From across the state, 27 girls will arrive in Chattanooga on Saturday in their quest to be named Tennessee's Junior Miss.

The program, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, will culminate with a live competition next Friday and Saturday evening at the historic Tivoli Theater.

Tennessee's Junior Miss is the second hurdle on the way to America's Junior Miss, the oldest and largest scholarship program for high school senior girls in the nation. Since 1958, nearly $90 million in cash scholarships has been awarded to Junior Miss participants at the local, state and national levels.

More than 700,000 young women from across the nation have participated in Junior Miss programs at the local, state and national levels, including former Junior Misses Diane Sawyer, Deborah Norville and Debra Messing.

According to Traci Dunn Fant, co-chair of the Tennessee program, the mission of America's Junior Miss is to emphasize education by providing scholarship opportunities to outstanding college-bound high school girls and to encourage personal development in all young people.

"It's more than a typical pageant," said Mrs. Fant, who was Tennessee's Junior Miss in 1991 and co-chairs the program with her husband, Charles.

"The judges are trying to find a young woman who is truly a well-rounded person and who can serve as a role model for other girls. The focus is on achievement and scholarship."

Tennessee's current titleholder, Hannah Disterdick of Soddy-Daisy, won $5,000 in scholarships in the state program, which she's using to pursue a degree at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

During the America's Junior Miss competition in Mobile, Ala., last month, Ms. Disterdick also won a $1,000 scholarship for placing in the top five contestants in the judges' interview.

Like Junior Miss participants at all levels of competition, she was evaluated in the following five categories:

- Scholastics (20% of overall score) A panel of five scholars, counselors and others familiar with high school transcript evaluation review and score each contestant's high school academic record and test scores.
- Interview (25% of overall score) ¡V Judges evaluate each contestant's personality, her ability to relate to others, her maturity and her ability to express herself.
- Talent (25% of overall score) Judges evaluate each contestant's performing arts talent during a 90-second presentation on stage in front of an audience.
- Fitness (15% of overall score) Judges evaluate each contestant's overall physical stamina, coordination, agility and flexibility during a choreographed aerobic routine.
- Self-Expression (15% of overall score) Judges evaluate each contestant's poise, demeanor, sense of style and speaking ability.

To celebrate the golden anniversary, next weekend's program will feature music from the past five decades and will be hosted by Angela Smith, who was Tennessee's Junior Miss in 1993.

Gaye Sellars Slaten (1966 TJM), Sherri Bishop (1972 TJM), Tachsha Keller Schoolcraft (1988 TJM), Destiny Woods (Jefferson County, 1998), Sammi Moore (Marion County, 2004) and Stefanie Wittler (Soddy-Daisy, 2005) will also participate in this year's show.

Reserved seat tickets are $10.50-$31.50 and can be charged by phone at (423)642-TIXS or purchased online at http://www.chattanooga.gov/2919_BuyVenueTickets.htm.

Nora Ali, America's Junior Miss 2007