February was relatively quiet for us as Miss Wagga Wagga and Community PrincessQuest, as we settled into 2022 and returned to work. We attended a Welcome to Wagga Wagga event held by the Defence Member and Family Support Branch at the OASIS. It was a great evening with a BBQ and market stalls, and entertainment by the Kapooka Army Band. We finished February with an information session for potential Entrants for the MWWQ 2023. It was great to see young women from our local community interested in the Quest.
In March, we were busy with a variety of events in the community. The first was another Citizenship Ceremony. These ceremonies are heartwarming and we feel honoured to attend and assist with the presentation of certificates and commemorative gifts to our new citizens. The photo opportunities at the end of each ceremony are always a highlight.
International Women’s Day was held across the globe on 8 March 2022. We attended a lovely dinner hosted by Wagga Wagga Women In Business. We heard from three incredible local guest speakers; Vickie Burkinshaw, Jane Robertson and Diana Gibbs. Each guest speaker was inspiring and shared their knowledge, experiences and perspective of the International Women’s Day phrase #Breakthebias. We also had the opportunity to network with many inspiring and influential local women. This dinner was held at Wagga’s newest restaurant - HIDE Steak and Bar. The food was delicious!
Mardi Gras in Wagga Wagga occurred on the 12th, and it was an absolute blast! Jessikah unfortunately could not attend, so it was up to me (Rachael) to sit on the throne for our Miss Wagga Wagga Quest float. I was joined by Miss Wagga Wagga 2020, Hannah Smith who sat next to me on the float and waved to all the awesome people in the main street. We were also accompanied by previous entrants, possible future entrants, and committee members. The parade ended at the Victory Memorial Gardens where there were plenty of stalls, music, and colourful people! It was an incredible honour to be able to help represent the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest whilst promoting equality and love!
Our last event in March was to welcome and present a professional and personal development session for the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest 2023 Entrants. It feels like only yesterday that we were attending these sessions for our Entrant year. We loved the opportunity to share our experiences with the 2023 MWWQ Entrants and did what we could to ease their nerves.
We look forward to what next month brings, there’s some fantastic events on our calendar.
See you in April!
Jessikah & Rachael