Oak Harbor teen takes unusual move by chasing Miss Teen Seattle

Published 2:24 pm Monday, September 22, 2014

The letter looked official enough, but Athena Mae De Leon Guerrero still had her doubts.

She wondered how an organization representing a pageant she had never heard of found out about her.

Although her mother did some research online, De Leon Guerrero still didn’t know quite what to expect when she arrived at an information session and interview at the Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center in SeaTac last Saturday.

There, she and others were screened as candidates for 2014 Miss Teen Seattle.

“We didn’t know what the heck it was,” said De Leon Guerrero, a Class of 2013 Oak Harbor High School graduate. “I had never heard of it before. I thought it was a joke for a second.”

Upon arriving at the Hilton, De Leon Guerrero and her mother Regina De Leon Guerrero soon confirmed the 2014 Miss Teen Seattle Preliminary Pageant competition was legitimate, though participation didn’t come without a cost.

Since then, De Leon Guerrero has been busy preparing for the pageant and attempting to secure sponsors.

De Leon Guerrero, 19, will be competing for Miss Teen Seattle, which involves ages 16-19, Oct. 10-11 at the Highline Performing Arts Center in Burien.

The pageant also involves three other age groups, starting at age 7, with participants vying for titles such as Miss Junior Teen, Miss Pre-Teen and Miss Junior Pre-Teen.

The winner in each division earns a trophy and paid trip to compete in the 2015 National Pageant in Orlando, Fla.

De Leon Guerrero, a sophomore at Central Washington University on the Dean’s List with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, also sees the competition as a way to acquire something else.

“I was hoping I might gain more confidence,” she said.

“It’s not in my comfort zone, for sure.”

The competition includes an interview by a judges panel that will evaluate contestants’ personalities.

The pageant involves modeling casual wear and formal wear ­— no swimsuits — but the contest focuses in on personality.

Regina De Leon Guerrero said family members and friends are supportive of her daughter and are pleasantly surprised she’s attempting something out of the norm.

“They’re excited she’s stepping outside of her bubble,” Regina said.

Athena Mae De Leon Guerrero said if she were to advance to Orlando, she might have a shot at a modeling opportunity, but mostly “it would be nice to have as an experience.”

So far, Athena Mae De Leon Guerrero has raised $200 toward the $620 she needs to acquire before Sept. 27. The pageant fee is $495 and she’s also looking to raise $125 to compete in the Miss Photogenic Contest, with the Seattle winner also advancing to Orlando.

In the days after learning she would compete, she crafted a color brochure, containing information about the pageant and herself.

De Leon Guerrero has visited Oak Harbor businesses to seek sponsorship but has found pledges hard to come by, yet said she understands such economic hardships.

She said no commitment is too small and added that she was very grateful for a $25 contribution from Popsies.

She’s working on her message to potential sponsors, continually striving to break out of her comfort zone.

“I seem like an apathetic person most of the time,” she said. “On the inside, I’m excited.”

Athena Mae De Leon Guerrero has created a gofundme site to accept donations.

She also may be contacted via email at artregdlg@comcast.net