Their talents range from martial arts with a fan to Bosnian folk dancing to a drill team routine to classical violin and clarinet and, of course, singing.

The contestants are literally from all over the world and from right here. They are all young, ambitious and committed to making a difference.

And ... all of them want to be Miss Burien.

One of these young ladies will become our new Miss Burien succeeding the reigning queen Melody Gilbert. The pageant will be held on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 7p.m. Tickets are $15 at the door, and children under 5 are free.

"This year's Miss Burien contestants reflect the international makeup of our community," says Janie Bakke, the Executive Director.

"We are thrilled that these young women from such varied backgrounds have stepped forward. All these lovely young ladies have courage and character, and we view them as tomorrow's leaders. They will be successful whatever they do."

Contestant one, Jenny He, is 18 years old and a 2006 graduate of Mt Rainier High School. Now a student at the University of Washington, she wants to pursue a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

She lived in China for eight years and speaks three languages - Chinese, French and English. Jenny plays the violin and has been assistant concertmaster of the Normandy Park Symphony Orchestra.

Showing off her violin virtuosity, Jenny will play Boccherini's Minuet. Jenny's platform issue is Cancer Education and Prevention, and she is passionately active in Relay for Life, a fundraising organization for the American Cancer Society.

Her parents are Guanglin He and Huiyin Song.

Contestant two, Medena Mulic, lists her hometowns as Burien (of course!) and Livno, Bosnia. She is 19 and a sophomore at the University of Washington, where she plans to attend medical school and eventually become a pediatrician.

She, too, is multilingual and proud of her heritage. She took karate as a child - so don't mess with her!

Medena's platform is Improving the Health of Children, and she wants to start with our schools, limiting access to junk food and focusing on healthy lunches.

Medena will do the aforementioned Bosnian folk dancing in traditional dress.

Her parents are Osman and Jasmira Mulic.

Contestant three, Evergreen High School student Daisha Bascomb, is 17 and dreams of traveling to distant places - she would actually like to go around the world some day. At school, she participates in Future Leaders of the Law, and hopes to attend the University of Washington for a degree in Psychology.

She is a shift leader at Cinnabon, and how she stays so slim is a mystery!

Her platform issue is Gun Violence Awareness and Prevention. Daisha will perform a vocal number from Grease.

Her mother is Kimberly Durant.

Contestant four, Marie Porter, 19, is in her second year at the University of Washington, and would like to get advanced degrees in both Child Psychology and Political Science.

Her platform issue is Self-Enhancement - Plans after High School. Marie was a SEAFAIR Princess this summer and won a scholarship for community service.

Marie will do a solo "drill team" routine.

The very athletic Marie was a captain of her high school cross country team, competed at the state level, and is currently pursuing college athletics. She also wants to sky dive! We said they all have courage.

Her mother is Alice Porter.

Contestant five, Tonya Tijerina-Moreno, is 17 years old.

Her platform issue is Lung Cancer Prevention.

Tonya plays the clarinet and will perform part of the Jupiter section of Holst's The Planets on her clarinet for her talent.

She enjoys playing in the Evergreen High School band, which rocks.

Her mother is Darcee Moreno.

Contestant six, Tiffany Tran, 18, is our third contestant this year who was born overseas - in Vietnam in her case - and she is fluent in both English and Vietnamese.

Tiffany is a student leader at Evergreen as student body president and heading a host of clubs.

Since she was very young, she has been concerned about homelessness and her goal is to Help the Homeless.

Tiffany has studied the martial arts for many years, and will be doing a martial arts routine with - I kid you not - a fan! Only in a pageant, you say? Nope. The fan can be a weapon of seduction or destruction, as Tiffany will show.

Tiffany's mother is Thuy Tran.

Contestant seven, Beka Simmons, will graduate from Highline Community College in 2007.

Her ambition is study Communication and Broadcasting, hopefully at the Arts Institute of California.

Beka is 19, but she has held two jobs for the past five years. She loves the sea, winter sports, and her pets, a Keeshond/Sheppard mix and a Shih Tzu.

Beka wants to raise as much money as possible for PICC (Pediatric Interim Care Center) and her platform issue is Bringing Community Awareness to the Needs of Substance Abused Children. Beka will sing Lose Control.

Her mother is Kim Simmons.

Contestant eight, Adriane Czapiewski, is a twin! She and her sister, Ariel, are 17 and attend Evergreen High School, where Adriane is a captain of the Cheer Squad and a section leader in band.

She gets to school early every morning, "because that's when jazz band starts!" She takes part in the Running Start program at Highline Community College, and hopes to pursue a higher education in marine biology or social work.

Adriane has lived here her whole life and wants to give back by talking about Drug/Alcohol Abuse - Effect on Children.

She will be play and sing an original composition she wrote especially for the pageant.

Adriane's parents are Greg and Carol Czapiewski.

There will be an After Party to celebrate all the ladies' hard work and growth at Bison Creek Pizza and will feature all- you-can-eat pizza and salad and soft drinks for $11. This is a fundraiser, as well.

Tickets can be purchased at the pageant or at Bison Creek.