Pasadena had the honor of hosting the annual Miss California Teen Pageant this year, and DBHS’ seniors Annemarie Branks and Nadia Mejia participated in the pageant, the latter going on to place in the Top 5 as the fourth runner up.
Branks represented Phillips Ranch, while Mejia represented Beverly Hills at the competition which took place over a full weekend, spanning from January 12 to January 13.
The Miss California Teen Pageant was Branks’ first Pageant experience. “Other than doing some plays when I was younger, I had absolutely no on stage experience,” Branks explained. She chose to participate in the pageant mostly due to her interest in the potential scholarship prize. Contestants in the pageant stand to win several thousands of dollars in scholarships and Branks had become aware of the opportunity through DBHS. “At the beginning of senior year, Patterson gave me a scholarship packet and the Miss California Teen pageant was one of the scholarship options,” Branks said. In order to prepare for the Pageant, Branks had a three hour session with two Pageant trainers, Tara and Christina, from Sashes and Crowns in Santa Monica. Branks also elaborated that she practiced distance running in order to keep in shape, but confesses that she did little in terms of dieting. Unlike Branks, Mejia had previously participated in several pageants. Over the last few years, she has competed in countless competitions all over California and internationally, her first Pageant being the Miss Hispanidad International in 2012 in which she placed as the first runner up. She then competed in the Miss California Teen pageant last year and placed in the Top 20 out of 120 competitors. “[It was a] huge accomplishment especially since I didn’t know what the heck I was doing!” Mejia explained. Then, in the Miss Santa Monica Teen pageant she placed as the second runner up.
A few months ago, she competed in the Miss Beverly Hills Teen pageant which she won. “I never gave up and was blessed to finally win the most elite regional pageant,” Mejia stated. This year, with her new experience, she returned to the Miss California Teen pageant.
“After all of my hard training, I competed in Miss California Teen again but this time really knowing what I was doing and representing the beautiful city of Beverly Hills,” Mejia said. She placed as the fourth runner up, a huge honor. “I was so blessed to have made the top 5 and be announced fourth runner up against girls who were bred and raised in pageantry,” Mejia stated.
One-hundred-and-fifty girls from all over the state came to compete and it is the most prestigious Pageant in the area.
Branks plans on competing in the upcoming Miss Diamond Bar Pageant while Mejia plans to return to the Miss California Teen competition next year, the last year she will be eligible for the competition, in hopes of finally becoming Miss California Teen USA 2014.