Special to The Journal

Candidates arrived at the Frazer United Methodist Church to begin 9 days of preparation for the state finals on January 19th and 20th.

Pictured at the right are roommates Camille Shirley, Blount County's Junior Miss (left), and Anna Ray Snellgrove, Crenshaw County's Junior Miss (right) being welcomed to the State Program by Megan Butler, Alabama's Junior Miss for 2006 (center).

The 53 candidates will vie for over $50,000 in cash tuition scholarships and more than $2.2 million in college granted scholarships.

The America's Junior Miss scholarship program was founded in 1957 and is the oldest and largest scholarship program for high school senior girls.

It has helped thousands of girls pay for their educations and pursue their ambitions.

AJM, the oldest and largest scholarship program for high school senior girls, makes available over $80 million dollars in college scholarships annually.

The categories in which each contestant is evaluated are scholastics (20 percent), interview (25 percent), talent (25 percent), fitness (15 percent) and self expression (15 percent).

The program's goal is to honor young women who excel in all these areas and to encourage them to continue on the path of excellence by completing their college educations and assuming roles of leadership in their communities and professions, thereby setting an example for other young women to follow.

National sponsors of America's Junior Miss include the City of Mobile, Mobile County and the Mitchell Company.

Category sponsors include Alabama Power, Encore Rehabilitation, Mobile Gas, Regions Bank and Wintzell's Oyster House.

The 50th Annual America's Junior Miss National Finals will be held in Mobile, Ala., in June 2007.

For additional information on individual contestants, or program week events, please contact Terry Ballant, Vice President – Public Relations at (334) 324-3400, or e-mail at Trballant@aol.com.

For ticket information for Alabama's Junior Miss, please contact Mary Frances Thorman at (334) 271-7580 or by e-mail at mfthorman@charter.net.