Amanda Esparza Named 2005 Sun Queen

EL PASO, Texas (August 13, 2005) - The 2005 Sun Queen and Sun Princesses were announced tonight by Sun Bowl Association President Wayne Thornton at the Sun Bowl President's Party.

Amanda Esparza, a senior criminal justice major at the University of Texas at El Paso, is the 2005 Sun Queen. She is the daughter of Patricia and Armondo Aguirre.

Megan Chilson, a junior pharmacy major at the University of Texas has been named the 2005 Lady In Waiting. She is the daughter of William and Teresa Chilson.

The 2005 Sun Princesses are Whitney Ballinger, Clarissa Cervantes, Katherine Collins, Amber Gonzalez, Andrea Hudson, Stacey Massey, Veronica Muñoz, Cassandra Saucedo and Briana Torres.

Judging is based on poise, appearance, personality, communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to demonstrate knowledge of El Paso. Contestants must be enrolled as full-time students. The coronation has been a tradition in El Paso since the first collegiate Sun Bowl game in 1936.

Sun Court members serve as ambassadors for the Sun Bowl Association, as well as for the city of El Paso. The Sun Queen and Sun Princesses will attend various community events, such as the Vitalis Sun Bowl, FirstLight Federal Credit Union Sun Bowl Parade, State Farm Sun Bowl Basketball Tournament, Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic, Little Caesars Sun Bowl International Soccer Tournament, NFL Punt, Pass & Kick, Art in the Park, Midnight Basketball, Dia de los Libros/Dia de los Ninos and high school athletic banquets.

The 2005 Sun Queen is Amanda Esparza, the daughter of Patricia and Armando Aguirre. Amanda is a senior criminal justice major at the University of Texas at El Paso. A graduate of El Paso Coronado High School, Amanda was a member of Who's Who Among American High School Students and served as senior class secretary. At UTEP, she was named to the Dean's List and is currently volunteering with the El Paso Police Department. Amanda is a member of the Criminal Justice Student Society at UTEP and was named to the National Dean's List for 2005-06. In the past she has donated her time with St. Luke's Catholic Church and the Candelighter's Association. Currently, she volunteers with C.A.S.A., Case Appointed Special Advocates.

The 2005 Lady-In-Waiting is Megan Chilson, the daughter of William and Teresa Chilson. She is a junior pharmacy major at the University of Texas, after completing the pre-pharmacy program at the University of Texas at El Paso. A graduate of El Paso Eastwood High School, where she graduated eighth in her class, Megan was the 2003 El Paso recipient of the National Girls and Women's in Sports Day Flo Hyman Award. Megan is a member of WiSE, Women in Science and Engineering and the American Pharmacy Association. She has volunteered her time with Expanding Your Horizons, Think College Now Presentations, Palisades Retirement and Assisted Living Center, Habitat for Humanity, Posion Safari and the Special Olympics. Megan has also served as a Sunday school teacher and a Rotary Youth Leadership Camp Junior Counselor.

Whitney Ballinger, the daughter of Ron and Lorrie Ballinger, is a senior marketing major at Texas Tech University. A graduate of El Paso Franklin High School, she was an El Paso Symphony Orchestra Debutante in 2002. Whitney is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, where she currently serves as a recruitment counselor. A member of the Red Raider Club, she has volunteered her time with CASA, which helps abused children, Habitat for Humanity, Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure and "Keep Lubbock Beautiful." She is also a member of SORCA, a historical preservation committee in Lubbock, where she serves as the association's city liaison. Her mother, Lorrie, was also a Sun Princess.

Clarissa Cervantes, the daughter of Jesus and Irma Cervantes, is a junior communication major at the University of Texas at El Paso. A graduate of El Paso Coronado High School, she was a three-year letterwinner in volleyball and was named first team all-district as a senior. She was a member of the FCCLA, where she served as vice president and was named the association's most outstanding member in 2002. A member of Who's Who, Clarissa was selected to represent El Paso at the National Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tenn. She also spends time volunteering at the Leona Ford Washington Center's After-School Program.

