Black Press Media is a proud partner of the Miss BC pageants, with this year鈥檚 event taking place June 29 - July 1 in Fort Langley. As part of the People鈥檚 Choice Award, we are posting contestants鈥� biographies online for readerstolearn more about the women and girls from their communities and to put in their vote.

Submitted by Maya P. of Chilliwack:

Hello, I need to start off by saying鈥� thank you鈥� to absolutely everyone taking the time out of your day to read this. It really means a lot to me! It is an absolute pleasure to announce that I am participating in the Miss Teen BC pageant. This pageant gives me the opportunity for training and personal growth that I wouldn鈥檛 be able to find anywhere else and gives me the platform to reach out a helping hand along the way!

I have remained an honor roll student through life鈥檚 challenges, which I personally think shows my hard work ethic. I leave my ego at the door and prepare to put my everything into everything I do. I am a role model for young people in my community by helping out in preschool at my church. Ideally if I win Miss Teen BC I would love to go and speak to elementary and middle school kids and share my platform of 鈥渟elf-image, self-credit and self-worth鈥� and share the message 鈥測ou are worth it!鈥�. I think if the kids of today are strong and confident, the world of tomorrow becomes equally strong and confident!