SAN MARCOS — Jessica McGilvary, 21, walked away with the crown, the sash and a $750 scholarship after winning the 45th annual Miss San Marcos pageant March 15 at the San Marcos Community Center. Maxine Marshall, 19, and Lisa Manuccia, 22, won the First and Second Princess crowns and $300 scholarships.

“It feels wonderful. I had a very empowering experience through this whole process and I’m glad that the judges saw that I had faith in myself (and) that I would do a great job as an ambassador for the city,” said McGilvary, who has dreams of being a professional broadcaster.

McGilvary, Marshall and Manuccia will be very public figures for the next year as they attend ribbon cuttings, business expos, charity fundraisers and city events such as the upcoming Carnival of Cultures.

This year’s California Dreamin’-themed Miss San Marcos pageant was a special retrospective on the past with surf music, beach balls and a slide show of the city’s 45 previous pageant winners.

A lot has changed since 1963, according to pageant producer Holly Malan.

“We don’t have high hair any more. (There was) lots of poofy hair and cat glasses ... Twenty-five years ago, we did bathing suits and pumps, that was one of the segments of competition. We don’t do that any more,” Malan said.

There might only have been three crowns, but all eight of the pageant contestants left feeling like winners.

“It was really fun. I made a lot of new friends,” said Jennifer Barnett, an 18-year-old Palomar College music student.

“I liked the girls. They were so nice, really friendly,” said Analilia Marin, 17.

“I really enjoyed the process: coming to rehearsal every day, practicing my walk. I think I gained more confidence,” she said, adding that said she would probably compete again.

Olivia DeFrancia, a 20-year-old preschool teacher and former Teen Tri-City Princess, was very enthusiastic about the experience.

“I really (enjoyed) having that couple of hours each week to laugh and practice and get the (dance routine) turns down,” she said. “We all had so much fun, win or lose.”

First Princess Maxine Marshall, a 19-year-old who wants to be a math teacher, won the most awards of the evening including Most Photogenic and Miss Congeniality.

“It was the most fun. It’s actually my greatest accomplishment. I’m so glad I did it,” Marshall said.

McGilvary said she was happy the judges picked her, but would have been happy had another contestant been chosen instead.

“I just wanted the best girl to win, who was most like herself during the whole process, not just saying what sounds the best ... and talking from her heart,” McGilvary said.