OCC dancer hopes to become Miss America

Crystal Wosik, the proud possessor of two national championship rings while a member of OCC’s elite dance unit, will step into the national spotlight in January in the Miss America competition.

Wosik, 22, who became Miss Las Vegas last January and captured the Miss Nevada crown in July, will return to her hometown -- Las Vegas -- to compete for Miss America.

An accomplished dancer, Wosik’s dream long ago was to go to New York City to pursue a career as a professional dancer. She did just that, but after a year in the Big Apple, she had a change of heart and enrolled at Orange Coast College.

“I signed with the New York City Ballet out of high school,” she said. “It was a dream come true.”

She arrived in New York in June of 2001, three months before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

“It was awful,” she said. “I wanted to return home, but my parents talked me into staying and honoring my contract.”

When her one-year contract was up the following spring, she hightailed it back to Vegas, then drove further west to check out Orange Coast College. As a high school dancer, Crystal had met OCC’s dance and cheer coaches, Mike Reynolds and Dan Sapp, at a national competition.

“I was impressed with their work at Orange Coast College. While I was in New York, I decided that I wanted to come to Coast to dance for them. In the spring of 2002, I called my mom and told her the day that I’d be arriving home. I said, ‘Mom, be prepared to pick me up at the Las Vegas airport and drive me to OCC so I can audition for the dance team.’”

She competed for the Pirates during the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons. OCC’s dancers captured their sixth successive national championship in 2003 and seventh in 2004. Last year, after Wosik had finished her two years on the team, she served as a student-coach. The squad garnered an eighth consecutive national title.

Her primary reason for competing in the Miss America Pageant is to win scholarships to finish her college education.

“I have five younger brothers, so we don’t have a lot of money for college. The Miss America Pageant is the world’s leading provider of scholarships for young women. I’d like to be able to complete my education at UC Irvine, UCLA or USC.”

The Miss America Pageant will run for three weeks in Las Vegas in January. The finals will be screened on Country Music Television on Jan. 21.

Wosik will perform a lyrical jazz number in the talent competition.

“I’ll dance to a song by Linda Eder. My OCC coach, Dan Sapp, has choreographed it for me.”

Crystal’s OCC “family” is certain to be rooting for her in the upcoming pageant.

“I hope to make them proud,” she said.

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A new report lists Orange Coast College second out of California’s 109 community colleges in the number of students it transferred last year to the University of California and California State University systems.

Two weeks ago I reported in this space that the California Community College chancellor’s office had issued a report ranking OCC first in the state in the number of 2004-05 transfers it sent to the California State University system. Well, the second part of that report was issued last week and establishes OCC as sixth in California in 2004-05 transfers to the University of California and second in combined transfers to the two state systems.

OCC transferred 1,452 students to the California State University system, an increase of 27% over 2003-04. Fullerton College was second with 1,372. Pasadena City College and De Anza College of Cupertino tied for third, and Mt. San Antonio College was fifth.

Santa Monica College ranks first in transfers to the UC system with 974. Diablo Valley College of Pleasant Hill is second (611), De Anza College third (572), Santa Barbara City College fourth (536), Pasadena City College fifth (496) and OCC sixth (486).

Orange Coast increased its transfers to the UC system last year by 14% -- the largest increase recorded by any school ranked among the state’s top six.

In combined transfers to the UC and the Cal State systems, OCC climbed from fifth in 2003-04 to the second spot. Orange Coast transferred 1,938 students to the two systems in 2004-05, an increase of 23%.

Santa Monica heads the list in transfers to the two systems, with 2,230. De Anza College is third, Pasadena City College fourth and Diablo Valley College fifth.

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A variety of dance styles will be featured Saturday during OCC’s 30th Faculty Dance Concert in Robert B. Moore Theatre.Curtain is set for 8 p.m.

A diversity of dance styles will be represented, including modern, ballet, jazz, tap and world dance forms.

Orange Coast College faculty members will dance, and will be joined by students and guest performers.

* JIM CARNETT is senior director of community relations at Orange Coast College. Reach him at jcarnettocc.cccd.edu.

20051101h2yyvsn1(LA)20051101ip99oukn(LA)OCC placed second among California’s 109 community colleges in the number of students it transferred last year to the UC and Cal State systems.