New Miss 4S Ranch pageant to offer titles for ages 6 to 22

There’s a new pageant title coming to the area — Miss 4S Ranch — that is open to elementary through college-age girls living within Poway Unified School District boundaries.

The pageant is part of the Council for Youth Empowerment. It has five age divisions and titleholders in each will advance to CYE’s Miss California pageant.

The local pageant will be held throughout the afternoon on Sunday, May 17 at Del Norte High School in 4S Ranch, with the pageant finals starting at 4 p.m.

Contestants are placed in divisions based on their age as of Jan. 1. The divisions are junior miss (ages 6 to 8), pre-teen (9 to 12), junior teen (13 to 15), teen (16 to 17) and miss (18 to 22). They will be judged on how they present themselves during an interview, in evening gown and their on-stage personality. There is no talent competition and no rehearsals for them to attend prior to the pageant, said Director Tina Cota.

A pageant orientation meeting will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 2 at Panera Bread, 10430 Craftsman Way in 4S Ranch. The pageant entry fee is $150 for those who register by May 4. Those who enter after that also pay a $45 late registration fee. For details and an application, contact Cota at TinaCota@RanchAndVillageHomes.com or 858-822-9459.

If there are enough entrants, Cota said three queens will be crowned in each division. The Miss North County Regional title is open to all California residents who meet the age requirement. After those queens are selected, remaining contestants will be considered for two new CYE titles. They are Miss 4S Ranch and Miss North Coast.

The Miss 4S Ranch title is open to all females ages 6 to 22 that live in or attend school within the Poway Unified School District geographic boundaries. This includes the communities of 4S Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Poway, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Sabre Springs and Rancho Penasquitos.

The Miss North Coast title is open to all females ages 6 to 22 that live in or attend school in Cardiff-by-the Sea, Carmel Valley, Del Dios, Del Mar, Del Mar Heights, Del Mar Mesa, Encinitas, Escondido, La Jolla, La Jolla Farms, Leucadia, Miramar, Mira Mesa, Olivenhain, San Pasqual, Scripps Ranch, Solana Beach, Sorrento Valley, Tierrasanta, Torrey Hills, Torrey Pines and University City plus adjacent communities and cities.

Cota said if contestants in the teen and miss divisions place at the state pageant, they have an opportunity to win up to $10,000 in scholarships. They will also receive scholarships at the local level. Local titleholders in the three younger divisions will receive free entry into their state pageant.

“There is no requirement (to make appearances), but there will be opportunities for them to be out in the community,” Cota said. “They can do community service and ride in local parades. It’s a good opportunity.”

Cota’s 17-year-old daughter Kelly, a Mt. Carmel High School senior and Rancho Bernardo resident, is CYE Miss Teen North County Regional 2014. Cota said the pageant is very big in San Diego’s East County and South Bay areas, and pageant officials would like to see its presence increase in North County, which is why they added the Miss 4S Ranch and Miss North County titles this year.

Cota said CYE is a nonprofit organization that helps contestants become comfortable in an interview setting and perform community service. “It’s more scholarship than beauty pageant,” she said. “It emphasizes that it wants the type of girl who wants to be out in the community.”

She said the girls can improve their self-esteem and form a “sisterhood” through the friendships that form.

“They have new friends that support each other,” she said. “It’s a great organization.”