Latrobe's Miss 4th of July 2023: Volunteer, scholar, performer

Seventeen-year-old Piper Anke has a busy schedule.

With work as a volunteer, shows to perform and awards to accept, it’s no small feat that the Derry Area student was able to compete in this year’s Latrobe’s Miss 4th of July pageant, let alone take home the crown.

Anke is well-known in the area thanks to her volunteer work with the Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Chamber of Commerce. Since about 2018, Anke has had a hand in planning Latrobe’s Banana Split Festival, Holly Jolly Christmas and virtual festival broadcasts during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

She even has a claim to royalty as the city’s first Banana Split Princess. Anke returns to the competition each year to sing a song and act as a mentor for the competitors.

Despite having been around these events for years, Anke couldn’t help but feel daunted about competing in the Miss 4th pageant.

“I was too nervous to compete last year but was determined to finally do it this year,” Anke said.

Anke’s manager at Starbucks, Jackie Zemba, happened to be one of the pageant coordinators and encouraged her and other baristas to join the competition.

“It was comforting to have familiar faces around,” Anke said. “It was a lot less intimidating.”

Anke and seven other competitors practiced during the last month of school until the week of the pageant. On the day of the competition, Anke said, the girls had to complete multiple events, including a private interview with the judges and a dance routine, which Anke conquered easily because of her experiences in musicals and plays.

She is involved in choir, ensemble, marching band, musicals, plays and the concert band at Derry Area High School. She also performs in musicals and plays outside of school for the Westmoreland Performing Arts group.

After the opening number, the girls moved into the talent portion of the competition, where Anke sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Then came formal wear competition and on-stage interviews.

At one point in the show, Anke said, the judges realized that there had been a tie between the top two competitors; the girls were sent back to the stage for a tie-breaking question.

“We had been given a chance to prepare for the first on-stage interview,” Anke said. “When we got called on stage again, we were all terrified because there was no preparation for the second one. We just had to roll with the punches and walk out on stage.”

Anke could not really describe how she felt when the judges were announcing the winner and called her name.

“I’m still in disbelief that I won,” Anke said. “(Competing) taught me that it’s really easy to underestimate yourself. Every time I walked off the stage I would say ‘the judges hate me,’ or ‘I just messed that up so bad,’ and I would just really beat myself up.”

Anke took home a crown, a sash and a $1,000 scholarship.

The crown is not the only award Anke is celebrating this year. She was also named a Carson Scholar, an award that is given to 500 students nationwide each year.

“Schools can only nominate one person each year,” Anke said. “It was a huge honor.”

It isn’t a surprise that Anke was recognized for her academic prowess. She will have already completed a minor in Spanish at Saint Vincent College before entering her senior year of high school.

“Every time I think she’s done everything she could be doing, she one-ups herself,” said Anke’s mom, Jodee Harris. “She’s like ‘hold my milk,’ and just gets it done.”

Anke’s dream job is to be a Disney performer. She wants to pursue a degree in musical theater with either a double major or minor in marketing. She may even look into event planning in the future.

Through her experience in volunteering, she has discovered a passion for bringing people together.

“I just am very passionate about planning events and putting everything together,” Anke said. “I really like seeing the hard work pay off and seeing people enjoying themselves.”