MISS EL PASO USA, TEEN USA TO BE CROWNED
El Paso, TEXAS (KVIA) -- "Girl power" takes on a whole new meaning this weekend in the borderland, as some exceptional young women vie for the titles of Miss El Paso USA and Miss El Paso Teen USA. The competition is fierce, and the judges are looking for more than a pretty face. Contestants tell us they work out and take care of their health, they stay up on current events, and spend time volunteering, and many of them are still in school full-time.
Pageant director Laura Rayborn is celebrating her 25th year at the helm of the pageant, and says today's pageants are different. The judges are looking for more substance, or the full package. And this year, for the first time ever, young women who have been married or had kids are allowed to compete. This change was made by the Miss USA pageant system, which Miss El Paso USA and Miss El Paso Teen USA are a part of. Rayborn says she's worked with thousands of borderland girls, and she takes pride in teaching them how to give of themselves, by volunteering at non-profits.
As she celebrates a quarter of a century of pageantry, Laura Rayborn is not looking back.
"I'm still here! 25 years! I'm gonna keep going til i say no more," Rayborn laughs.
Preliminaries for Miss El Paso are at Magoffin Auditorium Saturday, Apr 29 at 8 pm, and the finals will be held Sunday, April 30th at 4 pm. For tickets, click here: Miss & Miss Teen El Paso Tickets (tickets-center.com)
