Newark Woman Competes in Miss California USA

Yesenia Franco will step into a whole new world this weekend – in stilettos. 

The Newark resident will join hundreds of women in hopes to be crowned with a sparkling tiara and named Miss California USA for 2012.

The 19-year-old, wide-eyed beauty is one of 300 women who will compete in the Miss California USA competition Jan. 6-8 in Palm Desert. The contestants are judged on swimsuit, gown and an interview.

The winner of the competition then competes in the Miss USA contest in April. That winner moves on to the Miss Universe competition. Winners have a chance to receive thousands of dollars in scholarship money.

Pageants are not a long-time hobby of Franco’s, but she hopes that during her first try, she’ll make a name for herself and the city of Newark. She entered the competition as Miss Newark CA.

“I’ve never done anything like this before, but I think it’s a good opportunity,” Franco said.

Franco said she hopes to volunteer and participate in community service if she wins.

Part of the competition also requires the women to be an advocate for a cause and she wants to bring attention to one that has impacted her family.

Franco’s choice is to raise awareness of Spina Bifida – a condition in which a person is born with a backbone as well as spinal canal that did not close before birth, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Franco’s younger cousin was born with Spina Bifida and Franco said she feels it’s important for others to know.

Besides volunteering, Franco said she looks forward to the possibility of winning scholarship money she would use to pursue her goal of becoming a fashion designer.

Franco has been studying fashion design at the Academy of Arts in San Francisco since graduating from in 2010. 

Her ultimate dream is to design and make wedding dresses – an aspiration she has had since searching for a dress for her Quinceanera, a tradition from Latin America in which families celebrate a girl’s 15th birthday to mark of her transition from childhood to womanhood.

Instead of finding a dress, Franco designed one and with the help of Oakland-based dress designer Rafael Castro, the dress was created to Franco’s satisfaction.

She wants to be able to do the same for future brides.

“I had such a hard time finding a dress. I want to do a lot of custom-made [dresses],” Franco said. “Whatever you want, you get.”

To prepare for the competition, the pageant rookie made sure to stay fit, focus on school and took a class in pageant mannerism.

The class included lessons on what facial expressions to make and exercises on how to walk in high heels, which is one thing she says she needs to get used to.

“I usually wear wedges. It’s still so hard – I had blisters all over,” Franco said.

But Franco said she learned a lot and looks forward to this weekend’s competition. Winners will be announced when the competition concludes on Jan. 8.

The Miss California USA contest is open to women between the ages of 18 and 27.

To learn more about Franco, click here to LIKE her Miss Newark CA Facebook page.