On Sunday, November 15, as part of the Miss Southern California Cities pageant at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, Poly junior Zephyr Zimmerman was crowned Miss Teen Long Beach.
The pageant was held at the Long Beach Center for Performing Arts Terrace Theater, and required a lot of preparation on the part of the contestants. During the competition, the contestants introduced themselves, modeled swimwear and evening gowns, and were interviewed by three judges.
The interviews were a crucial part of the selection process, Zimmerman explained. They ask about the competitors’ lives and what they hoped to accomplish as Miss Teen Long Beach. “They asked me about Best Buddies and about the mission trip I went on to build houses in Mexico,” said Zimmerman.
Miss Teen Long Beach Pageant is an experience for Zimmerman that she cherishes. “This is a big part of my life because… I come from a low-income family [and] I haven’t had opportunities for me,” said Zimmerman. “I wanted to be in the pageant and it costs a lot of money to even enter,” so she asked the community to sponsor her this year.
As it was her third year in the pageant, she was determined to win. “My community has given so much to me and I wanted to show that I can give back, represent them, and show them what I can do,” said Zimmerman.
When she was announced winner out of the thirteen Miss Teen Long Beach Pageant contestants, Zimmerman was ecstatic. She recalls returning home afterwards and wearing her crown and sash as she did her homework, the residual excitement carrying over into the hours of obligatory school work.
The annual Miss Southern California Cities pageant also includes competitions for Miss Long Beach, Mrs. Long Beach, and Little Miss Long Beach. The pageant is put on by Justin Rudd and it benefits Community Action Team, a non-profit that aims “to promote social well-being among the general public.”
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