Brampton beauty queen sets sights on winning Miss Teenage Canada pageant

A young woman from Brampton could be crowned as the next Miss Teenage Canada, a win that will help with her mission to help find career opportunities for youth and teens.

Jency Solanki is a recent graduate of Brampton’s Castlebrooke Secondary School, and while the 18-year-old is getting ready for classes at the University of Toronto she is also preparing for the Miss Teenage Canada pageant later this month.

“I was always interested in going on stage as a little girl…I’ve always loved talking to groups and giving people pep talks,” Solanki told Insauga.com about the decision to enter the world of beauty pageants.

But the Brampton teen had never been in a pageant before deciding to enter the Miss Teenage Ontario circuit this year.

Solanki was crowned Miss Teenage Southern Ontario earlier this year and said she hopes her win is an inspiration for other South Asian women and girls.

“I grew up speaking Gujarati at home, but I didn’t see as much Indian representation in the modelling industry,” Solanki said. “There’s more now, but not nearly as much as there should be.”

Solanki will reunite with her “pageant sisters” for another round of competition for the title of Miss Teenage Ontario later this month in Toronto. The contestants will go through several competition stages including evening gown and athletic wear rounds, interviews, and skills competitions.

While the pageant experience is still new for Solanki, she says she feels comfortable on the stage.

“I realized I didn’t really have stage fright, I never really had that stage fight of performing…but there’s always something unexpected to expect,” she said of her Miss Teenage Southern Ontario win.

Solanki has also started a program to help youth and teens with career advice. Called the Aspire to Inspire initiative, the program will feature weekly and monthly seminars where youth can connect with industry professionals and other students to ask questions and network before deciding on a career path.

She is also partnering with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to raise funds for the program with face-painting events along with Miss North York.

The Miss Teenage Canada pageant starts on July 21 in Toronto. For more information visit www.missteenagecanada.com.