DATE: Thursday, September 11, 1997          TAG: 9709100143

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 03   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: THUMBS UP! 

SOURCE: SHIRLEY BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: SMITHFIELD                        LENGTH:   85 lines

ABBEY NICOLE DELK WINNING SCHOLARSHIPS THROUGH PAGEANT COMPETITION

Abbey Nicole Delk is more than a pretty face in a crowd of beautiful pageant contestants.

She's earning a college education. While she's doing that, the 16-year-old is learning about competition, marketing, sales and interview techniques - all things that can help her when she enters the workaday world.

After winning or placing in several pageants in Hampton Roads, Abbey applied to compete in Virginia's National Teenager Pageant. It offered a $1,000 scholarship to the winner. She filled out an application that asked for her grade-point average, involvement in school activities, and community service projects.

Abbey, a student at Isle of Wight Academy, competed against 39 girls at Green Run High School in Virginia Beach. She won the title, Virginia's National Teenager, and qualified her to compete in August for America's National Teenager title at Opryland USA, near Nashville, Tenn. She was one of 10 finalists and was named Miss Photogenic.

``You have to realize that you have a small chance to win and there is a greater chance you can lose,'' she said. ``We all went in as winners and they chose one representative out of 50 winners. . . .

``It was a good experience and I think I've grown a lot,'' Abbey said. ``There were positives and negatives, but I've looked at the negatives as something I've learned from. I've learned to always be myself . . . who God made me . . . and not try to be somebody else or let other people influence me.''

Although her parents sponsored her in the state pageant, Abbey sold two pages of advertisements in a program book that contained an autobiography and a picture of each participant in the national contest. This also helped to finance her participation in the pageant and the seven-day stay with her family in Tennessee.

``I was still inexperienced,'' she said, ``and in pageant competition, you have to learn to deal with people. Some girls have competed since age 2 and take it much more seriously than others. I was serious about it, but I wanted to have fun too.''

While Abbey competes in beauty pageants, she has a genuine concern for others that reflects a maturity beyond her years. She hasbeen a volunteer for the Edmarc Foundation, and worked as a receptionist at the Isle of Wight/Smithfield/Windsor Chamber of Commerce during the summer.

Abbey is a member of the Smithfield Swim Team and has taught children to swim. It was while coaching young swimmers that she met 7-year-old John, who was born blind.

``I had never worked with anyone disabled,'' she said, ``and I really wanted to help him. I got in front of him and kept saying, `Reach, John, reach.' I worked with him all summer.''

Although she was on vacation, Abbey made a special trip to Smithfield to watch John compete in a swim meet.

``There was no way I was going to miss that,'' Abbey said, smiling. ``He's really been an inspiration to me. He swam freestyle in one minute and 20 seconds.

``Since I've worked with people, I may want to help the handicapped after I finish school. Working with Edmarc has really touched me too.''

Abbey is the eldest daughter of Marty and Nancy Lynn Delk. Her sisters are Kayla, 13, and Caitlin, 9.

Among the titles Abbey has won are: Miss Isle of Wight Academy, Virginia's Cinderella Teen Overall International Cinderella Scholarship Program Best Overall 14-Year-Old, Miss Junior Hampton Roads.

In the past year, she has won the interview, evening gown and sportswear competitions in the Future Miss Suffolk Tri-County Pageant at Lakeland High School, and was first runner-up in the Miss Virginia Peninsula Pageant.

At home and in school, Abbey leads a busy life. She is captain of the Academy's cheerleading squad and a former president of the National Junior Honor Society. She is a member of the Spanish Club, Science and Ecology Club, Honor Society, Scholastic Bowl, chorus, and statistician for the varsity football and basketball teams.

Abbey has taken dance lessons for 14 years and plays three musical instruments, including the piano, flute and clarinet. She is a member of the Youth Group and the Youth Advisory Council at Smithfield Baptist Church.

Abbey enjoys writing poetry, has had several poems published by the National Library of Poetry, and one recorded on cassette tape by a professional orator. She is also writing a children's book series entitled ``Cindy McLum and Her Bubble Gum.''

``They are stories about the adventures of a typical little girl who uses her bubble gum to help save people,'' she said. ``She's a positive role model.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo courtesy of ABBEY DELK

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