A Rancho Pico Junior High eighth grader is seeking community sponsorship to compete in the 2017 “National American Miss” pageant at the end of November.

Keely Young, 13, launched a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of reaching $10,000 to help pay for her entry fee, wardrobe, travel fees, hair and makeup and her pageant coach, according to the page.

Young needs to raise at least $900 by November 10 in order to pay for her next entry fee, a news release said.

The “National American Miss” pageant — set to take place in Anaheim from Nov. 20-26 — will be Young’s first national pageant competition.

“I am (an) 8th grader and maintain straight A’s at school. I sing in our Chamber Choir as well as my church youth choir. Singing is my passion and I hope to make a career out of it,” Young said on her GoFundMe page. “In my spare time I am involved in Girl Scouts and do modeling and acting.”  

Young is currently working to improve her ability to respond more liberally during the interview portion of the pageant process.   

“The most challenging part is ensuring I am always myself throughout this process and not changing myself to be who the judges want me to be,” Young said. “I’m ensuring myself that I will do that, because overall the judges want me to be myself and not someone else.” 

Young expects to use her role as a pageant contestant as a means to speak on behalf of her Girl Scout community service project, “Hearts 4 the Homeless” — which Young created for Troop 7292 of Santa Clarita.

“For my Girl Scout Silver Award project, I am helping the homeless and their pets, most specifically their dogs, in Santa Clarita,” Young said. “My hope for the program is to offer veterinary services, grooming services, pet supplies and more.”

Young has built a website for this project and hopes to expand the project throughout L.A. County to eventually become a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

To donate to Young’s GoFundMe page, click here. Visit the “Hearts 4 the Homeless” website here.

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