Stephanie Grammenopoulos will compete in contest to be Miss World Canada
Mar 13, 2009 - 02:29 PM
By Parvaneh Pessian
BROOKLIN -- One of Brooklin's own beauties has made the cut for the Miss World Canada finals this year as the competition kicks off next week.
Stephanie Grammenopoulos, 18, will be one of 45 contestants from across Canada from 18 to 25, vying for the title.
"I'm a bit anxious about it right now but I've been practising speaking and answering questions and it's really exciting," said Ms. Grammenopoulos, who admits this will be her first time entering a pageant.
She stumbled upon the Miss World Canada website back in December and on a whim, decided to apply for the event, which will serve as the national finals for the well-known Miss World contest.
The preliminaries will consist of swimsuit, evening gown and interview stages. Fiften women will be chosen from the 45 national finalists to compete in the finals.
"I think the main thing is just to be yourself and make sure the judges and everyone else sees that," she said.
The Miss World contest is the world's oldest and largest international beauty competition. Its motto is "beauty with a purpose," placing the focus on promoting both interior and exterior qualities.
"They're trying to break the stereotype about just physical beauty and looking for women who have a purpose in life by helping and advocating against social injustices to make a difference in the world," said Ms. Grammenopoulos, who is currently working toward an arts degree at York University with aspirations to study business and law for her Masters.
A fervent supporter of various organizations including World Vision, Free The Children and the Canadian Cancer Society, she said she hopes to leave an impact on her community.
"I think the competition will really help me grow as a person and get to know myself better," she said, adding she aims to teach young girls to believe in themselves and understand the meaning of true beauty.
Ms. Grammenopoulos maintained an Honour Roll average while attending All Saints Catholic Secondary School in Whitby. She has won provincial awards and set records in track while juggling a variety of hobbies from playing piano and saxophone to modelling, acting and singing.
"When she came in and I met her, I noticed right away how bright she is and I think she has a great future in this as well as in her education," said Jennifer Marshall, owner of Lavish Salon and Spa in Whitby, which will be sponsoring Ms. Grammenopoulos for the pageant.
"She's really dedicated to making a difference and that's what grabbed my attention. She's just an all-around very positive person and you can tell she's doing this for all the right reasons."
The pageant will run from March 17 to 21 with Miss World Canada being crowned at the end of the week in Toronto.
To help Ms. Grammenopoulos land a spot in the semi-finals by winning the contest's People's Choice Award, vote for her online at
www.missworldcanada.com under "contestants" and "Houston Steak&Ribs people's Choice Award."
The poll has been set to three times per day per IP address and will be open until Wednesday, March 18.
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