When people think of beauty pageants, most people think of shallow competitions where girls compete to see who best fits traditional beauty standards, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. For someone to excel in today’s pageant world, they must be a well-rounded leader who seeks to make a positive impact in their community, and the Miss Yorba Linda Outstanding Teen 2023, Ashley Lee, is a prime example of this.

Entering the world of pageantry may seem daunting to most, but since Ashley Lee (12) was young she dreamed of being like many of the inspiring women in pageantry; role models like Miss America 2021, Emma Broyles, greatly inspired her and gave her the courage to give pageantry a try. What Ashley respects the most about women in pageantry is their confidence, passion, and desire to make a meaningful impact on the world.

For Ashley, competing is the true highlight of the pageant experience. Her favorite section is the talent portion because she loves watching the other contestants show off all of their unique talents. Each contestant shines in various skills, and the talent portion helps each contestant stand out in a meaningful way, and any spectator is guaranteed to be entertained by each talented contestant.

Through competing, Ashley greatly enjoyed creating close friendships with the other contestants, and she loved being a part of the sisterhood of the Miss America community. All of the contestants were able to form close bonds while attending multiple training systems prior to the pageant, and many of the friendships formed last long after the night of the pageant. 

Each contestant in the Miss America program has to pitch a service project, and Ashley’s is Music Matters: Connecting to Seniors. Through her service initiative, Ashley’s goal is to use music to bring happiness to the elderly community. In addition to her service project, Ashley plans to impact the Yorba Linda community by speaking at local elementary schools to empower young women to grow up as change-makers in their communities.

In Ashley’s own words, “To the young women who are interested in pageantry, I 100% believe you should join! The Miss America organization made a better speaker than I was two years ago, and the organization gives young women an opportunity to earn scholarships and serve their communities.” Anyone interested in pageantry should look past the shallow stereotypes of traditional beauty pageants to see that today’s world of pageantry is full of well-rounded young women who are passionate about public service.

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Ashley Lee (12) is announced as Miss Yorba Linda Outstanding Teen.