MOSES LAKE — Esther Roeber said she didn’t really think anything of it when Jennifer Gaddis said she would have to be a little late.

Roeber, 17, of Moses Lake, won Distinguished Young Woman of Moses Lake for 2022 in April, and was competing for the state title. Gaddis is the Moses Lake DYW program co-chair, and she was among those invited to watch the announcement of the state results Aug. 7.

But Gaddis had a secret, the kind it was difficult to keep to herself.

“She had received a letter that morning (from the state DYW committee) that I had won,” Roeber said. “She came late because she didn’t want to say anything that would make it seem like she knew I was going to win. Because I had no idea.”

Roeber’s mom Debbie Roeber also holds a DYW title, from Spokane back when DYW was called the Junior Miss program. Roeber said her mom gave her some advice after she won the Moses Lake title.

“Mom took me aside that night when I won, and she said, ‘Esther, being part of the program changed my life. And I think it’s going to do that for you, too.’ And really, that opened my eyes a little bit.”

Roeber said she didn’t know what to expect after winning the local title.

“Her telling me that, it kind of got me really excited to think this is going to open so many doors and opportunities for me. And it has. I’ve done so much stuff with the title already, and it’s only been a few months.”

Rebecca Shaporda and Laurel Knox were the first and second runners-up in Moses Lake, and the three girls handled announcing duties at the Grant County Fair last week. The three also sang the national anthem during the Freedom Fest in July.

Roeber sang the national anthem before the Moses Lake Roundup Saturday night. She performed at the recent Mrs. Washington pageant, and has been invited to events next month in Connell and Odessa.

While most of the Moses Lake program took place in person, the state competition was all virtual. Each contestant was interviewed by the judges, their scholastic record was examined, and they performed a routine showcasing their talents. Each was asked a question requiring an unrehearsed response.

“I had no idea what to expect,” Roeber said.

But she said one of the lessons she has taken away from DYW is the need to be prepared for the situation.

“I think what helped set us apart is that we did the preparation to make the background look nice, for me to wear nice clothes,” she said. “If you can’t do it in person where they get to see all of your personality, you have to make sure that whatever you are sending in is what is going to look best to you.”

Being able to do retakes almost made it more challenging, she said.

“You almost have to prepare even more,” Roeber said.

Roeber said the virtual format allowed family and friends who might not otherwise have attended to experience the program with her.

“That part was really fun,” she said.

She did regret the lack of interaction with other contestants. Each girl introduced her community in a short video, and Roeber said it was fun to look at all their towns. But the contestants never got to spend any time together.

“It was very bittersweet, because we saw those videos and all those girls seemed so sweet, and I never got to meet them,” she said.

The interview with the judges was the crucial part of the competition.

“My favorite part was the interview. It’s more pressure, because you have to make sure you’re well-spoken and saying things that represent yourself, but it’s the part where the judges get to know you. And that’s where I always feel if there’s going to be a tiebreaker it will be in the interview,” she said.

The rest of the program, she said, builds off the impression made in the interview.

“The interview is where I think they form an opinion about you, that separates you from the rest,” Roeber said.

She didn’t, however, win the interview category. She won the talent and fitness categories, and the overall scholastic category.

She wasn’t really sure about her chances after someone else won the interview category, but they improved when she won the scholastic category.

“I’m sitting there, trying to do the math in my head,” she said.

Each state winner receives a silver medallion, and Gaddis had received it that morning.

“She had it in her purse and she didn’t tell us,” Roeber said.

“She was very sneaky,” Debbie Roeber said.

“All of a sudden, I looked over and she was videotaping, and he had the medallion in her hand, and I was like, ‘Could I have just won?’” Roeber said.

Her year as Washington DYW will end with the national pageant, which as of now will be in person in Mobile, Alabama, in June 2022.

“I’m just excited to go (to nationals),” Roeber said. “Even coming this far has been – amazing.”