TORRANCE, Calif.— On Saturday, June 4, 2011, past Miss LA Galaxy winners and court members, and members of the Galaxy marketing staff, convened in a board room at the Torrance Marriott South Bay for the Miss LA Galaxy Casting Call, the first of many events that will comprise the 2012 Miss LA Galaxy competition.
For this year, the Galaxy staff and past Miss LA Galaxy winners and court members are setting their expectations high, looking for women who are involved in the community and can also help grow the program and sport.
“Someone who is a team player and female role model, sociable and comfortable speaking in public and under pressure, loves this sport and wants to represent the Galaxy, work with the community and give the Miss LA Galaxy program more exposure,” said Galaxy Director of Marketing Veronica Avila.
Added Marketing Manager Casey Leppanen: “Each year the ladies add something to the program. This year’s group did an incredible job promoting the work they do in the community through social media. We’re excited to see what kind of talent and passion the next group can bring to the table.”
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More than 40 women were interviewed throughout the day, answering a range of questions from the basic, “Tell us about yourself?” to the more in-depth, “What is your two-year career or life plan?” Another popular question was, “What adjective would you use to describe the team?” The most unique answer to the latter was provided by Emily B., a wedding coordinator and administrative assistant. “Groundbreaking,” she said without hesitation.
A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Loyola Marymount University, with a double degree in Fine Arts/Arts Education and Classical Civilizations, Emily is a former soccer player and current Galaxy fan, frequently sitting in section 138 with the LA Riot Squad supporters. She decided to enter the Miss LA Galaxy competition initially hoping that the experience would be one that would simply challenge her to step out of her comfort zone. Friends gave her a bit of a hard time, thinking she was entering a beauty pageant.
“I’m not a model,” she said. “I’m not expecting to win. I’m just someone that loves the Galaxy.”
What she discovered was that the Galaxy staff and 10-plus former Miss LA Galaxy winners and court members in the room were definitely not looking for a model.
“When they asked me the question asking about my two-year plan it definitely showed that they’re looking for someone smart and involved that can be a role model,” said Emily, following her interview.
“Every season the quality of the applicants continues to increase… we had an extremely diverse group of applicants for 2012, truly representing the diversity that is Los Angeles,” Leppanen said.
Ten total finalists for the 2012 competition will be announced on the team’s website www.lagalaxy.com starting on Monday, June 13, with two ladies revealed each day next week. Fans can learn more about each finalist on the Miss LA Galaxy page on LAGalaxy.com.
