Mira Loma Student in Miss CA Teen USA Pageant

A student will compete in the Miss California Teen USA pageant.

Racquel Man, 15, will serve as Miss Sacramento Teen USA at the competition in Pasadena in January. Man is a junior at Mira Loma.

She said she got her inspiration to enter the contest from her mother Thea, who competed in pageants growing up and won Miss Teen Virginia, earning her a scholarship to Marymount University in Arlington, Va.

So Racquel filled out an online application and sent in headshots and later was interviewed by pageant officials who told her she would represent Sacramento.

Man is an honors student in Mira Loma's International Baccalaureate program. She said her favorite subjects are English and history.

Man is a Lieutenant in the Mira Loma Dance/Drill Team, which has won their national competition two years in row and performs at school rallies and sporting events. She is also in the Just for the Health of It student club, which makes visits to patients at local hospitals and holds a dance marathon to raise money for the UC Davis Medical Center.

"I like that Mira Loma offers so many chances for you to challenge yourself," she said. "We have a sports-a-rama event that brings school spirit for all students."

So where does Man see herself post-graduation?

"As of now, I'm considering Stanford, it's my dream college," she said.

But first, Man has the Miss California Teen USA pageant. There is an interview portion, evening gown and fitness parts and a final question for the Top 5 contestants.

"I'm doing this for the experience," she said. "It can only help me for the future when I have interviews for colleges, for jobs."

Man told mylocalcommunitynews.com that her causes are stamping out hunger/homelessness and . If she wins Miss California Teen USA, she would be the first Cambodian-American titleholder.