New Castle native wins day one of Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Competition
Miss Butler County 2023 Maria Cade won the night one Preliminary Talent Award for her classical music performance at the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Competition in York on Thursday, June 15.
Cade joined 26 other women from across the state in day one of competition to decide who will be crowned Miss Pennsylvania on Saturday.
She sang “Nessun dorma,” an aria from the opera “Turandot” by Giacomo Puccini.
"I was so honored and so thrilled,“ Cade said. ”I was really humbled when they called my name. I wasn't expecting it, but I worked so hard to hone my craft and technique as a vocalist. it was also nice to celebrate all the other young women on that stage."
Cade earned the title of Miss Butler County 2023 in November. Since then, she has worked to serve Western Pennsylvania communities through the Miss Butler County Scholarship Organization.
Miss Butler County 2023 Maria Cade won the night one Preliminary Talent Award for her classical music performance at the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Competition in York on Thursday, June 15.
Cade joined 26 other women from across the state in day one of competition to decide who will be crowned Miss Pennsylvania on Saturday.
She sang “Nessun dorma,” an aria from the opera “Turandot” by Giacomo Puccini.
"I was so honored and so thrilled,“ Cade said. ”I was really humbled when they called my name. I wasn't expecting it, but I worked so hard to hone my craft and technique as a vocalist. it was also nice to celebrate all the other young women on that stage."
Cade earned the title of Miss Butler County 2023 in November. Since then, she has worked to serve Western Pennsylvania communities through the Miss Butler County Scholarship Organization.
Cade said she performed in theater all her life, but didn’t grow up singing classical music. That changed when she went to college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“I wanted to continue to sing there, but they didn't have a musical theater program,” Cade said. “They had a classical performance program. I wanted to try it out. I ended up falling in love with the art form and storytelling of opera. I think it allows me to communicate with people through song and i love to do that."
For her effort, Cade was awarded $500 in scholarship money, which she said will go toward paying off her student loan debt.
Other components of the pageant are activewear and fitness, eveningwear and on-stage questions.
Miss Pennsylvania will be awarded $12,000 in scholarship funds.
"The Miss America Organization is a national organization that Miss Pennsylvania is a franchise of,“ Cade said. ”The Miss America organization is one of the largest providers of scholarships for young women in the entire country. This year as Miss Pennsylvania, the delegates will be receiving almost $70,000 in scholarships to go toward their higher education or student loans."
Cade works as a news anchor at WTAJ TV in Altoona.
Every delegate who competes in the Miss America Organization has to have a Community Service Innitiative
Cade’s inniative is called Be V.I.S.I.B.L.E. where she advocates for representation and inclusion for all.
"I created a school curriculum, and I go into schools and provide students with different tools and things they can utilize when they're young to achieve confidence and make them feel like they can be their complete selves,“ she said. ”Hopefully they will take those tools into the community and be kind and accepting of everybody."
