Community
April 17, 2017
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 11
Commitment to social issues defines Wilson’s Rose Festival princess
By Maileen Hamto
The Asian Reporter
ilson High School’s Maggie Beutler is driven by
the need to achieve “the next great accomplish-
ment.” Vying for the 2017 Portland Rose
Festival crown, Maggie was motivated to win the
opportunity to represent her high school in one of
Portland’s most iconic institutions.
“I wanted to know I could do something not everyone
could. When the Rose Court came along, I knew I had to
push myself to say, ‘I can and will do this,’” she said.
Academically gifted, Maggie has been on Wilson High’s
Honor Roll since freshman year and is a proud member of
the National Honor Society. She also participates in Mock
Trial, the women’s tennis team, the Feminist Union, and
Asian Pacific Islanders. Despite the hard work and
commitment she devoted to accumulating these honors,
Maggie considers the journey that has taken her thus far
as her most important accomplishment.
“The thing I am most proud of isn’t my grades or
awards, but the wonderful group of friends I have found
and the community which surrounds me,” she said. “My
ability to develop over the past four years may have taken
me a bit of time. I am proud of the friends I have kept, the
temptation I have refused, and the person I have become.”
As an adopted Chinese daughter, Maggie said she is
honored to have an opportunity to explore her cultural
roots. Her family celebrates the Lunar New Year and she
is motivated to continue learning about myriad Chinese
traditions.
At 10 years old, Beutler returned to Guixi, China with
her parents — an eye-opening experience that continues
to teach lessons to this day.
“I saw the orphanage where I lived the first year of my
life,” Maggie said of her visit. “I did not grasp the full
gravity of the situation at the time; I know now the issue
surrounding children in foster care is one that should not
be ignored.”
Maturity that comes from teachable life experiences is
remarkably well-developed in Maggie’s cultural
self-awareness, as she navigates her teenage years with
eyes wide open. “I have had my fair share of
microagressions, and even dealt with some very unkind
racism. Therefore, I know that while I do not always see
my color, other people always do,” she said.
Reconciling the intersectionality of cultural identities
has inspired Maggie to become part of Wilson’s feminist
club. She is eager to learn from and lead her peers in
deepening their collective understanding of gender
dynamics and the different ways gender identity can
W
Foreign adoptions to U.S.
families continue long decline
Continued from page 8
critic of State Department
adoption policy, acknowl-
edged that lapses related to
all three issues were “a
black eye on adoption.”
However, he said the State
Department should have
been providing more lead-
ership in addressing the
problems.
“These negative results
are not the experiences of
the great majority of
internationally
adopted
children nor of their
adoptive families; neither
are the actions of a few
providers indicative of the
majority of accredited U.S.
adoption
providers,”
Johnson said in an e-mail.
Adoption officials in the
State Department “have a
history of either personally
opposing
intercountry
adoption
outright
or
endorsing it in lukewarm
fashion,” Johnson wrote.
As long as the department
“is allowed to continue
down this path, children
suffer and die.”
Susan Jacobs urged the
department’s critics in the
adoption community to
consider what steps they
could take to ensure that
international adoption is
ethical and transparent.
“We are committed to
intercountry adoption. We
want this to be available in
every country in the
world,” said Jacobs. “But
we can’t do this without the
cooperation of everybody
involved in the process. We
want this to be a practice
that everyone can be proud
of.”
ASTHMA
IS
ON
THE RISE.
impact experiences.
“I will defend myself and the rights of others in the
name of equality. Because I believe that in this world, the
act of living should never be threatened, questioned, or
judged because of someone’s gender.”
With her ever-growing awareness of social issues, it’s no
wonder that writing and photography — two of Maggie’s
favorite things — require thoughtfulness and empathy,
the ability to step inside someone else’s reality. With her
interest and skills in photography, Maggie relishes her
newfound role as a paid senior photographer. She
considers portrait photography as both challenging and
edifying.
“The kind of satisfaction that comes with helping
someone to realize their own individual beauty cannot be
described. And I am deeply humbled whenever I am able
to help someone love themselves a little bit more,” she
said.
THOUGHTFUL & EMPATHETIC. Maggie Beutler (left photo)
is seen with friends Gracie (right photo, left) and Clodagh (right photo,
right). Beutler is representing Wilson High School as its 2017 Rose Festi-
val princess. The Portland Rose Festival’s Queen’s Coronation takes place
Saturday, June 10 at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum. (Photos
courtesy of Maggie Beutler)
Leveraging her gift in the written word, Maggie is
interested in pursuing a writing career in film or
television, particularly for “Saturday Night Live.” She
said she has been drawn to work in satire for some time.
“Comedy is a way to evoke conversation and call to
question, ‘if we cannot laugh in hard times, what can we
do?’” Maggie explained. “Satire can bring both joy and call
attention to some very important issues.”
When asked about her soon-to-start stint on the court,
Maggie said she is excitedly looking forward to the
different events and ceremonies while learning more
about the City of Portland along the way.
“I am both honored and humbled by the opportunity to
give back to the community, all it has given me. And in
many ways I feel as though the Rose Court has shined a
light on both me and my school,” Maggie said. “I am very
excited to represent my school, my city, and my cul-
ture.”
A Rose Festival princess represents her school and acts as the “face of
the Rose Festival” at many events in the community, including parades,
volunteer activities, luncheons with community and business leaders,
and more. The Portland Rose Festival Foundation awards each court
member a $3,500 scholarship, courtesy of The Randall Group.
To qualify for the Rose Festival Court, a candidate must be a full-time
junior or senior at a 4A, 5A, or 6A high school in Multnomah,
Washington, or Clackamas county and have a minimum cumulative
grade point average of 3.0. Potential princesses are evaluated on
citizenship, scholastic achievement, school activities, civic involvement,
volunteer projects, communication skills, and overall impression.
The Portland Rose Festival Queen is chosen from all of
the court members at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum
on Saturday, June 10 from 8:30am to 9:30am. To learn more,
call (503) 227-2681 or visit <www.rosefestival.org>.
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