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21 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,July 4,2019 theifp.ca A Georgetown youth is competing against others from across the country for a scholarship in the National Canadian Pag- eant. Michayla Del Guidice has already earned the ti- tle of Miss Greater Toron- to Area and will represent the GTA during the event that's running from July 2 to 6 in Toronto. But this isn't your aver- age pageant. There won't be any over-the-top make- up or contests that com- pare women solely based on their appearances. "One of the reasons I joined is because it's an all-natural pageant," said the 22-year-old. "You wear very minimal makeup, and no hair extensions or false eyelashes. It's very much about how you car- ry yourself on stage and what you've done in the community." The National Canadian Pageant system also plac- es an emphasis on com- munity service, which Del Guidice has embraced, giving hundreds of hours of her time to various causes in the local com- munity. The girls and women competing all have a plat- form, with Del Guidice choosing to focus on disa- bilities and mental illness inclusivity. The topics are near and dear to the Georgetown woman's heart as she overcame a communica- tion disability when she was younger, and she also lives with borderline per- sonality disorder. "I want to make it known that individuals with disabilities can go on to post-secondary and be successful, and also get a career, no matter what their diagnosis is," she said. "My purpose is to take down that stigma. I'm a prime example." Del Guidice has al- ready earned a social ser- vice diploma and is now studying at the University of Guelph, where she's go- ing for an honours Bache- lor of Arts degree with a major in psychology and minor in family and child studies. She serves as a peer helper to support those with acute disabilities as they transition into uni- versity life and also does motivational speaking about her experiences liv- ing with a disability and mental illness. During the pageant, Del Guidice will compete in 20 events that showcase her various talents, in- cluding singing in Ameri- can sign language, mean- ing she will be lip syncing while simultaneously signing the words - some- thing she chose to do for one of her social media fol- lowers who's non-verbal. "With the National Ca- nadian Pageant, you're judged on what you do and how much you're impact- ing the community," she explained. "You get to see who people really are, in- stead of just focusing on what they look like." If Del Guidice wins in her age division, she will go on to become a national titleholder, earn a schol- arship and become eligi- ble to represent Canada at the international pageant, which would be held in the United States at the end of her reign. For more information visit www.nationalcana- dianpageant.ca. NEWS GEORGETOWN WOMAN REPRESENTING GTA IN PROGRESSIVE PAGEANT MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@ metroland.com Georgetown's Michayla Del Guidice will represent the Greater Toronto Area during the all-natural National Canadian Pageant. Michayla Del Guidice photo From Modern to Contemporary to Traditional. Product & Design That Complement Your Life. 348 Guelph St. Georgetown (Behind YoYo's, next to Cooper Standard) kabinetpro.com 905-702-7719 Authorized Dealer for om Modern to Contemporary