MANSFIELD — Friends and fellow Ontario High School graduates of 2013, Rachel Gombosch and Maribeth Tagg, have qualified for the Miss Ohio Scholarship Program.
The two competed on Sunday, Jan. 14 at the SOMC Friends Community Center in Portsmouth, where Gombosch was crowned Miss Portsmouth and Tagg earned the title Miss Shawnee.
Gombosch performed “100 Easy Ways to Lose a Man,” a comedic vocal piece from the Broadway musical “Wonderful Town,” and Tagg sang Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”
This will be Gombosch’s second time participating in the Miss Ohio Scholarship Program. Last year she competed as Miss Heart of Ohio.
She described the experience as a “whirlwind.” She was named Miss Heart of Ohio in March, leaving her with just a few short months to prepare for Miss Ohio Week, on top of school and working part-time.
“I definitely learned a lot coming out of my first year,” she said. “How to carry myself, how to be more poised and how to talk to people with conviction.”
Gombosch, 23, is in her fifth year at the University of Cincinnati, where she is pursuing her Bachelor’s of Urban Planning with a Certificate in Urban Design at the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning. In addition to her studies, she is working at McBride Dale Clarion, a planning consultant firm based in Cincinnati.
“I’m really excited to get back to Miss Ohio,” she said. “It was a really great experience.”
Her platform is called, “The Daily Decision: Choosing Joy in the Journey.”
“It’s about helping people understand that the joy they feel or experience isn’t based on the circumstances of their life, but it’s instead based on a focus of their life,” she said. “So it’s about putting your principles over your practicalities.”
She created a social-media-based initiative on Facebook and Instagram that’s meant to encourage people to share why they choose joy.
“I think it not only lets people reflect on what they value in their life, but it also serves as inspiration for other people as well,” she said.
Looking ahead to the Miss Ohio competition, Gombosch hopes to place in the top 10 and ultimately become Miss Ohio.
Tagg, who is a newcomer to the Miss Ohio Scholarship Program, said she feels both excited and nervous, seeing the program as an opportunity to gain new experiences and make some memories.
“I think I just want to enjoy it,” the 22-year-old said.
Last year she watched as Gombosch, her best friend for close to 20 years, compete in the program.
“I’ve talked to her about it,” Tagg said. “She’s been my saving grace because she knows what she’s doing more than I do.”
Tagg’s platform is called “The Up Side of Downs,” which promotes Down syndrome awareness.
Tagg is involved in The Up Side of Downs of Northeast Ohio, a nonprofit organization that aims to provide support, education and advocacy for individuals with Down syndrome, their families and communities.
“I think that there are so many people out there who see a person with Down syndrome and just feel bad for the family or feel bad for the individual, and I think that’s a mindset that I would like to set out to change,” she said. “That’s what The Up Side of Downs does.”
Her younger brother, Mikey, has Down syndrome and is on pace to graduate high school next year.
Tagg earned an undergraduate degree in business from the University of Akron and is currently in her second year at the University of Akron School of Law. She is working as an intern at the Office of General Counsel at Kent State University.
“I really enjoy what I’m doing so far and I think I would really like to work in a general counsel’s environment, advising a company, doing their legal work and everything like that,” she said.
Miss Ohio Week kicks off June 9 with an autograph signing at the Richland Mall. The following day, the parade will be held in downtown Mansfield.
The competitions begin June 13 with Miss Ohio’s Outstanding Teen program. The Miss Ohio preliminaries will be held June 14 and 15, and Miss Ohio will be crowned on June 16 at the Renaissance Theatre.
