Nine candidates for the Ladysmith Ambassadorship put themselves on the line at the Coronation event Friday, April 30; and although the judges had to choose three among them for the roles of Ambassador, which will be filled by Brittney Webber, and Vice Ambassadors Chantral Lafstrom and Morgan McKenzie, all of the young women who reached for the crowns were winners.
They all said how much the experience of putting their names forward and vying to become representatives of Ladysmith has helped them grow and discover things about themselves they never knew. That’s the real prize of the Ambassador program and its one they all get to share in.
Poise, confidence, the ability to clearly express yourself – a person has to grow into those kinds of capabilities. Watching these young women demonstrate what they had mastered over the weeks and months of preparation for the Coronation evening was inspiring. It instills a sense of confidence in the future.
Oddly, some of the most powerful moments of the night came when a candidate faltered, worked through a difficult passage, and regained her composure. That’s perhaps the most important lesson of all an experience like this can offer. What the candidates, and everyone else, witnessed in those difficult moments was a room full of people, all beaming their hopes and prayers to a fellow human being who had taken on a big challenge.
So to the new Ambassadors, congratulations!
There’s no doubt you will do a fantastic job representing the youthful spirit of Ladysmith at events and special occasions over the coming year, and that you will continue to grow into a role that demands your best.
And to all the candidates: if you are always able to celebrate the achievements of others – even when you are competing against them – with as much enthusiasm and grace as was shown at the 2016 Coronation event, you will always be winners.