Katherine Collins, the daughter of Timothy and Sandra Collins, is a sophomore biology and pre-medicine major at Wheaton College located just west of Chicago. A graduate of El Paso Coronado High School, she was the 2003 El Paso Symphony Orchestra Debutante. A recipient of the Rotary Club Scholarship and the Rickard Scholarship, Katherine volunteers as an English as a Second Language program in Wheaton, Ill. This past summer she interned with the Gateway Mission Training Center, coordinating youth groups from throughout the Unites States to build houses in Anapra, a colonia of Juarez, Mexico.

Amber Gonzalez, the daughter of Eddie and Linda Gonzalez, is a junior education major at the University of Texas at El Paso. A graduate of El Paso Ysleta High School, she is a member of the Alpha Xi Delta women's fraternity and was named to Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. She serves on the Greek Council at UTEP and is a mentor for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of El Paso. Amber is also a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and the Inner Sorority Council and was named to the National Dean's List. She has volunteered at the Rescue Missions, Lee Moor Children's Home and the Family Fun Fair during Family National Week.

Andrea Hudson, the daughter of Terry and Linda Hudson, is a junior public relations major at the Texas Tech University. A graduate of El Paso Franklin High School, she is a member of the Delta Delta Delta Sorority and the Red Raider Club. She is a member of the Dean's List, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the Southern Federation Academic Scholars and is a MED Club Scholar. Andrea has volunteered her time with the Triple Play Softball Tournament to benefit Children's Charities, Beta 500, FIJI Olympics, Derby Days and the St. Jude Children's Hospital Golf Tournament. This is not Andrea's first involvement with the Sun Court, she also served as an attendant for former Sun Queen's Amy Kahn and Suzie Michell.

Stacey Massey, the daughter of Randy and Debbie Massey, is a junior business marketing major at Texas A&M University. A graduate of Montwood High School, Stacey graduated fourth in her class. She was a two-time Presidential Scholar at the University of Texas at El Paso prior to transferring to Texas A&M. Stacy is also a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta academic fraternity. A member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, Stacey has served as that organization's historian, judicial chair and fraternal relations chair. She has volunteered her time for various projects over the year, including the Race for the Cure and the Rescue Mission and she also serves as a Sunday school teacher.

Veronica Muñoz, the daughter of Manny and Rosie Muñoz, is a senior early-childhood education major at the University of Texas at El Paso. A graduate of El Paso Burgess High School, Veronica serves as a catechism teacher at St. Pius Catholic Church. A member of the Dean's List at UTEP, she was selected to the National Dean's List and received the Collegiate All-American Scholar Award. She was named Ms. Latina Paso Del Norte 2003 and was a finalist in the Miss El Paso America scholarship pageant. In her spare time, Veronica volunteers with the Salvation Army, the El Paso Independent School District, El Paso Community Built Playground, as well as the Child Crisis Center.

Cassandra Saucedo, the daughter of David and Sandra Saucedo, is a sophomore accounting and Italian major at the University of Notre Dame. A graduate of El Paso Loretto Academy, Cassandra serves as a radio DJ for the Voice of the Fighting Irish, WVFI Radio. A member of the National Honor Society, she serves as a liturgical minister at Notre Dame. An avid volunteer, Cassandra volunteers her time with various organizations, including serving as a Club 44 counselor and volunteering with the American Heart Association, Care for Cancer Club, Tierra Madre House Building Project.

Briana Torres, the daughter of Enrique and Patricia Torres, is a sophomore at Vanderbilt University. A graduate of El Paso Eastwood High School, Briana graduated fifth in her class in 2004 and was named to the Dean's List at Vanderbilt. She was a two-sport athlete at Eastwood, earning letters in both Soccer and Track. She was named Miss Soccer by the El Paso Parks and Recreation Department as a senior. She currently volunteers for SYNERGY, a mentor program for inner-city high school students in Nashville, Tenn. She has also volunteered her time with the Child Crisis Center, Rescue Mission and served as a counselor at the National Hispanic Institute.

For more information, please contact Jay Pritchard at the Sun Bowl Office at (915)533-4416