Oakley resident sets sights on Miss California title

By Roni Gehlke
For the Contra Costa Times

OAKLEY -- In a few weeks, Oakley resident Victoria Leanna White will represent Contra Costa County in the 2011 Miss California USA Pageant. While there, she is hoping to draw attention to the World Vision organization.

White, 22, has been busy over the past several months working to promote the Christian humanitarian group that works with children, families and communities on issues of poverty and injustice.

During the pageant Nov. 20-21, White will take part in an interview and a question-and-answer session where she can speak about herself and the organization. The pageant, which will take place in Palm Springs, will be televised.

White has participated in pageants in the past but none as big as Miss California USA. This pageant is the middle step to the Miss USA title, the first being the Miss Contra Costa County.

Unlike some of pageants, Miss California USA doesn't host a talent show but bases its competition on a personal interview, swimsuit and evening gown competition, and a question-and-answer period. The judges base their scores on character, poise, confidence and personality.

White recently graduated from UC Berkeley. With her bachelor's degree in legal studies, she plans to attend law school at Columbia or New York University.

She also decided to participate in the pageant because she could win a scholarship that would be a big help with law school tuition.

White has always been interested in becoming a lawyer like her mother. She remembers when she was in the third grade and decided she wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps.

While attending elementary school in Berkeley, she was elected and served as conflict manager in third and fourth grade. She also attended the Math Olympics at Holy Names College while in elementary school, winning a silver medal.

As a student at Deer Valley High School, she competed on the varsity track team all four years and made it to the state meet every year. She also was a member of the gospel choir and acting club, and participated in several dance shows.

She was an honor roll student all four years of high school, and in her spare time she volunteered with children's youth track meets.

In her senior year, White was offered several track scholarships but decided to focus strictly on academic scholarships. She attended San Francisco State University before moving to UC Berkeley.

White plans to start law school in the coming year, and her dream is to obtain her Juris Doctor and practice International Human Rights Law.

"After receiving my law degree, I want to work within the United Nations and eventually start up a nonprofit that works with underprivileged children locally and around the world," White said.

White has already started working with the underprivileged by volunteering with the San Francisco chapter of the National Legal Guild, working on committees for international human rights. She also served on the Human Rights Committee and the 9/11 Committee, did work with the Innocence Project, and worked on the Grand Jury Indictment Project.

As part of the Miss California USA pageant, White has chosen to promote and donate part of the sponsorships she collected to the World Vision organization.

"It is a very dedicated organization that does good work," she said.