Holguin

GROSSMONT COLLEGE –The reigning Miss Teen Spring Valley is a freshman here, Christina Torres.

Torres told an interviewer that she likes the fact that she can participate in beauty pageants and still be very athletic. She’s a member of Grossmont College’s cross-country team.

“I love the balance,” she said.

Torres encourages other young women to consider entering a beauty pageant. “You build such a good bond with the other girls and it builds your self-esteem” she said. Additionally, the process helps contestants learn how to talk to other people, said Torres, a student in the journalism class of the Media Communications Department.

“Many people do not realize that there is so much hard work that goes into competing in pageants,” she said. “I learned that you have to know all the different types of walks and be very poised! You also have a list of questions and must memorize all of your answers without saying ‘um’ or ‘like.’ You also must learn to be comfortable in front of a crowd if you are the type to get nervous, as well as, learning to have good etiquette and professionalism when you are speaking to the judges.”

One of the most important things pageant contestants learn is to take good care of themselves, Torres said.

Torres has participated in a variety of community service projects in connection with the Miss Teen Spring Valley contest. One event she said she particularly enjoyed was serving food and distributing Easter presents to children.

The Grossmont College student will be competing in November in the Miss Coastal Cities Pageant.

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Holguin is a student in Media Comm 132. She may be contacted at [email protected]