The saying may go that “behind every great man is a great woman”  but in the case of the Mr. Harriton competition, great women are not only behind, but standing next to, introducing, and tangoing with the great men who take part in the school’s most well-attended fundraiser.  They may be all smiles, but these ambitious young women are engaged in fierce competition to decide who will escort the Mr. Harriton hopefuls.

The role of escort is a difficult one: she must be a dance partner, a promoter, and a bodyguard.  Not everyone, for example, can convert a high heel into a lethal weapon in three seconds flat.  By the day of the show, however, audience members can take comfort in the fact that all the smiling young women on the stage will do whatever it takes to protect their contestant, including Stiletto-based combat.  The competition for Mr. Harriton escorts values candidates who possess these special skills and are willing to enter “Escort Bootycamp,” named because winter is fast approaching and boots are recommended. 

Upon arrival, the girls immediately begin training for competition.  The first lesson at bootycamp is in “poll-dancing,” because the more money these girls can collect for charity in their contestants’ names during intermission, the more votes they will win for their contestant.  To prepare for this important part of the evening, escorts will practice extensively in “making it rain,”which of course refers to how donations nourish charities as rain would nourish a plant. 

Once Bootycamp is over, the lucky escorts will be prepared with the full set of skills required to make Mr. Harriton successful.  One former escort, Jeannie Williams, remembers that the competition is “life-changing.  It’s like prom combined with the Hunger Games — the skills will definitely stick with these lucky ladies.”  When asked how escort skills have applied to her life after high school, Ms. Williams explained that “I wanted to be Miss America at first.  But in the end, I decided to just introduce, stand next to, and dance with Miss America.”  Her advice for this year’s batch? “Sharpen those shoes, and don’t forget to smile!”