THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 5, 1995 TAG: 9510040159
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: THUMBS UP
SOURCE: BY SHIRLEY BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
LISA PEARCE, reigning queen of the 1995 Suffolk Peanut Fest, will be the city's royal ambassador this weekend.
Friendly and outgoing, 17-year-old Lisa will be on hand with her court to chat with visitors and enjoy activities at the Peanut Fest site Thursday through Sunday.
``It's a great opportunity to represent my school,'' Lisa said, ``and it gives me a chance to meet a lot of people.''
A senior at Lakeland High School, Lisa and her 21-year-old sister, Amy, are the only sisters in Peanut Fest history to be selected for the queen's court. Amy Pearce, who recently graduated from the Obici School of Nursing, served as a princess during the 1991 Peanut Fest.
Lisa was chosen this year's queen based on an interview and her winning essay titled ``Quest For The Best.'' After an interview with teachers at Lakeland, Lisa's essay was judged by a panel selected by the Queen and Court Committee.
``Lisa is such a thoughtful, well-mannered young lady,'' said Sarah Leigh Jones, chairman of the Queen and Court Committee. ``She has no problems talking with other people and is well-liked by her peers.''
In her essay, Lisa said: ``I was fortunate to be raised in a very loving and Christian-like atmosphere by my mother and father. From the beginning, they have instilled in me strong values and encouraged me in everything I have chosen to pursue. Time and time again, my parents have said to me `never settle for less or second best.' Being raised in this positive lifestyle has given me the ability to go after my dreams and never give up.''
Lisa was introduced and crowned queen at the recent Queen's Luncheon and Fashion Show. After a pre-parade reception Sept. 30, she and her court participated in the Peanut Fest Parade and a ribbon-cutting ceremony for volunteers at the new Peanut Fest site.
Lisa will be on hand for the Shrimp Feast and is looking forward to participating in the peanut butter sculpture contest over the weekend.
Throughout the four-day event, Lisa and the five princesses will participate in numerous activities at the site. They will help with Kiddie Day, visit the Senior Citizens' Tent, and judge arts and crafts, and decorations displayed by food vendors and commercial tents.
``The girls are treated royally,'' Jones said. ``We have a police escort for every event.''
A native of Suffolk, Lisa is the daughter of Charles and Karen Pearce. The family lived in Whaleyville before moving to Holland eight years ago. They are members of the Whaleyville United Methodist Church, where Lisa is active in the youth group.
In addition to maintaining excellent grades, Lisa has been editor of the ``Tidal Wave,'' the school newspaper, for the past three years.
``Most students don't take journalism in their sophomore year,'' she said, ``but I love to write. As editor, I usually work after school, writing editorials about special events and matters that are mostly school-related.''
Since photography is taught in journalism class, Lisa has learned to shoot and develop photos. She also does layouts of the paper, which is published four times annually.
As a sophomore, Lisa was named Outstanding Journalist of the Year and won first-place in a photography contest, sponsored by Obici Hospital. She also was awarded second- and third-place in the Peanut Fest Photo Contest last year.
An anchor for ``News Splash,'' which is a 30-minute program broadcast on cable TV, Lisa has been involved in sports-reporting and other subjects involving the school system.
``Last year, I was a high school correspondent for The Virginian-Pilot and wrote an article about police in the schools for The Daily Break,'' she said, smiling.
Active in sports, Lisa has played softball for various recreational leagues for the past 12 years. At Lakeland, she was named Most Valuable Player in softball during her sophomore year.
During her junior year, Lisa played on the second team, All-District, and won the Coaches Award in field hockey. She also received the Pilot Club Leadership Recognition Award.
After graduation from Lakeland, Lisa plans to major in communications at Mary Washington College or James Madison University.
``I really love the printed word, but I love broadcasting, too,'' she said. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Lisa Pearce was chosen this year's Suffolk Peanut Fest queen based
on an interview and her winning essay titled ``Quest For The
Best.''
by CNB