Miss Alaska

Sonja Garness

What is the craziest thing you have ever done?
The craziest thing I ever did was accept a hockey player's challenge to arm wrestle him. He did not know what he was getting himself into and much to his suprise, I ended up winning the wrestling match. It was definitely not an ego builder for him to get beat at arm wrestling by a girl in front of his hockey buddies! I may be small, but don't forget, dynamite comes in small packages!

Please list any Honors/Awards you have received in the past 2 years.
Top Ten Percent of My Graduating Class
Graduating a Semester Early, December 2005
Secretary of Junior Class
Honor Roll Student
National Honor Society
Advanced Placement Classes for College
Captain of the Varsity Cheerleading Team
Who's Who Among American High Scool Students
All-State All-American Cheerleader
Top Ten at Emerald Cup for Figure Competition in Seattle, Washington, 2003

List any other Achievements/Accomplishments
Honor Roll Student
Who's Who Among American High School Students
Junior Class Secretary
National Honor Society
Finalist for the Young Women of Achievement Award
NCA All-American Cheerleader
Top Five at National Dance Competition
Top Gun Cheerleader
State Champs Three Years in a Row for Competitive Cheerleading
Placed Second at National Competition for Competitive Cheerleading.

Please list any other jobs and/or unique occupations you have held in the past.
Waitress at Chester Park Elderly Home
Courier for Garness Engineering

What are your strongest talents?
My strongest talent is ballet. I have been studying ballet for twelve years and it has helped me develop a tremendous degree of self-discipline and determination.

Name one person, family, friend, celebrity, who has had the most influence on your life.
My dad (Jeff Garness). My dad quit high school in the 10th grade. After realizing the limited opportunities he had because of his limited education, he then entered a community college and obtained his GED. He then went on to attend engineering school and obtained a Master's degree in Arctic Engineering. He is now the President and owner of a successful engineering and construction company. He has shown me that through hard work and determination, you can overcome your failures and become anything you want to be. He tells my brother, my sister and me everyday before we leave the house that "greatness only comes to those who strive to achieve it."

Describe how you envision yourself in five years?
Five years from now I will be preparing for my first year of medical school to become a pediatrician and hopefully competing for Miss USA!

What else do you want the judges to know about you?
I want the judges to know that if I am honored to be selected as Miss Teen USA 2005 I will work extremely hard to not only represent the Miss Universe Organization, but also will be a positive leader for teenage girls across the United States.

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