Pageant Winner Dedicated to Helping Others

It had been more than one year since Rachel Roberts and her parents had been able to return to one of their happy places, Marco. Annual visits are a family tradition, one that was suspended in 2020, like so much of normal life, due to the pandemic. 

The Maryland residents recently resumed the custom that began about a decade ago. But this time, 14-year-old Rachel came bearing the title of winner of the 2020 Miss Teen World America Pageant. In October, judges selected her from a field of 40 young women, ages 13 to 18, who were vying for the crown. Then 13, she was not just the youngest contestant in the pageant, but also the youngest winner in its history. 

“There were a lot of 16- and 17-year old’s that I was in competition against,” said Rachel, who is the daughter of Steve and Tammy Roberts of Potomac, Maryland. 

Pageants are also a tradition for the family. Tammy Roberts won the Miss Maryland Pageant in 1992, which qualified her for the Miss America Pageant. She’s also the producer of the Miss Maryland Pageant. 

Being around pageants her entire life inspired Rachel to follow in her mother’s footsteps. She participated in her first pageant at age 11, representing her home state in the pre-teen category of the International United Miss pageant, where she was the second runner-up. Miss Teen World America was her second pageant, and she was shocked to be there, much less win.

“We entered the Maryland competition for practice,” said Rachel. “We did not necessarily expect to win, my being against older girls. So, when I won the Maryland competition I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I really have to prepare for the national one.’ So, I prepared really long and hard, and I just had to remember that my age doesn’t define who I am. So that’s what I did, and I was very, very surprised when I finished in the top five and when I won, I was ecstatic and so happy.”

Pandemic-related closures resulted in the 2020 Miss Teen World America being a virtual event rather than an in-person event. 

“I did it from my house,” said Rachel. “I still got to compete in gown and fitness. We just had it prerecorded. We did interviews, live, through Zoom. We got to make a five-minute video about our “Beauty with a Purpose” – our community service. Normally that would only be a short speech. So being in the virtual world let us do a lot more and it was really cool.”

The “Beauty with a Purpose” Award recognizes the contestant whose efforts have made a significant difference in the lives of people in need where the contestant lives. They receive a guarantee of continued support for their chosen cause from the Miss World pageant.

Rachel’s cause was one she’s been involved with since she was in fifth grade – Comfort Cases, a national nonprofit that provides backpacks filled with necessities to children entering the foster care system. In fact, after winning the Teen World America crown, she organized a nationwide fundraiser for Comfort Cases entitled “Rach4aCase.” The effort is now winding down having raised about $10,000. 

She considers Teen World America to be not just about physical beauty, but about inner beauty as well. 

“Over 50 percent of our score was our Beauty with a Purpose work,” explained Rachel. “They look for the girl that wants use their platform and their title to give back to their community. Another 25 percent is the interview. They’re looking for a genuine person to win the title. They’re not looking for somebody who’s all glitz and glam.”

First place prizes include fitness-wear, jewelry, and a trip to Los Angeles for the crowning ceremony. The trip had to be postponed because of the pandemic, but she expects it to be rescheduled soon. 

“I’m super excited for that because my dream has always been to go to L.A., because I love acting and modeling,” said Rachel. 

Returning to Marco this month meant a return to a place that has been the source of innumerable good memories for the rising ninth grader. 

“Marco is such a great community, so many great people,” she said. “I’ve just wanted to come back every time. I’ve made friends every year I’ve come. There are so many fun activities and of course there are the amazing beaches and shopping in downtown Naples. A tradition for my family is going to Joey’s Pizza the first night we come here.”

It can be hard to pinpoint one’s future at such a young age. However, Rachel does have some goals in mind where both career and serving others are concerned. 

“My dream is to become a famous actress and to use my platform to help children in foster care and to become an advocate for them,” she said. 

For more information on Comfort Cases visit www.comfortcases.org/.