Former Miss Colusa County competing for California title

Katelyn Mena wants to bring a little small-town charm to Hollywood.

No, she is not looking to be an actress, though in three days she will be taking the stage as one of more than 300 Miss California USA contestants vying for the crown, $130,000 and a chance to travel around the world.

"I'm super nervous," Mena admitted Monday.

The 2010 Miss Colusa County said that up until the last week or so she has had her college studies and other activities to keep her busy — and her mind off the pageant.

"I am very goal-oriented, so I focus on one thing then go on to the next thing," she said. "But this week, I have gotten a lot more nervous."

It's understandable, since she leaves for the Palm Desert area on Thursday and starts the preliminary competition at the McCallum Theatre in Indian Wells on Saturday.

Those preliminary events include an interview with the judges, as well as the evening gown and swimsuit competitions.

The contestants also perform together for when the event is eventually televised. That has not been announced.

However, this weekend's competition will be streamed live over the Internet.

From the preliminary round, all but 20 contestants will be eliminated.

The finals will be held Su day, and ultimately the winner will be selected from five finalists.

Certainly Mena thinks about the big prize.

"I would love to travel and do community service," Mena said.

In the end, though, the pageants have always been about the journey — a way to test her self-confidence and to improve her communication and related skills.

That journey really started when her older sister, Megan, competed for Miss Colusa County honors in 2007.

But it was really the insistence of a friend, Talyn Imhoff, that convinced Mena to seek the county title in 2010.

"I did not know how much work I would have to put into it," Mena said. "It was just a great experience."

She particularly enjoyed talking to other teens about joining the 2011 Miss Colusa County pageant, which was won by Madison Forney.

Mena said a lot of teens in Colusa County, and particularly girls, feel disenfranchised, as though there are no opportunities waiting for them here.

She believes the pageant can give them the kind of confidence they need to seek out their own opportunities, and to be a role model for others as well.

And Mena thinks the Miss California contest will expand her opportunities to be a role model for even more young women.

The Miss California USA pageant was nearly an afterthought to her following the usual path of county queens to the state competition at the California State Fair.

But the opportunity was too good to pass up, so she sent in her application, met with a recruiter and started the process of raising the money she would need.

That starts with $1,700 for costs associated with this coming weekend alone. Her total expenses will be closer to $5,000 she said.

She is still accepting sponsors to help offset some of those costs.

A 2011 Colusa High graduate, Mena played soccer and volleyball, and said she enjoys singing.

The daughter of Fred and Alicia Mena, she attends the private Christian university, Westmont College, near Santa Barbara.

She has not declared a major as of yet, but said she enjoys writing, so is leaning toward communications.

"Or political science," she adds quickly. "Who knows?"

She chose the college because another friend, Katie Kittle, also attends the liberal-studies campus.

A win would be a grand birthday party for Mena, who turns 19 on Jan. 29.

Would a run at Miss USA, and possibly Miss Universe, follow if crowned on Sunday?

"I would love to do that," she said.

You can follow her journey on her Facebook page, which will soon include a broadcast link, too.