Attaining a dream

Deepa Bharath

Dorcas Preston has always wanted to be a beauty queen.

“But my father was a minister and wouldn’t hear of it,” said the

63-year-old Corona del Mar woman.

And when she married, Preston wanted to enter the Mrs. America

pageant. But between earning a living and raising three children after a

divorce, she just didn’t have enough time.

“Now I’m free to pursue my dreams,” she said.

And so she did. On Dec. 6 at a gala pageant in Las Vegas, Preston was

crowned Ms. Senior America 2001.

Preston did not think she would get this far when she responded to an

advertisement in April. Before she knew it, she breezed through the

preliminaries and walked away with the Ms. Senior California title in

October.

Participants were judged on a personal interview, their philosophy of

life, formal attire and talent. Preston believes what really won her the

crown was her performance at the talent show -- she sang a patriotic

medley that included a soulful rendition of “God Bless America.”

“I think, given the timing of it, people were really moved by it,” she

said. “I don’t think many people know ‘God Bless America’ is really a

prayer. And that’s how I sang it -- like a prayer.”

Her prizes include a trip to Florida and a trip to Mexico aboard a

Carnival cruise liner. She also won a bronze sculpture mounted on a

granite base crafted by Valentine and jewelry.

But more than the prizes, it is the feeling of accomplishment that

gave her tremendous happiness, Preston said.

“All my life I’ve had a problem with self-esteem,” she said. “Winning

this has solved that quite a bit. I get so much recognition now wherever

I go. It’s a good feeling.”

Preston said she believes she can motivate seniors and instill them

with a sense of purpose.

“Getting old doesn’t mean you have to be old,” she said. “If you eat

right and exercise right, you can enjoy a good life.”

Getting the message across is important, Preston says.

“My dad always said, ‘Don’t just stand there and look pretty. Say

something. Be heard.’ I guess that’s what I’m trying to do here.”

Preston’s son, Brett Sporich, who watched as his mother was crowned,

said the experience was “gratifying.”

“I was so happy to see my mom do what she always wanted to do,” he

said.

Sporich said his mother was always a “very giving person and

nonjudgmental.”

“I’ve learned a lot from her,” he said. “But the one thing I learned

more than anything else is to listen to people.”

Preston also volunteers for several of her favorite causes, including

the Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center, Pacific Symphony

Orchestra and Opera Pacific, to mention a few.

For this year, she will represent the Ms. Senior America organization

at the Rose Bowl and travel across the country for various events.

And she is enjoying every minute of it, Preston said.

“All your life, you struggle to make ends meet and [fulfill your

responsibilities],” she said. “But at this age, you finally get to do

what you want to do. This is my time.”

* Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .