunities and mentors. “As I was going into college, I was able to talk to people already in my major. I also have a coworker in IS and she’s been a great influence on me. Having people like that go to schools to speak about opportunities and hearing from real-life examples is really impactful. Hopefully, I can connect young girls to people who have experience and can be an example to them,” she said. She aspires to be a web developer. “I love art, and I think I can combine that with technology so that companies can have better user interface,” Smith said. 

Belynn Borg was involved in athletics and music while at CCHS, and she’s now studying elementary education at BYU. She loves literature and wants to create community book drives to help kids find good books they can connect with. “I have always loved reading. It’s one of those things that’s been a constant in my life. I feel like, with the cell phone revolution, kids aren’t interested in books anymore. That was one of my favorite things growing up, to dive into a fantasy story and escape into a different world. And it’s incredibly important to be literate,” she said.

Last semester, she was introduced to the following quote from Thomas Jefferson, “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.” She feels education is key to freedom and she wants other kids to have the same opportunities for reading that she has had. “I love that quote, and I want to live by it,” Borg said.

The court traditionally consists of Miss Draper and two attendants for a total of three. This year, four young women applied. “In light of this, Draper City felt it was fair to expand the number of attendants. The total scholarship award amounts did not increase but were adjusted to accommodate an additional attendant. The city will evaluate this structure and determine whether to continue it next year or revert to the previous format,” said Linda Peterson, Draper’s communications director.

As Miss Draper, Page will receive a $3,000 scholarship and each attendant will get a $1,500 scholarship. The city funds the program, sometimes with the help of donations and sponsors. In return, the young women are required to be of service to the community in the coming year while also working to promote their personal initiatives. 

“We find young women that are not only pretty, but more importantly, amazing members of the community that are going somewhere. We’ve had physics and education majors…they’re not just great emissaries for our community, but they’re going to be great human beings,” said Mayor Troy Walker. λ