Most young girls have the common ambition to be a princess at some point in their childhood, but for senior Haydn Cooper, this desire sparked her most beloved hobby.  Her passion, along with a letter inviting her to participate in a Miss USA pageant, jump-started her journey into pageantry.

Though Cooper’s first inspiration to enter beauty pageants was her idolization of Disney princesses, she soon became more passionate about the pastime for another reason.  Cooper found that the beliefs and principles of pageantry were ones that she admired and wanted to propagate.

“The Miss USA pageant society promotes healthy living and role model qualities in the women of today,” said Cooper.  “It also promotes the recognition of those who do community service.”

Cooper competes in two pageants each season.  This pageant season, Cooper contended in many events including the Miss Santa Monica pageant, the Miss Beverly Hills pageant and the Miss Calabasas pageant.  The pageant girls are judged in three categories: interview, swimsuit and evening gown; the girl who reaps the most points at the end of the competition wins the title.

“Each category helps the judges to gauge which contestant is the best role model,” said Cooper.  “The interview section shows one’s social and political awareness, the swimsuit category demonstrates one’s physical fitness and stage presence and the evening gown portion shows one’s gracefulness.”

Cooper has received an award for best personality in an interview, placed in the top five in the National American Miss pageant and placed in the top 10 in the Miss Malibu, Miss Beverly Hills and Miss Santa Monica pageants. She also placed second runner-up in the Miss Calabasas and Miss L.A. County pageant.

“Pageants have taught me lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” said Cooper.

Cooper plans to achieve her goal by winning a preliminary city pageant, then dominating both a state and a national pageant and then continuing to engage in the community to increase appreciation for both Calabasas and the beauty pageant industry.

“My goal is to bring my title to the community,” said Cooper.  “In the 17 years I have lived here, the community has provided me with so much, and I want to give back.”

From her pageantry to her community service, Cooper is benefitting the community one stiletto-heeled step at a time.