UKRAINIAN  HERITAGE  RESORT  HOLDS  58TH  ANNUAL  MISS  SOYUZIVKA  PAGEANT  

by  Roman  Hirniak  

KERHONKSON,  N.Y.  -­‐     Near   the  stroke   of   midnight   on   a   warm  August   9th   evening,   guests   at   the  UNA’s  Soyuzivka  resort  took  a  short  break   from  dancing   to  music  of   the  celebrated   Tempo   Orchestra   and  watched   the   continuation   of   a  decades-­‐long   tradition   …   the  crowning   ceremony   for   this   year’s  Miss  Soyuzivka.    After  briefly  detailing  the  names  and  very   high   qualifications   of   all   four  beautiful   candidates,   it   was  announced   that   Solomia   Pylypiw  had   been   selected   as   the   pageant  winner   for  2014.    From  Randolph,  New  Jersey,  Miss  Pylypiw   is  a  member  of  UNA  Branch  269  and  a  graduate  of  Rutgers  University’s  Business  School.    The  daughter  of  Bohdan  and  Oksana  Pylypiw,  she  is  a  member  of  Chornomorska  Sitch,  CYM,  the  Ukrainian-­‐American  Cultural  Center  of  New   Jersey   and   Phi   Chi   Theta,   a   professional   business   and   economics   fraternity.     Solomia  enjoys  playing  volleyball,  dancing,  skiing,  swimming  and  reading.    With  two  candidates  having  received   identical  scores,  a  tie   for   first   runner  up  was  declared  –  sisters  Nadiya   and  Nataliya  Pavlishyn   from  Astoria,  New  York   and  daughters  of   Ihor   and  Vira  Pavlishyn.     Nadiya   attends   Stony   Brook   University,   while   Nataliya   is   a   student   at   Hunter  College.    Both  sisters  were  born  in  Sambir,  Ukraine  and  immigrated  to  the  United  States  at  early  ages.     They   are   very   active   in   their   respective   schools   and   the   greater  Ukrainian   community,  having  performed  as  the  Pavlishyn  Sisters  at  many  festivals  and  concerts   in  the  United  States  and  Canada  over  the  past  fourteen  years.    The  evening’s   second  runner  up  was  Natalia  Kudryk  of  Livingston,  New  Jersey.    A  member  of  CYM  and   the   Syzokryli  Ukrainian  Dance  Ensemble,  Natalia   enjoys  dancing,   singing   and  digital  photography/videography.    She  attends  Penn  State  University  and  is  a  member  of  UNA  Branch  42.    The  daughter  of  Dr.  Alexander  and  Mrs.  Natalia  Kudryk,  Miss  Kudryk  maintains  her  dynamic  membership   in   both   the   New   Jersey   Ukrainian   community   and   many   school   organizations,  while  pursuing  a  major  in  Advertising  and  Public  Relations.    This   year’s   panel   of   judges  was   chaired   by   Ukrainian   National   Association   General   Assembly  Advisor  Bohdanka  Puzyk  and  included  Dr.  Theresa  Kuritza,  Treasurer  of  the  Ukrainian  Medical  

Association  of  North  America’s   Illinois  Branch  and  Roman  Hirniak,  a  Pedagogical  Advisor  with  the  Educational  Council  of  the  Ukrainian  Congress  Committee  of  America.    Following  her  crowning  ceremony,  Miss  Pylypiw  took  to  the  dance  floor  for  the  traditional  waltz  with   the  UNA’s  President,  Mr.   Stefan  Kaczaraj,   after  which   the  celebration  continued  on   into  the  early  morning,  with  dancing,   laughter   and   the  always  eagerly-­‐anticipated  Kolomyika  –   all  the  ingredients  to  ensure  great  memories  of  another  wonderful  Ukrainian  summer  tradition.