Jesicah Lara of Banning Seeks Votes in the Miss California Teen 2012 Contest

A Banning High senior, cheerleader, and softball standout is competing in the Miss California Teen 2012 contest, and she is seeking votes for two online awards.

Jesicah Lara, 17, is in the pageant scheduled this weekend at McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert.

Circulating on social media Monday evening were invitations to vote on the Miss California USA Contestant Channel for the Miss Friend's and Miss People's Choice Awards.

Jesicah's mom, Melanie Aguirre Lara, sent out the link with this message on Facebook:

"Please vote for Jesicah, Miss Banning Teen USA, by clicking this link and sharing it with your friends! The vote counts by sharing the link with friends from the page that this link takes you to. Thanks!"

Jesicah introduces herself on her "Jesicah Lara for Miss California Teen 2012" Facebook page:

"I am a senior at Banning High School, and I am also ASB president. I am a varsity Cheerleader and Softball player. I absolutely love to play all sports, I am a hardcore athlete."

Jesicah was named in Juune 2011. She was an All-Mountain Valley League selection the year before.

Monday night, with the Miss California Teen prelimaries and finals scheduled Saturday and Sunday, Jesicah said she is ready.

"At this point I'm excited!" she said. "I've been telling myself not to be nervous that way I don't freak myself out and so that I can be calm for the day of. I'm excited to meet my roomie too. Haha. But mainly I'm ready to just go out there and represent my community. . . . There's about 180 of us, and they're ALL beautiful! I'm so honored to compete with these girls."

The Miss California Teen 2012 preliminaries are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Saturday Jan. 7 at the McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive in Palm Desert. The finals are scheduled at 2 p.m. Sunday Jan. 8.

For more information about the contest and tickets, visit the McCallum Theatre web site.