Danville Girl Vying For 'Miss California Teen' Crown

DANVILLE, CA — A 16-year-old Danville girl has been selected to represent the East Bay at the Miss California Teen USA Competition as Miss Danville Teen USA, it was announced Tuesday. Kate Yelkovan will vie for the crown during the January 23-26, 2020 event in San Gabriel. The competition will mark Yelkovan's first pageant, according to event organizers.

Her selection was based on "her academic standing, involvement in her community, her passion for the pursuit of excellence and her interest in empowering other young women to follow in her footsteps," organizers said. The teen aspires to attend law school, according to event organizers who also said Yelkovan hopes to use her title of Miss Danville Teen USA as "a platform to raise awareness for the under-diagnosis of girls with autism spectrum disorder and to prove that girls with Asperger’s can look the same and do the same things as other girls."

The teen is also currently seeking meetings with state representatives to draft a bill to improve internet privacy and cyberstalking laws for young victims of sexual assault, according to event organizers.