Photo courtesy of Maria Rangel Miss California Teen USA Taylor Atkins, 16, of Piru, will compete on Aug. 15 and 16 at the Miss Teen USA pageant in the Bahamas.

Courtesy Photo / KSSP Photography -- Miss California Teen USA Taylor Atkins, 16, of Piru, will compete on Aug. 15 and 16 at the Miss Teen USA pageant in the Bahamas.

As 16-year-old Taylor Atkins prepares to compete for the title of Miss Teen USA, she finds it amazing that she has made it this far — especially since she's never had the desire to enter a pageant.

"Being that I entered on a whim, I am extremely grateful for everything that has happened to me since then and it means so much to me," said the Piru teen, who will be a senior at Fillmore High School in the fall. "I never thought I would be where I am today, and because of this I am very proud of what I have accomplished."

Taylor is among 51 young women — one from each state and the District of Columbia — who will compete next month at the Miss Teen USA pageant in the Bahamas.

The contest, on Aug. 15 and 16, will include an interview with a panel of judges, a swimsuit competition and an evening gown competition. If chosen as a top five finalist, she also will answer a question onstage.

Ironically, she believes her edge lies in the fact that she has almost no experience competing in pageants.

"Being that I've only been in two, I would say that I have a very fresh outlook," she said.

In addition, she has garnered public experience and gained a sense of duty through her work as ambassador for Network for a Healthy California: Champions for Change.

The network represents a statewide movement of local, state and national partners collectively working toward improving the health status of low-income Californians through increased fruit and vegetable consumption and daily physical activity.

"This position enables me to travel through the counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura educating elementary schoolchildren on nutrition and opting for healthier choices," she said. "Physical health is something that is extremely important to me and I love that I now have the opportunity to share that with others."

One very busy scholar

Taylor is an exceptional student, with a 4.63 grade-point average, who also volunteers at the Henry Mayo Clinic, works outs five days a week, attends college in the summer, has communication training throughout the summer, and still makes time to travel across the state to speak to children about eating healthy and achieving their goals.

She is, in short, an inspiration to anyone who might think pageants are not for them, said Toay Foster-Ortiz, executive director of Miss Greater Ventura County pageants, Miss Southern California pageants and Miss Regional Coastal Cities pageants.

"Taylor's first pageant was Miss Ventura County Teen and then from there, with hard work and determination, Taylor was able to be crowned Miss California Teen USA 2008," Foster-Ortiz said. "Now she is working even harder to capture the title of Miss Teen USA 2009."

Traveling and learning

Reaching this goal has required Taylor to dedicate a year of involvement to charities outside of Ventura County, speak at numerous events and effectively share the issues that concern teens today and how they can resolved.

"The significance of competing in pageants is that it helps to prepare you for life," Foster-Ortiz said. "The skills that she is perfecting now are creating the successful businessperson that she plans on becoming in the future.

"She has been working extremely hard on management of time, being patient, organization, reliability and accountability," the pageant director said. "All of these skills are transferable in whatever career field she plans to pursue."

Regardless of her accomplishments, Taylor has remained the same "girl next door" who really wants to have a positive effect on society, Foster-Ortiz added.

"She concerns herself with matters that adults are concerned about," she said. "Taylor above all is a person that is great representation of the everyday teen and inspires other teens to excel in their educational dreams and goals."