2018 Miss Teen Vietnam California Cindy Tran places a crown on Ly. Ly plans to raise funds and gather resources for students in need.
By: Loan-Anh Pham
“They say you stand taller with a crown on your head,” Senior Maggie Ly said. “I can say from personal experience that that is true.”
Ly was crowned Miss Teen Vietnam for 2019 at the Miss Vietnam California pageant, held at the Santa Clara Convention Center on Jan. 26. Ly competed against 20 other hopefuls for the Miss Vietnam crown, and seven contestants in the pool were eligible for the Miss Teen award.
Ly began her pageant journey in December, submitting an application that required her to be 15-29 years old, single, and at least 10% Vietnamese. She was notified about her acceptance two weeks later via email.
“It was surreal, but I was also nervous because my parents were on the fence about it. They thought I’d be too busy with college apps and everything else,” Ly said.
Yet, Ly decided to participate, throwing herself into a storm of preparations, including numerous rehearsals. The pageant was preceded by an interview session with the judges, which acted as a way for judges to get to know contestants’ personality, story, and future plans.
“I constantly practiced my pageant Q&A, went shopping for my evening and traditional dresses, made sure I had a makeup artist and assistant the day of, and made sure I knew all my right angles for the camera,” Ly noted. “My pageant directors and mentors truly prepared all of the contestants so well for pageant day. Everyone was so confident, but if they were nervous, they sure hid it well!”
The pageant meant a 7AM to 9PM day for contestants, with the event lasting four hours. Ly was crowned first out of all the contestants, whom she called her “pageant sisters.”
“It was a whirlwind of emotions,” Ly said. “I was thinking about my family, my pageant sisters, and focusing on keeping my eyes open so none of the photographers could catch me looking like I’m sleeping on stage.”
Ly’s goals for competing were to utilize the time she had left as a senior and to appreciate her culture as much as possible.
“I knew that if I went to college far away it’d be difficult to compete and attend events located in the Bay Area. So I decided to end high school with a crazy new experience I never thought I’d do,” Ly commented. “I also believe senior year has been my peak of exploring and embracing my Vietnamese culture.”
Ly has been involved in cultural dance with her group, Wings of 100 Viet, for more than ten years, performing for charity events and festivals. Her role as Miss Teen Vietnam will also require attendance at various charity and service events; in addition, Ly plans to work on her own charity project.
“A goal that I’ve shared with everyone during the competition is that I want to raise funds and gather resources for students with financial struggles, like having a school supplies drive, sponsoring scholarships, and opening up a free and convenient tutoring program,” Ly explained. “I’d like to start local before expanding or collaborating with other pageant organizations.”
In fact, Ly’s favorite memory throughout the pageant was the opportunity to bond with her pageant sisters. She felt at home and supported throughout the whole process, Ly added.
As for future pageants?
“We’ll see,” Ly said with a smile.