Eight female students vied for the coveted, if unusual crown Tuesday night, but in the end, Amy Plooster emerged as the Anderson University East Africa Ambassador.
The AUEA program hosts a pageant each year to determine which student will represent the college in a trip to Africa to help with issues affecting the war-torn continent.
On Tuesday, eight girls were judged on presentations of service projects. Each girl was required to formulate a project that would address the needs of a specific African population.
Samantha Green proposed a school supply and toy drive for a refugee camp.
Erin Timmerman suggested a program to address the atrocity of female genital mutilation.
Lisa Kahl proposed an African Treasure Quest to create bonds between American children and their African neighbors.
Jill Potter thought a disposable camera drive could help bring the art of Africa to AU and Carmen Oswalt suggested an African experience night for local students.
Indian student Amrutha Pulikottil took the runner-up spot for her vision of using bake sales to raise money for malnourished children.
In the end, Plooster’s plan to buy 10 sewing machines to help women of Africa become self-sufficient was chosen. “This would help us get people out of the slums,” she said.
As Plooster’s name was called, she shot to the stage and repeated, “I’m very blessed,” over and over again.
Plooster and the other contestants will have a chance to implement their projects with the assistance of the AUEA committee, but only Plooster will venture to East Africa as the AU ambassador in May.
—Brandi Watters is a reporter for the Herald Bulletin in Anderson. Photos by Don Knight. Story republished with permission.
Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson continues to be recognized as a top Christian college: in 2008, U.S. News and World Report ranked Anderson University among the best colleges and universities in the Midwest for the fourth consecutive year. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, education, music, nursing and theology.
